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Eye to Eye: Eye to Eye: Connecting with Connecting with
Gifted Gifted Visual Spatial Visual Spatial
LearnersLearners
Eye to Eye: Eye to Eye: Connecting with Connecting with
Gifted Gifted Visual Spatial Visual Spatial
LearnersLearnersRebecca L. MannRebecca L. Mann
[email protected]/~rlmannweb.ics.purdue.edu/~rlmann
Strengths of individuals with spatial reasoning gifts
Strengths of individuals with spatial reasoning gifts
Visual Spatial Learners are adept at:
Puzzles and Mazes
Block Counting - 3D arrays with hidden blocks
Visual Transformations
Envisioning a folded & cut piece of paper when open
Spelling words as well backwards as forwards
Getting around in unfamiliar territory
Reading charts, maps, diagrams
Picturing objects from different angles
Recalling series of numbers/letters they have seen
Numerical relations and mathematical reasoning
g n i z a m ag n i z a m a
Strengths of Visual Spatial LearnersStrengths of Visual Spatial LearnersStrengths of Visual Spatial LearnersStrengths of Visual Spatial Learners
Visual Spatial Learners
are adept at:
Pulling
everything
apart…
Visual Spatial Learners enjoy:
Blocks and Boxes
Construx and Legos
Computers
Daydreaming
Gears and Tinker Toys
Movies
Sequential Spatial
Profoundly influenced by time Preoccupied with space
Western thought boyboy Eastern thought
Rapid processor Slow processor
Step by step Whole to part
Learn by trial and error Learns concept all at once
Phonics Sight words
Left Brain Right Brain
The report card of a highly visual spatial learnerThe report card of a highly visual spatial learner
ConceptsConcepts
ComputationComputation
The report card of a highly visual spatial learnerThe report card of a highly visual spatial learner
ConceptsConcepts
ComputationComputation
Sequential SpatialGood organization Organizationally impaired
Progresses from easy Gets difficult concepts,
to difficult struggles with easy
Needs repetition Learning sticks
Orderly progression Intuitive grasp
Early Bloomer Late Bloomer
Does well with Algebra Does well with Geometry
Academic talent Technology/Creative talent
Traits ofTraits ofVisual Visual Spatial Spatial LearnersLearners
Traits ofTraits ofVisual Visual Spatial Spatial LearnersLearners
Learning Traits of Visual Spatial Learners
Visual Spatial Learners are:
Holistic Learners who:
Perceive relationships between the parts and the whole
Don’t understand if learning is doled out in small chunks
Can’t grasp isolated facts until the big picture is in view
Have difficulty attending to details
Visual Spatial Learners are:
Holistic Learners who:
Perceive relationships between the parts and the whole
Don’t understand if learning is doled out in small chunks
Can’t grasp isolated facts until the big picture is in view
Have difficulty attending to details
As Learners, Spatial Learners are:As Learners, Spatial Learners are:As Learners, Spatial Learners are:As Learners, Spatial Learners are:
“Aha” Processors who:
Understand all or nothing
Often cannot explain the steps of their thinking
Detest routine, repetitive tasks and do not learn by rote memorization
Once the “Aha” occurs, learning is relatively permanent
“Aha” Processors who:
Understand all or nothing
Often cannot explain the steps of their thinking
Detest routine, repetitive tasks and do not learn by rote memorization
Once the “Aha” occurs, learning is relatively permanent
Spatial Learners are CREATIVE, they:Spatial Learners are CREATIVE, they: Spatial Learners are CREATIVE, they:Spatial Learners are CREATIVE, they:
Arrive at surprising conclusions
Have amazing imaginations and
often have imaginary playmates
Make up rich stories but can’t
always write them down
May do great drawings and be elaborate doodlers but have awful handwriting
Arrive at surprising conclusions
Have amazing imaginations and
often have imaginary playmates
Make up rich stories but can’t
always write them down
May do great drawings and be elaborate doodlers but have awful handwriting
As Thinkers, Spatial Learners are:As Thinkers, Spatial Learners are:As Thinkers, Spatial Learners are:As Thinkers, Spatial Learners are:
Reflective:Reflective:
They need extra thinking They need extra thinking
time therefore, they cantime therefore, they can
appear to be lazy or toappear to be lazy or to
be daydreaming.be daydreaming.
Reflective:Reflective:
They need extra thinking They need extra thinking
time therefore, they cantime therefore, they can
appear to be lazy or toappear to be lazy or to
be daydreaming.be daydreaming.
Visual Spatial Learners are perceived as:Visual Spatial Learners are perceived as:
Unwilling to fit into time schedules or routines
Careless - Regularly forgetting homework and when they do it their handwriting may be illegible
Reluctant to take risks
Unwilling to fit into time schedules or routines
Careless - Regularly forgetting homework and when they do it their handwriting may be illegible
Reluctant to take risks
Visual Spatial Learners are:
Highly sensitive & hypersensitive to their environment such as:
Clothing - “the sweatpants kids”
Noise -They have poor listening skills but keen hearing,
may get more information than they can sift out
Emotions - They are good at reading people and can sense a
teacher’s anxieties and ambivalence
Whyshould wecare about these children???
Here’s the ProblemHere’s the Problem
• Emphasis on verbal skills in schools
• Traditional assessment measures (SAT, GRE) do not assess spatial ability (Gohm, Humphreys, and Yao)
• Undergraduates in 2000 – 5.6% majoring in engineering and 0.8% in mathematics
• Doctorates earned in 2001 in the U.S. by non-citizens
– mathematics = 43%– engineering = 51% (NFS)
and…and…
• Individuals gifted in spatial ability undereducated and underemployed (Gohm, 1998)
• Increasingly technological world needs ability to comprehend complex relationships and problem solvers with unique strategies (Shea, Lubinski, Benbow, 2001)
• Selecting top 3% based on verbal or mathematical ability results in loss of more than half of students representing top 1% of spatial ability (Shea, Lubinski, & Benbow)
Einstein
da Vinci
Edison
Picasso
General General Strategies for Strategies for Teaching Spatial Teaching Spatial LearnersLearners
General General Strategies for Strategies for Teaching Spatial Teaching Spatial LearnersLearners
The Whole PictureThe Whole PictureExplain major concepts so child Explain major concepts so child
understands instructional goalunderstands instructional goal
Allow opportunities for inductive Allow opportunities for inductive learninglearning
Provide real life scenarios - service Provide real life scenarios - service oriented projects are goodoriented projects are good
Discovery Learning-tell child the goal Discovery Learning-tell child the goal of the instruction and let him figure of the instruction and let him figure out a way to get thereout a way to get there
Use a multidisciplinary emphasisUse a multidisciplinary emphasis
The Whole PictureThe Whole PictureExplain major concepts so child Explain major concepts so child
understands instructional goalunderstands instructional goal
Allow opportunities for inductive Allow opportunities for inductive learninglearning
Provide real life scenarios - service Provide real life scenarios - service oriented projects are goodoriented projects are good
Discovery Learning-tell child the goal Discovery Learning-tell child the goal of the instruction and let him figure of the instruction and let him figure out a way to get thereout a way to get there
Use a multidisciplinary emphasisUse a multidisciplinary emphasis
Hands On - Minds On
Provide manipulatives and create hands on activities
Encourage the student to make models
Visualize
Show everything - use overhead or white board, color is better than chalkboard
Encourage the child to visualize lists, patterns, situations
Ask the child if he can make a picture of what the topic represents
Ask yourself, “How would I teach this concept to a deaf child?”
Visualize words - spell them both forwards and backwards
Visualize concept- how the system works
Visualize words - spell them both forwards and backwards
Visualize concept- how the system works
NLP: Neuro-Linguistic NLP: Neuro-Linguistic ProgrammingProgramming
NLP: Neuro-Linguistic NLP: Neuro-Linguistic ProgrammingProgramming
TechnologyTechnology
Encourage the use of computers for learning Encourage the use of computers for learning and allow the child to keyboard; teach and allow the child to keyboard; teach keyboarding earlykeyboarding early
Venn DiagramsVenn Diagrams
Multiples of 5Multiples of 5 Multiples of 3Multiples of 3
4040 99
1010 15 15 1212
2525 30 30 1818
Multiples of 5Multiples of 5 Multiples of 3Multiples of 3
4040 99
1010 15 15 1212
2525 30 30 1818
Increase the DifficultyIncrease the DifficultyIncrease the DifficultyIncrease the Difficulty
Do not force the student to succeedat easier materialbefore trying the difficult work.
Emphasize mastery ofhigher level conceptsinstead ofperfection ofsimpler concepts.
CCoolloorr!!Have the child use highlighters to highlight directions or key concepts.
Color coordinate everything that has to do with one subjecti.e. purple math book cover, purple notebook, purple portfolio, etc.
Use overheads or white board with a variety of color; categorize by color.
Have the visual spatial child create his own flashcards in color.
Copy worksheets and study guides on colored paper, it is easier to keep organized and easier on the eyes.
Strategies for LecturesStrategies for LecturesStrategies for LecturesStrategies for Lectures
Pause to allow words to register Allow student to tape record lectures
Encourage child to take notes in pictorial format
Encourage student to take notes in the 1/3 - 2/3’s format
Emphasize concepts not details i.e. dates
Distribute handouts - don’t expect these students to take dictation
Pause to allow words to register Allow student to tape record lectures
Encourage child to take notes in pictorial format
Encourage student to take notes in the 1/3 - 2/3’s format
Emphasize concepts not details i.e. dates
Distribute handouts - don’t expect these students to take dictation
Strategies for Teaching Spatial Learners in Specific Content Areas
Strategies for Teaching Spatial Learners in Specific Content Areas
Strategies – Foreign Strategies – Foreign LanguageLanguage
Strategies – Foreign Strategies – Foreign LanguageLanguage
Classroom instruction may be difficult Total immersion in a language is much
more effective
Better yet –
American Sign
Language!
Spelling
Draw configurations for wordson graph paper dog
Write each word on a card in color, trace over in multiple colors
projectprojectprojectproject
Strategies - WritingStrategies - WritingStrategies - WritingStrategies - Writing
Visual the entire sentence before writing it
Take them on an Imaginary Journey
Grade ideas (content) and mechanics separately
Use webbing and other graphic organizers to formulate ideas(www.inspiration.com)
Allow them to dictate or tape record written work
Editing can be difficult
Many have difficulty with handwriting
Some are continually improving their work therefore, it is never done
- it can always be better- can’t recopy anything without changing it
Visual Spatial Learners are:
Readers who:
Have better reading comprehension than decoding skills
May never be good oral readers
Tend to skip over words but still get the thrust of the story
Prefer reading heavily illustrated material
Strategies - ReadingStrategies - ReadingStrategies - ReadingStrategies - ReadingOral Reading - A visual spatial child may never be
a good oral reader
Get to the child before she makes a mistake so the word won’t imprint incorrectly
The student may tire easily and lose concentration
Decoding - Sight words, not phonics - can’t hear vowel sounds
Encourage use of Context Clues
Comprehension Good speed readers since they don’t read every word
Get content first then scan for details Study captions and graphics in texts
Read first and last sentence of each paragraph Skim material 4 times vs. reading slowly once
Junior Great Books is terrific program for these kids
Mathematics
*Give chance to devise own method of problem solving
*Avoid drill and repetition - No timed tests
*Do five hardest problems on the page and go on if successful
*Multiplication table - Look for patterns in multiplication charts
5678 56=7x8 4x9=6x6
*Teach within the context of entire number system
*Division - give divisor, dividend & quotient then let child figure out the system
*Look for patterns within math
*Make it meaningful
*Flashcards with answers
*Geometry and Physics are spatial
Mathematics
*Give chance to devise own method of problem solving
*Avoid drill and repetition - No timed tests
*Do five hardest problems on the page and go on if successful
*Multiplication table - Look for patterns in multiplication charts
5678 56=7x8 4x9=6x6
*Teach within the context of entire number system
*Division - give divisor, dividend & quotient then let child figure out the system
*Look for patterns within math
*Make it meaningful
*Flashcards with answers
*Geometry and Physics are spatial
Patterns in Multiplication
x 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
3 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30
4 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40
5 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
6 0 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48 54 60
7 0 7 14 21 28 35 42 49 56 63 70
8 0 8 16 24 32 40 48 56 64 72 80
9 0 9 18 27 36 45 54 63 72 81 9010 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Strategies – Organizational SkillsStrategies – Organizational SkillsStrategies – Organizational SkillsStrategies – Organizational Skills
Color code calendars, assignments, books and supplies
Use an hourglass to visualize the passage of time
Make sure they have watches that are reliable
Teach them to “take a picture” of assignments as they are given
Help them learn to look up to their recall side to remember what it is they need to do
Teach them how to create priority lists and schedules - they may not like it but it is an essential survival skill!
A quote from a highly Visual Spatial college student, “Be involved in so many activities that your life is scheduled for you!”
Color code calendars, assignments, books and supplies
Use an hourglass to visualize the passage of time
Make sure they have watches that are reliable
Teach them to “take a picture” of assignments as they are given
Help them learn to look up to their recall side to remember what it is they need to do
Teach them how to create priority lists and schedules - they may not like it but it is an essential survival skill!
A quote from a highly Visual Spatial college student, “Be involved in so many activities that your life is scheduled for you!”
Teacher-Student InteractionTeacher-Student InteractionTeach the child to become a spy and notice what is going on in the classroom
- take clues from classmates
Don’t spy on just any student, some are better choices than others!
Institute a moment of silence at the end of class so students can visualize what they will need for homework
- this works well for all children in the class
- have them take a few deep breaths and relax then picture what happened during the day and
what they will need to take home
Reduce unpredictable noise - music works well as it is predictable
Walkman ground rulesmust be working continuallymust be appropriate musicmust be quiet enough so no one else can
hear itmust not start singing
Use wait time Allow time for the child to translate the spoken word to images
It may take a visual spatial child longer to begin to answer the question than it took you to ask it.
Let the child completely finish answering the question even if she appears off target as she may eventually get there.
A visual spatial child may start answering a question and sound completely off target even though he knows the answer because words can get in the way of his thinking.
Discipline the visual spatial child in private and be nonjudgmental as any negative
messages will cause the child to shut down(www.loveandlogic.com)
Often these children appear aloof or arrogant when, in fact, they are really
highly sensitive
And remember…And remember…
Encourage the child’s strengths, don’t dwell on his weaknesses. This can be difficult as their strengths are outside of the traditional educational system
Allow for their learning style but don’t allow them to use their learning style as an excuse.
And most of all…..Believe in these children, they
may well be the future Edisons and Einsteins
of the world.
Believe in these children, they may well be the future Edisons and Einsteins
of the world.