Upside-Down Brilliance: The Visual-Spatial Learner

Linda Kreger Silverman

Preface. i The visual-spatial learner in a coconut shell .................................................v

Acknowledgments. vi

Quiz: Are You a Visual-Spatial Learner?vii

Introduction viii Voices of VSLs .................................................................................................... x You mean it has a name? ................................................................................. xi Can women be visual-spatial too? ................................................................ xiv Upside-down brilliance..................................................................................... xv How do we define brilliance? ......................................................................xviii Visual-spatials and auditory-sequentials .....................................................xx Educators are becoming more responsive.................................................xxii Thanks ..............................................................................................................xxiv

Chapter 1

How It All Began ................................................................................................1 Our first visual-spatial learner ....................................................................... 2 The plight of being non-sequential ................................................................. 3 Time for VSLs to be recognized..................................................................... 5 How do visual-spatial learners think? ........................................................... 9 Residual feelings ............................................................................................... 13

Chapter 2

The Power of the Right Hemisphere .....................................................15 Our right and left hemispheres .................................................................... 16 Two different realities ................................................................................... 19 Is verbal the opposite of spatial? .............................................................20 Eye movement patterns...................................................................................26 Engaging the right hemisphere......................................................................27

Complementarity ...............................................................................................30

Chapter 3 The Hidden Culprit in Underachievement...........................................33

The impact of early ear infections...............................................................34 Why arent doctors more concerned about ear infections?...................39 Are VSLs born or made?.................................................................................42 What about music?...........................................................................................43 What are the signs of central auditory processing disorder? ..............45 Activities to enhance auditory processing .................................................46 Accommodations for children with auditory processing disorder........50

Chapter 4

Are All Visual-Spatial Learners Brilliant?...........................................52 Visual-spatial learners with dyslexia ...........................................................54 Visual-spatial learners with AD/HD.............................................................55 Gifted visual-spatial learners ........................................................................57

Chapter 5

Different Strokes for Different Folks ...............................................63 Individual differences in the classroom .....................................................63 Born for success: Auditory-sequential learners .......................................66

Visual-spatial weaknesses..................................................................68 The other half (or third): Visual-spatial learners ...................................70

High spatial, high sequential.............................................................72 High spatial, low sequential...............................................................75

Learning styles of teachers ...........................................................................78 Chapter 6

Two Different Food Groups: Which One are YOU?......................81 Thinking in words vs. images ..........................................................................83 Auditory vs. visual strengths .........................................................................85 Awareness of time vs. space ..........................................................................86 Step-by-step vs. whole-part ..........................................................................88 Trial and error vs. all-at-once .......................................................................89 From easy to hard vs. easy is hard and hard is easy................................ 91 Analysis vs. synthesis ......................................................................................92

Details vs. big picture......................................................................................95 Oral directions vs. maps..................................................................................96 Computation vs. math reasoning ....................................................................98 Phonics vs. sight words..................................................................................100 Sounding out vs. visualizing spelling words ...............................................102 Neat, fast handwriting vs. keyboarding ....................................................103 Organized vs. organizationally challenged ................................................106 Showing ones work vs. just knowing ..........................................................107 Rote memorization vs. seeing relationships..............................................108 Auditory short-term vs. visual long-term memory .................................109 Drill and repetition vs. a permanent picture ............................................ 112 Learning from instruction vs. developing own methods ......................... 115 Learning in spite of emotions vs. learning dependent on emotions ..... 116 Convergent vs. divergent thinking .............................................................. 117 Develops evenly vs. asynchronously ............................................................ 119 Consistent high achievement vs. erratic grades ..................................... 121 Algebra and chemistry vs. geometry and physics .................................. 123 Mastery of foreign languages in class vs. immersion .............................124 Academically talented vs. creatively gifted.............................................125 Early vs. late bloomers ..................................................................................128

Chapter 7

How Early Can We Tell if Our Child is Visual-Spatial? .............132 Early signs of visual-spatial abilities..........................................................133

Puzzles.....................................................................................................136 Artistic talent ........................................................................................138 Construction .........................................................................................140 Numbers ................................................................................................. 141 Excellent visual memory ...................................................................143 Spatial perception ...............................................................................144 Maps and geography ..........................................................................145 Vivid imagination.................................................................................147 Mechanical interest and ability ......................................................149 Taking things apart ............................................................................152 Music .......................................................................................................154 Mazes .......................................................................................................155 Computers .............................................................................................156

Chapter 8 How Do You Assess Visual-Spatial Abilities?.................................158

What do these test scores mean?..............................................................159 Visual-spatial tasks on the SBL-M.............................................................. 161 Speed tests vs. power tests ........................................................................163 WISC vs. Binet scales ...................................................................................165 Constructing an operational definition ......................................................168 Rebecca: A case study................................................................................ 171 Tripper: A second case study ......................................................................175 Recognizing visual-spatial learners............................................................. 181

Chapter 9

Visual-Spatial, Learning Disabled or Both?.....................................182 Visual-spatial learners with disabilities ....................................................184 The mystery of compensation .....................................................................189 The importance of early identification .....................................................193 Challenges in assessing twice exceptional children ................................196 Child A .......................................................................................................198 Child B.......................................................................................................199 Child C ..................................................................................................... 200 The impact of vision therapy ...................................................................... 202 Adam ......................................................................................................... 202 Bill.............................................................................................................. 204 Obtaining services......................................................................................... 204 Keys to success .............................................................................................. 206 Disabilities as gifts ....................................................................................... 208

Chapter 10 The Inner World of Introverts ............................................................211

Are you an extravert or an introvert? ......................................................213 Raising introverted children ........................................................................217 How to care for introverts...........................................................................219 The introverted child in school .................................................................. 228 Tips for teaching introverted children .................................................... 230 Introversion and visual-spatial learning ................................................... 235 The benefits of introversion in adult life................................................ 237

Chapter 11 Double Jeopardy: Visual-Spatial and AD/HD...............................240

AD/HD or extraversion? ..............................................................................241 The interaction of AD/HD and introversion .............................. 242

Is there such a thing as AD/HD?.............................................................. 244 What exactly is AD/HD? .................................................................. 245

Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD)......................................... 247 Three miracles ............................................................................................... 249

More about allergies .......................................................................... 250 Overexcitabilities, creativity, and VSLs.................................................. 255 Home remedies for AD/HD-like symptoms............................................. 258 Teaching techniques for overactive children...........................................261 Do you have AD/HD? .................................................................................... 262 Making AD/HD work for you....................................................................... 264

Chapter 12 The Challenge of Parenting Visual-Spatial Learners..................266

To sleep or not to sleepthat is the question ....................................... 267 The creative spirit ........................................................................................ 270 Chaosa nice theory, but I wouldnt want to live there ...................... 272 The family meeting........................................................................................ 275 Everyone helps................................................................................................ 279 Reading readiness for VSLs ........................................................................ 283 Homeworkthe bane of our existence .................................................... 285 Everyone gives ................................................................................................ 290 The key is respect......................................................................................... 294 Childhood is a small piece of the pie......................................................... 297

Chapter 13 Teaching Techniques that Work...........................................................301

Relationship with the teacher is everything ........................................... 302 Have I got a visual-spatial story for you!................................. 302

Establishing a safe environment ................................................................ 306 A picture is worth a thousand words ........................................................ 307 The question of time......................................................................................312 Inductive techniques .....................................................................................312 Reading for VSLs ............................................................................................316

The right time to read ........................................................................317 Whole word reading instruction .....................................................319 What to do with late readers............................................................321

A visualization approach to spelling .......................................................... 324 The art of writing.......................................................................................... 326

Why is written work so difficult?................................................... 328 Poor handwriting ................................................................................ 329 Poor word retrieval ..............................................................................331 Creative ways to reach high school students............................ 332

Math is fun ...................................................................................................... 333 Making quick work of math facts.................................................. 333 Math games .......................................................................................... 336

Instructional strategies for visual-spatial learners of all ages ......... 338 Post script: A teacher who made a difference ...................................... 345

Chapter 14 We Have a Visual-Spatial Identifier!.................................................349

Squirrelly kids ................................................................................................ 350 Characteristics of Squirrelly Kids ..................................................351 Will the real visual-spatial characteristics please stand up? ................................................................................... 354 Suggested Characteristics of VSLs from the VSL Study Group ............................................................... 354 Constructing the questionnaires ................................................................ 356 Attempts at validation ................................................................................. 358 Success at last! ...............................................................................................361

Chapter 15 Visual-Spatial Adults and The Future of Education...................369

The imposter syndrome................................................................................ 370 Where do ideas come from? ............................................................ 372 Why gifted women and VSLs feel like imposters...................... 373

Visual-spatial women ..................................................................................... 375 Do we have two minds?................................................................................. 379 Living with two realities ............................................................................... 384 The cost of denigrating our other reality .................................... 386 Toward integration.........................................................................................391

A Parable on Inner Harmony............................................................... 392

A vision of education in the 21st century ................................................. 393

Afterword ................................................................................................................400

Bibliography.............................................................................................................403

Appendices: A: The Visual-Spatial Learner in School ..................................................421 B: Resources for Visual-Spatial Learners................................................430 C: Characteristics Comparison....................................................................434

Copyright 2004, Silverman, L.K. Upside-Down Brilliance: The Visual-Spatial Learner, Denver: DeLeon Publishing.