By Lauri Robins,
Founder of Bright Kids World
Introduction
Does your child think in pictures and images? Can they sit and draw pictures or build 3D objects for hours on end, without a sense of time? Do they have trouble with rote memorization (such as multiplication tables), and spelling? Can they look at a picture and tell a story with great creativity? Do they have a great sense of humor because they see double meanings easily?
Does your child learn complex topics easily, but makes mistakes with easy facts? Does s/he understand math reasoning yet can struggle with computations? Does s/he surprise you with creative and unusual solutions to problems? YES? Then your child is likely to be a Visual-Spatial Learner (VSL).
As discussed in the article,
"Learning Styles of Gifted Children", people with a right-hemisphere brain dominance have a learning style called Visual-Spatial. In this article, we discuss the VSL learning characteristics in more detail, provide suggestions for learning, and include suggestions of technology tools that are great for VSLs. The following learning characteristics are common with a Visual-Spatial Learner (VSL).
Characteristics of VSL Learning Style
Hannah is an unhappy child. She has been sitting in her new third grade classroom for two months now and hasn’t learned a single thing. At home Hannah independently thinks about topics that interest her and relentlessly pursues learning everything about it. She reads books, draws pictures, and makes maps. There is long history of giftedness in Hannah’s family. Her parents think she is bored at school and should be advanced to the next grade. Her teacher disagrees. Hannah makes mistakes with very easy spelling and math questions on tests, and the paragraphs she writes are disorganized. Hannah tells her mother, “I think in pictures.” Hannah is a Visual-Spatial Learner in an Auditory-Sequential classroom.
Our understanding of Visual-Spatial Learners suggests that there are many kids, perhaps a majority of kids, with this learning style preference. This learning style promotes faster, more efficient thinking and many gifted kids tend to prefer this learning style because it promotes greater pace and complexity of thinking. Let's explore this learning style and suggest how to better match VSL kids with improved learning experiences.
As we learned in the article,
"Learning Styles of Gifted Children", research by Dr. Linda Silverman of the Gifted Development Center suggests that a majority of kids are Visual-Spatial Learners, with a right-hemisphere brain dominance. This research suggests 60+% of kids are VSL, with 33% of kids strongly VSL, and an additional 30% slight-to-moderate VSL.
Further, the research suggests that a higher percentages of VSL learning style preference exists in minority populations such as Hispanic, African American, Native American and Asian.
You might be surprised to learn that non-verbal (Visual-Spatial) thinking is approximately 8x faster than auditory (Auditory-Sequential) thinking. There are experts in the area of dyslexia, such as Ron Davis, who believe that non-verbal thinking of a VSL is thousands of times faster than verbal thinking. Exceptionally gifted ASL kids can learn by Auditory-Sequential methods, but they may begin to prefer the speed of Visual-Spatial thinking. Learning everything at once, in great leaps, by using Visual-Spatial methods may become enticing.
Characteristics of the Visual-Spatial Learner
| Thinks primarily in images |
Arrives at correct solutions intuitively |
| Has visual strengths |
Learns best by seeing relationships |
| Relates well to space |
Has good long-term visual memory |
| Is a whole-part learner |
Is very sensitive to teachers' attitudes |
| Learns concepts all at once |
Develops own methods of problem solving |
|
Learns complex concepts easily:
Struggles with easy skills |
Learns concepts permanently;
Does not learn by drill and repetition |
| Is a good synthesizer |
Generates unusual solutions to problems |
| Sees the big picture; may miss details |
Develops quite asynchronously (unevenly) |
| Reads maps well |
May have very uneven grades |
| Is better at math reasoning than computation |
Enjoys geometry and physics |
| Learns whole words easily |
Masters other languages through immersion |
| Must visualize words to spell them |
Is creatively, technologically, mechanically,
emotionally, or spiritually gifted |
| Much better at keyboarding than handwriting |
Is a late bloomer |
| Creates unique methods of organization |
|
Copyright held by Linda Kreger Silverman. From Silverman, L.K., (2002) Upside-Down Brilliance: The Visual-Spatial Learner, Denver, DeLeon Publishing.
These characteristics can be organized into three areas, which will be explored in greater depth: Creatively Complex & Divergent Thinking, Visual-Spatial Strengths, and Holistic Strengths.
We need to encourage kids to independently pursue their interests, and take advantage of their strengths. With that in mind, it is advantageous to teach them tools to use to be more academically independent. We provide a list of tools that are consistent with VSL strengths that can help VSL kids pursue their interests.
We close with suggested activities to help with organizational, sequential, and time management skills that can help minimize areas of potential weakness.
Build on Creatively Complex & Divergent Thinking
|
Is Creatively, Technologically, Mechanically,
Emotionally, or Spiritually Gifted |
Develops Quite Asynchronously (Unevenly) |
| Develops Own Methods of Problem Solving |
May Have Very Uneven Grades |
| Generates Unusual Solutions to Problems |
Is A Late Bloomer |
| Arrives at Correct Solutions Intuitively |
Creates Unique Methods of Organization |
Your VSL child is a creative thinker. S/He thinks about problems from many different perspectives and comes up with unusual ideas for solutions. They cannot always describe the process they used to come up with ideas and solutions; it is not a sequentially defined process that is learned. When solving more concrete problems, such as math problems, they often arrive at correct solutions without being able to describe the steps they used. It is like a magical muse visits and the answer "pops" into their head. They can be concerned, when asked to do another similar problem, whether the muse will visit them again.
If your child has difficulty showing steps used in solving math problems, teach them how to solve the math problem in reverse. Have your VSL child look at the math problem and the answer they came up with, and teach them to show steps from the answer back to the problem. This can help develop confidence that they can come up with answers consistently without requiring a visit from their muse.
The divergent thinking of your VSL child is not a sequential process. Therefore, VSL children may have difficulties in their early school years where most skills being taught are sequential. Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic (the 3 “R”s) are all taught in a sequential manner. To a VSL child, sequential thinking is not natural. As a result, their giftedness may not be recognized within a school system. In fact, because of the difficulties mastering the three R’s, many VSL kids may learn to perceive themselves as poor students and not very capable. They may become troublemakers in the classroom.
Gifted VSL kids develop their own organizational techniques that may seem very foreign to Auditory-Sequential thinkers. With strong visual skills, VSL kids may spread everything around so they can see it, but their things may not be categorized together in a way that is understandable to others.
Your VSL child may have uneven grades, and you may find that they develop in an asynchronous manner. They may have a complete grasp of geography and maps, and struggle to learn multiplication tables. Their ability to handle complexity may result in an understanding of fractions while having difficulty with division. They may even learn to multiply and divide fractions before they learn to multiply and divide whole numbers, particularly if they can visualize fractions.
But, take heart! Typically, VSLs typically are late bloomers and absolutely excel in later school years where higher level math reasoning, physics, creative writing and other topics at school are more in line with their strengths. It is critical to keep kids engaged, and their self-image intact through their younger years.
How do you keep VSL kids engaged? The answer is for parents and teachers to work together to build on their strengths! See how creative and divergent thinking can be incorporated into classroom activities. Your objective is to make sure that each VSL child’s self-image remains positive and that they make academic progress despite asynchronous development.
Put a plan together, between school and home, with specifics. If your child understands more advanced math theory, put a plan together for your child to be part of advanced math activities, even if their math computation skills are not as advanced.
If your child is struggling with reading, first have them tested to make sure there isn’t an underlying vision processing or learning disability. Second, pursue whole-word methods of reading instruction. Finally, consider providing picture books or cartoon books with lots of humor and images to engage them as they develop their reading skills. Consider providing books on tape to improve auditory skills while ensuring that they are developing higher-level reading comprehension and vocabulary skills without being hampered by their reading level.
In summary:
- Emphasize creative and imaginative projects.
- Reward diversity and divergent thinking.
Build on Visual-Spatial Strengths
| Thinks Primarily in Images |
Enjoys Geometry & Physics |
| Has Visual Strengths |
Learns Concepts Permanently |
| Reads Maps Well |
Does Not Learn by Drill and Repeition |
| Has Good Long-Term Visual Memory |
Learns Whole Words Easily |
| Learns Best by Seeing Relationships |
Must Visualize Words to Spell Them |
| Relates Well to Space |
Much Better at Keyboarding Than Handwriting |
Gifted VSL kids are very visual, and think in images. They expend effort to translate words into images that they can see in their head. They expend effort to translate the image in their head to words in order to verbally tell people what they are thinking. How do kids do these translations? Sometimes through drawing doodles and pictures on their papers. Sometimes they have to look away from people in order to process translations.
Use visuals as much as possible. When kids can complete an image, it is learned. No amount of repetition will make the image more clear or better. Therefore, avoid repetition and focus on helping kids formulate the picture. Images become clear when kids understand and "see" relationships and how things relate to each other.
If kids cannot translate words into an image, they do not learn. Can you picture the sentence, "The dog was black"? Yes? Likewise, can you picture the sentence, "The dog was not black"?
Think of it as an equation: No Picture = Not Learned.
Computers are great learning tools for pictures and images. Invest in software and find visual websites. Avoid repetition - once a VSL has a visual image in their brain, no additional repetition makes the image clearer or better. The right hemisphere processes long term memory, therefore once VSL kids see an image, they learn the concept permanently.
Learning to read can be problematic. Phonics are less effective for VSL kids. Try whole word reading methods instead. Help them to visualize words by placing a whole word next to a picture of the word.
- Include art and graphic design as part of classroom projects.
- Engage reluctant readers with picture books and/or comic books.
- Group vocabulary words with images.
- Eliminate repetition and rote memorization.
- Use computers and smartboards.
- Allow doodling.
- Use rhythm and music to help keep focus.
- Use visuals, images, and pictures.
- Know that it's OK if VSL kids look away or are looking around Often they are working to translate images into words. Give them time to finish. Meanwhile, have kids practice keeping eye contact.
- TVs, computers, Wii, Playstations, and so on are highly attractive to visual kids. Limit time.
Build on Holistic Strengths
| Is a Whole-Part Learner |
Is a Good Synthesizer |
| Learns Concepts All At Once |
Sees the Big Picture; May Miss Details |
| Learns Complex Concepts Easily |
Masters Other Languages Through Immersion |
| Struggles With Easy Skills |
|
Gifted VSL kids are holistic. They learn concepts all at once rather than in a sequence. By viewing an image or picture that shows how concepts relate to each other, kids learn all at once. VSL kids like to see the "big picture" and then fill in the details. They may read the end of a book to see the whole story, and then read the book to fill in the details. Tell VSL kids what you are going to teach them, and then fill in the details.
Encourage learning as a “whole part” process, rather than a step-by-step sequential process. For example, a “whole part” learning process for butterflies would be to watch a video about butterflies, raise butterflies from caterpillars, read aloud about butterflies, make a mobile and hang butterfly art (drawn pictures, light weight stained-glass butterflies, etc), and write a story about butterflies.
Focus on synthesizing activities rather than analyzing activities. Synthesizing activities include interdisciplinary activities, creating new ideas and inventions, problem-based learning, units of learning that have a theme, learning-by-inquiry, formulating hypotheses, and so on. In comparison, analysis activities compare and contrast pieces of a whole, which is a natural fit with an Auditory-Sequential Learner.
- Have kids create a project rather than write a paper. The project should include many different activities (a poster, mobile, paper mache objects, maps, computer visuals, watch an informative video, etc).
- Give the “big picture” at the beginning of the project. Tell kids what you want them to know and then fill in the details.
- Provide advanced work even if they haven’t mastered easier materials.
- Emphasize concepts, not format
- Don’t require the same process to learn
- Provide multiple grades, for content and for format.
Technologies to Introduce to VSL Kids
Teaching kids to use and master appropriate tools is a long process, but will provide a lifetime of reward. For the activities just described, try having kids experiment with software and other tools to accomplish their tasks.
- Draw programs (Illustrator, CorelDraw)
- Animation software
- Paint programs (PhotoShop, Paint, KidPix, AppleWorks)
- Imaging software (Fireworks)
- Desktop publishing (Publisher, Pagemaker)
- Desktop presentation (PowerPoint, Astound)
- Computer-generated charts, graphs, and tables (Graph Action; Graph Club)
- Spreadsheets (Excel)
- Web development tools
- Digital drawing pads
- 3D and morphing software
- Photo sharing websites
- Comics and Sequential art
- Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software
- Puzzle building tools
- Multimedia authoring (HyperStudio)
- Map making tools
- Scrapbooking, photo albums, and slide show software and websites
- Visual information materials: photos, clipart, charts, graphs, tables
- Color-code projects and ideas
- Match pictures to vocabulary words
- Websites with visual organizers or use color
- Visual artwork
- Computer-generated board games
- Scanners
- Digital cameras
- Video cameras
- Concept mapping tools and diagrams (Inspiration & Kidspiration)
Minimize VSL Weaknesses
Although Visual-Spatial Learners have many strengths, they can have trouble with organizational, sequential, and time management skills. VSL kids will benefit from activities that will enhance these abilities, and minimize their weaknesses.
- Play games that have a sequence (e.g., Follow the Leader)
- Sing songs with sequences in the verses (e.g., 12 Days of Christmas, Farmer in the Dell)
- Help develop organization techniques. Have boxes and label with contents. Have a daily pick-up session.
- Teach kids to use webs and maps to organize ideas to be used in writing assignments
- Use visual science projects to encourage kids to use the step-by-step scientific process.
- Use colors to differentiate sequential steps that need to be taken.
- When instructions need to be given verbally, use pictures, stories, humor, emotion, and color as much as possible.
- Provide visual logic games.
- Play board games that require a sequence of events to win.
- Encourage development of auditory skills by having kids repeat verbal instructions back to you, and by reading creative, engaging stories aloud to them.
- If they struggle with organization, work with them to develop organizational habits to make sure they will get assignments handed in by due dates and their bedrooms don’t get out of hand.
- Get them a watch and train them to use alarms to develop better time-management and time-awareness habits.
- Teach them how to go back and check their work on tests so errors on simple items are corrected before tests are handed in.
- To help with handwriting difficulties, reduce writing assignments, let students use computers and tape recorders, give oral tests, and teach writing as an art form such as calligraphy.
- Make up acronyms so kids can memorize materials. For example, to learn the lines on a music staff many use the acronyms E-G-B-D-F (Every Good Boy Does Fine).
- Read the article "Auditory-Sequential Learners" for more suggestions in developing auditory, verbal, and sequential abilities in your VSL child.
What Happened to Hannah?
What happened to Hannah? In fifth grade, Hannah’s parents pulled her out of her neighborhood public school and enrolled her in a private school for two years. Although Hannah was at least a year behind her peers in math computations, the math specialist in her new school believed she understood higher level math concepts and placed her in the highest math group.
During her two years in the school, Hannah zoomed through five years of math curriculum. The school had a holistic curriculum and Hannah thrived. She discovered this wonderful thing called “creative writing”. Although essays required more effort to organize than creative assignments, Hannah’s overall writing skills dramatically improved.
Hannah returned to public school in 7th grade, and enrolled in 9th grade math and every advanced class offered. Her holistic thinking is now an advantage in school. She is still asynchronous. She reads at a college level, 9th grade math (geometry) easy, is breezing through her advanced classes, yet needs relatively more time to work through math computations.
She now knows she is a VSL. She chooses electives such as art, creative writing, photography, and jewelry. She is learning to improvise at the piano and is working to try out for jazz band in high school next year. Her world is now full of hope and satisfaction. She is a happy girl.
Conclusions
Although VSL kids have a right-hemisphere dominance that is likely to be a lifetime trait, their brain will continue to develop over a lifetime based on how they use it. Kids will gravitate to activities where they are strong. Help VSL kids to use their strengths and balance with activities that will help minimize weaknesses.
Help VSL kids through the more difficult years in elementary school with their self-image intact. Encourage them to use their strengths as confidence builders!
Group VSL kids together. Match VSL students with a VSL teacher.
Sources
Johnson, Larry, and Annette Lamb, Eduscapes.com website.
Silverman, L.K. (2002). Upside-Down Brilliance: The Visual-Spatial Learner. Denver: DeLeon Publishing.
Maxwell, Elizabeth, "About Spatial Learners", Gifted Development Center, Denver, CO.
Learning Technology Center, Area III, West Central Illinois K-12 School District website.
Visual-Spatial Resource website, at www.VisualSpatial.org.
Copyright 2010, Lauri Robins
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