Homeschooling Visual Spatial Learners

How To Homeschool Visual Spatial Learners Sharpen your pencils! Visual Spatial learners learn best through pictures and illustrations.

Visual Spatial children think in pictures. Once they have a picture of the concept, they've got it! No need for repetition and drill.

They do not learn sequentially so "traditional" teaching methods and curriculum only lead to frustration and poor academic performance.

Unsure of your child's learning style? Find out with this learning style inventory.

Visual Spatial Learners Usually...

There are two types of visual learners. Visual Print learners learn through reading and writing. Visual Spatial learners learn through pictures.

Think in pictures
Recognize faces, objects, shapes, colors, details, and scenes
Have a good sense of direction
Need to understand the big picture before getting into the details
Do not learn sequentially (step-by-step)
Learn by seeing and observing
Use visual images to recall information
Enjoy doodling, drawing, painting, and sculpting
Often reverse letters when writing
Do not learn through repetition and drill
Discover patterns easily
Doodle while listening

Choosing Visual Spatial Homeschool Curriculum

Choose curriculum that is brimming with pictures, can be read aloud, or uses manipulatives. Look for resources that include activities such as drawing, building models and graphic organizers.

Here is a list of homeschool curriculum suited for the Visual Spatial learning style. Or search by subject...

American History and World History

Reading (and read alouds) allow visualization of the stories. Use videos, computer programs, lapbooks, notebooking, and hands-on projects.

Language Arts

Visual Spatial learners benefit from visual aids when learning new information and for getting their thoughts on paper. Look for resources that utilize flow charts, concept mapping, graphic organizers, and art.

These learners are brilliant with content yet struggle with the mechanics of writing. Remember, best-selling authors have editors! Avoid curriculum that emphasizes spelling, grammar, and capitalization.

They do not learn sequentially, which is why most spelling programs don't work. Create picture cards for each spelling word and use this simple (and FREE) spelling method. I've used it successfully with my daughter.

Literature

Reading (and read alouds) allow Spatial learners to visualize the stories in their minds.

Math

Visual/pictorial aids and manipulatives are a necessity in math. Use illustrations and stories to teach facts and processes. Color code steps for solving math problems. Spatial learners excel with concepts but struggle with details and computations.

Phonics

Visual Spatial learners often struggle with learning to read. Use a phonics and whole word approach to reading. Since they think in pictures, connect letter sounds with pictures. Give them plenty of time with this.

Science

Use flow charts and graphic organizers for visualizing information. Use reading (and read alouds), videos, computer programs, lapbooks, notebooking, and plenty of hands-on experiments.

Visual Spatial Learning Activities

Visual Spatial learners think in pictures so use graphical and pictorial methods of working with ideas and presenting information. Download the Visual Spatial Lesson Idea Worksheet to help you plan visual spatial lessons. Ask yourself...
(1) How can the topic be illustrated?
(2) How can my child 'show' me what he has learned?

Teach Lessons Using...

Visuals - "a picture is worth a thousand words"
Flow charts to teach processes
Colored pens to distinguish parts (show parts of speech in a sentence, spelling patterns, divisor/dividend, etc.)
Videos
Field trips
Highlighting, underlining, and drawing images while teaching
Discovery - capitalize on your child's pattern-finding strengths
Reading aloud
Visuals hung up around the room (i.e. Greek & Latin word parts)
Unit charts to introduce the big picture

Have Your Visual Spatial Learner...

Draw while listening to lectures
Use concept mapping to show knowledge of a subject and its relationships
Map locations of a story setting, historical events, geographical features
Work with math manipulatives
Use graphic organizers for just about everything. Introduce or recap a unit, analyze literature, explain cycles and sequences, pre-writing and brainstorming are just a few examples.
Create story boards for creative writing and literary analysis
Dramatize or demonstrate the concept
Draw pictures of events on a timeline
Research using websites and videos
Create picture cards for learning spelling words, math facts, etc.
Create graphs and charts to show the results of research assignments or to answer workbook questions
Construct models
Create collages, posters, and murals of a concept or to summarize a unit
Use computer software such as Eyewitness Encyclopedia

Visual Spatial Homeschooling Styles

Not all homeschooling styles are a good fit for Visual Spatial Learners. Use the learning activities (from above) and the Visual Spatial Lesson Idea Worksheet with the following homeschool methods...

Charlotte Mason
Moore Formula
Unit Studies
Unschooling