What's a visual learner?
If you step into a classroom, you're likely to spot the visual learner sitting in the reading nook leafing through books, or front and center peering at what's written on the blackboard. If your child is a visual learner, he probably has little trouble following the teacher when he's illustrating concepts on the blackboard or using a diagram or graph to teach a subject. That's because visual learners rely primarily on their sense of sight to take in information, understand it, and remember it. As long as they can "see" it, they can comprehend it.
Educators have identified two kinds of visual learners: picture learners and print learners. Many children are a mixture of both, although some are decidedly one or the other, according to Mariaemma Willis and Victoria Hodson, authors of Discover Your Child's Learning Style. Picture learners think in images; if you ask one if California is on the East or West Coast, he'll probably summon up the image of a United States map to answer your question. Print learners think in words; they quickly learn to read and easily can memorize the correct spelling of words. They're also the ones who like to write. If you ask one which coast California is on, the first thing he'll do is conjure up the word "California" and then call upon what he's read about the state to answer your question.
What are the benefits of knowing my child's learning style?
Knowing how your child learns and processes information is a valuable tool you can use to help him do better in school and develop a love of learning. Education experts have identified three main types of learning: physical, visual, and auditory. When learning a new math concept, for example, a visual learner will grasp the material more quickly by reading about it in a book or watching his teacher solve a problem on the blackboard. An auditory learner will understand the concept if he can listen to the teacher explain it and answer his questions. A physical learner (also known as tactual-kinesthetic) may need to use blocks, an abacus, or other counting materials to practice the new concept.
If you understand that your child is a visual learner (though his style may shift over time), and therefore most comfortable using sight to explore the world, you can play to his strength, and work on the other learning styles – physical and auditory – that may need more stimulation.
And this isn't just theoretical. Studies have shown that accommodating a child's learning style can significantly increase his performance at school. (Many of these studies were based on a specific learning styles program developed by Rita Dunn, director of the Center for the Study of Learning and Teaching Styles at St. John's University in New York City.) The evidence is compelling: Two elementary schools in North Carolina were able to increase the achievement-test scores of students from the 30th percentile up to the 83rd percentile over a three-year period. And in 1992, the U.S. Department of Education found that attending to a child's learning style was one of the few strategies that improved the scores of special-education students on national tests.
What can I do to help my visual child excel in elementary school?
The best way to support your visual child is to indulge his interests and provide him with the materials he needs to learn. "Pay attention to what your child likes, and try to approach learning from that point," says Kurt Fischer, director of Mind, Brain, and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. If your child likes to write, for example, let him practice this skill as much as he wants. Have lots of books available at home, whether he's a bookworm or a beginning reader just learning to string words together. "One of the best predictors for school success is the number of books kids have access to at home and how much time their parents spend reading with them," says Fischer. Television too may be a helpful learning tool for this type of learner, as long as the programs are educational.
Whatever you do, make sure your child's activities are developmentally appropriate. First, second, and third graders are beginning to work on specialized subjects. They're making sense of math, discovering science, and reading classic stories. So if you find that your child responds to pictures better than words, find books that have lots of interesting images accompanying the text to help him grasp an idea. Teach him to make the most of illustrations, diagrams, and graphs to understand a subject. If he's a print learner, show him how to organize his thoughts and ideas in a journal, and encourage him to take notes in class. For more activities your visual child may enjoy, see the articles listed below.
For first graders:
Activities for a beginning reader
Activities for an intermediate reader
Activities to promote a first grader's math skills
Activities to promote a first grader's writing skills
Activities to promote a first grader's listening skills
Activities to promote a first grader's speaking skills
For second and third graders
Activities for an intermediate reader
Activities for an advanced reader
Activities to promote a second grader's math skills
Activities to promote a third grader's math skills
Activities to promote a second or third grader's writing skills
Activities to promote a second or third grader's listening skills
Activities to promote a second or third grader's speaking skills
How can I address my visual child's weaknesses in other areas?
Just because your child is primarily visual and doesn't rely as much on other learning styles doesn't mean he'll do badly in school. Learning styles aren't permanent, at least not for children this age. Your child will shift from one style to another as he gets older and develops other skills. "Learning is complex," says Barbara Given, director of the Adolescent Learning Research Center at the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. "Finding out your child's learning style is just the tip of the iceberg. What matters more is what you do with this knowledge."
While it's important to provide your child with visual stimulation if he's a visual learner, Given says you should pay attention to the other learning styles, too. "It's crucial that parents work with multiple senses as well, so the child can become well rounded and use various strategies to grasp new information," she says. Provide your child with opportunities to participate in hands-on activities, such as origami and baking, to stimulate physical learning. Play some music and get him singing to strengthen his auditory skills.
You can also show your child how to compensate for his lack of strength where listening and physical skills are required. He may not absorb much of what his teacher is saying, for example, if the teacher isn't using anything visual to help explain a topic. If this happens often, tell your child to watch the teacher's face as he speaks or follow along in a book if he is discussing something in the text. When you're at home, accompany verbal directions with visual cues as often as possible. For example, point to the shelf where you want him to put away his toys as you say, "Keep your things over there."
In the end, what matters most is that you nurture and support your child's learning, no matter what his style. Follow his lead and focus not on how great he's becoming at certain subjects but how great he is in general. "Good parenting counts most," says Given. "It's essential for learning and discovery."
Where can I get more information about learning styles?
See the following articles: