Visual Spatial Ideas
Because I am not strong in this area, I have learned to utilize the students who are gifted in visual spatial areas to help me with illustrations and visual cues for my students. This is extremely helpful when working with my ELL students. It really helps them hook meaning to the word when they see a visual representation of the word.
Although I can't draw, I do love color. This will also appeal to our visual learners. When we write our spelling words, we use different colors for vowels and consonants. We also look at the shape of a word. These cues can help the V-sp. learners.
Graphic organizers are also wonderful tools. Using a G.O. helps 'organize' thoughts around a visual theme. My daughter is high in V-sp and she loves to use organizers to 'corral' her thoughts.
We all know that a picture is worth a thousand words so don't forget to look for some pictures to illustrate the topics you are studying. The internet has really opened up the possibilities for that.
Lastly, help students use visualization to aid their reading comprehension. Thinking about the story as if it were a 'movie in your mind' can help students understand what they are reading. Now this is an area that I am strong in. I have a great imagination. You will find areas of v-sp. that you are strong in, too. Capitalize on those areas and ask students to help you in your weaker areas. Everyone will benefit. What are you thoughts? Hey, Mr. GV, we'd love to hear from you...
posted by Kim Whitchurch @ 9:51 AM
6 Comments:
I let the 4th graders use colored pencils or regular pencils when we did our paper on library shelf order. Amazingly, only about 1/3 of the kids chose the colored pencils!
Interesting comments. You may want to look at my book, The Shutdown Learner: Helping Your Academically Discouraged Child.
The book is about children who struggle with reading, spelling and writing will, yet are strong and visual spatial areas.
Best regards,
Dr. Richard Selznick
www.shutdownlearner.co willm
Sorry, that address previously was www.shutdownlearner.com
My email is:
selznick-r@cooperhealth.edu
Grace- Sometimes when we think people will definitely choose an option because it is appealing to us. I would have thought everyone would have wanted to try the colored pencils. Hmmmm
I believe in using the pictures in books. Beginning readers can get a lot of meaning from the pictures and should be encouraged to use them.
I have been reading and working with the skill of visualization for comprehension with my older readers. Many children do not seem to understand that while they are reading they should be thinking and have "pictures" in their head.
With those who are having trouble with comprehension we might read a paragraph or so then stop and talk about what they are thinking.
We have been color-coding our multiplication facts on flash cards in 4th grade. As we make the flash cards, we also color the facts on a chart to look at the patterns that are developing. This strategy really seems to be working with some of the kids who are strong V-sp learners. Knowing "which color family" helps them recall the facts more rapidly.
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