Understanding all eight compass points including NE, SE, SW, NW and their positions between the main points.
Where your child meets this in real life: More precise map reading, navigation, describing wind directions
SEAGReady breaks eight compass points into 2 steps, taught in order so each skill builds on the last.
Identify and name the four intermediate compass points (NE, SE, SW, NW) on a compass rose
Identify which of the 8 compass directions describes the position of one location relative to another
Three free sample questions from our eight compass points course. Every question comes with a full explanation, and hints that guide without giving the answer away.
Oisin is learning to read a compass on a school trip. What direction is exactly halfway between North and East?
Answer: A. North-East (NE)
The point between North and East is the intermediate point. When naming it, North comes first, then East. Answer: North-East (NE)
Stuck? Start here: The direction is between two main compass points. Which two?
On a map of Belfast, the Titanic Quarter is diagonally up and to the right from the city centre. What compass direction is the Titanic Quarter from the city centre?
Answer: A. North-East (NE)
Up on a map = North Right on a map = East Diagonally up-right combines North and East Applying the naming rule (N before E): North-East (NE)
Stuck? Start here: Up on a map means which compass direction?
On a compass rose, what direction is exactly between South and West?
Answer: A. South-West (SW)
The point between South and West is the intermediate point. When naming it, South comes first (N/S before E/W). Answer: South-West (SW)
Stuck? Start here: Which two main compass points is this direction between?
This is the exact interactive worked example your child sees in SEAGReady. Step through it and watch the method build up.
Ciara is learning to use a compass on an orienteering trip in the Mourne Mountains.
What direction is exactly halfway between North and East?
Step 1 of 4
Ciara is learning to use a compass on an orienteering trip in the Mourne Mountains.
What direction is exactly halfway between North and East?
The direction exactly between North and East is North-East (NE).
The key insight: For intermediate compass points, always put N or S first, then E or W!
Watch out: EN (East-North). The naming rule is: North or South always comes before East or West.
These are the misconceptions we see most often in eight compass points, including the ones our practice questions are specifically designed to catch.
Struggling with eight compass points? The real gap is often in one of these earlier topics.
SEAGReady finds the exact step where your child gets stuck, teaches it with worked examples like the one above, and brings it back for review so it sticks.