Visual Learning Style

Often times when I am giving advice on curriculum hunting, I recommend learning and knowing your child's learning style. This helps in finding the right curriculum that works for your child and it also helps your direction of teaching. The next few posts will concentrate on learning styles to help you distinguish what style of learner you have.


Visual Learner

Commonly known as visual-spatial style, the visual learner will generally use diagrams, charts, colors, images, maps and graphs to communicate and organize information. They do well using words and pictures in their note taking. They are more likely to forget things if they do not write them down. Visual learners typically remember faces but forget names.

Visual learners will often use phrases that provide clues to their preference. ("I'll look into it," "Let's see what we can do," "I can't really picture it," "Do you see my point") They will talk about problems they are working on in visual terms. Visual learners are people who would like to be shown, rather than told, how to do something. 

Common characteristics of visual learners:

• They will forget what they hear but remember what they see
• They enjoy puzzles, board games, building blocks and all types of crafts
• They are very creative and good at finding solutions to problems by visually seeing the ideas work in their mind
• They learn words and correct spelling by seeing them wrote down 
• They have a better sense of space than time

AVOID the following:

• anything that shows more audio than video
• use little verbal instructions, focus more on written instructions
• spelling words are best wrote out on a board verses verbally spoken, visual learners need to see the words

Study tips for visual learners:

1. Use visual prompts like pictures, videos, charts, flashcards etc..
2. White boards and markers 
3. Use Patterns when your teaching
4. Memorize using pictures
5. Color code notes
6. Shape notes in the form of an outline
7. Replace words with images 
8. Underline, circle and use bold for important text
9. Study in quiet places
10. Create inspiration boards
11. Use checklists or calendars
12. Use highlighter pens in note taking

 Teaching tips for visual learners:

1. Show problem solving
2. Color code
3. Practice thinking under pressure
4. Make memorization funny
5. They respond to written instructions or the teacher carrying out the activity 

Again noting that when you are looking for curriculum be sure to read the description and vendor notes about what learning style the curriculum best works with.