Can you see what I’m saying?
Working to unlock the giftedness of visual spatial learners
I have such fond memories of reading Fred Gwynne’s children’s books to my kids when they were young.
His classic books like, “The King Who Rained” (1988) and “Chocolate Moose for Dinner” (1988), offer delightful illustrations chronicling the mental images conjured by a young girl in response to common homophones like “the foot prince in the snow.”
In addition to being humorous, these books offer a great glimpse into what it’s like inside the mind of a visual-spatial learner.
In this course review of “Working with Visual-Spatial Learners,” Stacy Hughes offers an in-depth analysis of visual-spatial learners and the types of teaching tools that unlock their potential.
Ms. Hughes, a G/T specialist in Burleson ISD, has experience teaching gifted middle school in Florida, high school in rural China, special needs students in Taiwan, and gifted elementary students in Texas.
“I wish I had a camera on my forehead
and you had a screen on yours.
Then I could show you what I am thinking.”
– A visual-spatial child
Visual-Spatial Learners are At-Risk!
It’s imperative that we identify visual-spatial learners because they are at-risk of failing and dropping out of school. They are as difficult to identify as gifted students with current testing methods. Visual-spatial learners can often learn how to pass classes but struggle to truly thrive.
Also, many of these types of learners are twice exceptional (2E), falling within the realm of ADD, ADHD, and dyslexia. A traditional classroom setting defeats a visual-spatial learner.
Who are Visual-Spatial Learners?
In early childhood, visual-spatial learners tend to:
- Have frequent ear infections
- Have sensitivity to clothes and textures
- Love Legos, puzzles, and drawing
In elementary school they may have difficulty with spelling and struggle with computations. They are deeply affected by their environment, and often act as emotional barometers of a classroom.
By elementary school, many visual-spatial learners are convinced they are just bad at school.
But being a visual spatial learner is a true gift, once a student’s potential is unlocked.
While they may never be good at reading or spelling, they have amazing problem-solving capabilities. They can visualize in extremely unique ways and recognize patterns in the world around them.
Visual-spatial learners have contributed to nearly every sphere of knowledge:
Science – Einstein- Mathematics – Mandelbrot
- Art – Da Vinci
- Music – Mozart
- Architecture – F.L. Wright
- Physics – Garrett Lisi
Picturing the Mind of a Visual-Spatial Learner
The most key characteristic of a visual-spatial learner is that they think in pictures. When you ask them, “do you see what I’m saying?”, that is exactly what they are doing.
Just like the little girl in Gwynne’s books, they are constantly using mental imagery to make sense of the world around them. A visual-spatial learner, literally, cannot understand a concept until they have a clear picture in their mind
Unlocking Hidden Potential
Repetition and giving information demoralizes a visual-spatial learner. It sucks the joy out of school. Discovery learning and problem solving energizes them. They have a unique ability to understand big math concepts without mastering computation.
In fact, computation skills come naturally once they delve into more difficult math concepts. They don’t think in steps, they think in big picture. In this course, Ms. Hughes offers unique visualization techniques that were developed specifically for visual-spatial learners.
Revolutionizing the way you teach!
Ms. Hughes offers simple techniques that will change the way you work with visual-spatial learners.
“When I say that what I’m going to show you is revolutionary for these kids, it’s not an overstatement,” she says. “It really is revolutionary… And it’s so simple to implement that the teachers, at first, can’t believe that it’s actually real.”
To see for yourself, sign up for the free teacher trial and take this course at no cost to you! Go to http://tagtondemand.com/free-teacher-trial/ to sign up, or call 915.532.9965 if you prefer to speak to someone.
Delivering Quality Training – No Matter Where You Are
Did you know that this course is mobile ready? That means you can complete the course on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop computer, or any other mobile device!
(Photos courtesy of Flickr via Joachim Schlosser, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, and susanrm8)
