If you have been following my blogs you will know that I am doing a blog for the four main learning styles: kinesthetic (active), visual, auditory, and sequential (orderly). If you have just tuned into my blogs, please go back and read from the beginning, because they really are a series. As an Instructional Designer, I cannot introduce you to the concept, the utter significance of personalized learning in just one blog. So expect a theme of personalized learning information that will help you determine your child’s learning style, then develop the specific learning material for him or her to enjoy a successful learning experience.
So let’s get to it. This week (although I am a few days late), I will give you curriculum ideas for visual learners. Remember to do a learning style assessment for your child. You can find one free online. I prefer the Felder-Silverman Learning Style Assessment.
Read last week’s blog on kinesthetic learners for the link to the assessment, and How to Personalize Your Child’s Learning Experience, has info on learning styles. Please subscribe to get weekly, free advice. Who am I to be giving advice? Read my About Me page.
Visual learners are easy targets for personalized lessons but remember, no one is a 100% type of learner, we all fall somewhere along the spectrum as an 80% visual, 20% active, for example. Take the assessment to find out how your child prefers to learn.
You can easily access a lot of stimulating learning material for a visual learner because the internet is full of videos, pictures, colors and creativity to capture the attention of a visual learner. This does not mean you can sit a visual (also known as spatial) learner down in front of a computer and walk away. As an E-Learning Specialist, I am a huge advocate for online learning and admittedly, it is an environment geared towards visual learners.
But visual learners do not just want to watch things, they need to actively learn as they see. Video games that teach are superb. The visual learner is engaged in doing an activity that they can see. Visual learners are likely to remember what they see and took part in. If Minecraft had multiplication facts on those building blocks, my son would not be struggling in math. In fact, if you know of a fun math facts, video game drop the link in the comments. I am an Instructional Designer but I don’t know every resource out there.
If you absolutely must sit your visual learner down at the table with worksheets (ugh) please make sure they have pictures and colorful words on them. A visual learner must be attracted to what they see.
If you know me by now, you’ll know that I do not advocate worksheets. Any child appreciates learning while doing. So get out and show your visual learner the world.
Go to the museum for history and science. Use flash cards for spelling words. Go to the zoo for animals. Whatever you can show them is best. Take them to a music store to learn about instruments. Let them see things, touch and engage with it. Your visual learner will enjoy the experience and learn. Everything is being taken in as they see.
My son is visual and he is into science. I got him a telescope. He gets so excited about the planets. I love it.
The same idea I gave you for reading with active learners will work with visual learners. Take them out and allow them to read signs, ask them to read all the signs with red colored words, or white words, or choose a color.
Watch educational documentaries. Youtube is full of tutorials. Be sure to monitor their experience on youtube, you know why.
Photo by Key Notez on Pexels.com
Find out if your visual learner likes to draw. If so, yay! Get a drawing kit with lots of colored pencils, markers, etc… but don’t forget to require them to add text to their drawings. My son now writes comics because I encouraged him to tell a story along with the heros he loves to draw. Which brings me to story telling. This activity should happen at a bookstore or on a tablet with an e-book. Let your visual learner swipe through the fun, pages with colorful pictures that tell the story as well as the words.
Let your visual learner engage with what he/she sees, not just look at it.
Tune in next week for ideas for auditory (hearing) learners. Subscribe below!
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