What is a Visual-Spatial Learner?

A Learning Style Through Visualization

Nov 13, 2007 Denise Oliveri

Have you noticed that your child seems more interested in lessons when he gets to see what you are talking about come to life? You may have a visual-spatial learner.

If you have never heard of it you may wonder, what is visual-spatial learner? It is when a child can learn more from watching or visualizing a concept then by learning about it on paper. When a child is taught lessons he may learn from repeated practice and drills. When a child cannot learn this way he may be a visual-spatial learner.

Children who are visual-spatial learners may have certain characteristics that may be passed off as signs of a different disability. When given a written test, a child may score low because pencil and paper instruction is not how they learn best. If a teacher tests the class using hands-on activities, the visual-spatial learner may score higher than they do on written tests. The Institute for the Study of Advanced Development is a great resource for understanding and teaching a visual-spatial learner.

How Visual-Spatial Learners Learn Best

Children need to be identified as visual-spatial learners in order to allow them to be taught in a different way. If not, this may cause them to lose interest in learning. Typically they don’t learn slowly or step by step. They learn at one time and what they learn, they never forget. For most, following step by step instructions from their teacher isn't how they learn the best, but that is also the way that most teachers teach their children. This is not the best method for visual-spatial learners. Therefore, children who fall under this category will learn best by giving them all the information at once, instead of step by step.

Signs That a Child Might be a Visual-Spatial Learner

There are several ways you can identify if your child is a visual-spatial learner. Your child may display some or all of these characteristics, which are part of the learning style inventory for visual-spatial learners:

• Visual strengths
• Considered a whole-part learner
• Learns concepts all at once instead of step by step
• May find easy skills difficult, but has no problem with difficult skills
• Cannot spell words unless they can see them
• Has no problem learning whole words instead of breaking them down
• Can solve problems accurately
• Has excellent long-term memory
• May find difficult math to be a great challenge
• May not maintain grades in all classes throughout the year

Because there are so many of these characteristics that are similar to other problems and concerns, visual-spatial learners may be mistakenly diagnosed with something else. If you suspect that your child is a visual-spatial learner you may need to talk with your child’s doctor for a confirmed diagnosis and alternate lesson planning.

Visual-Spatial Lesson Plan Ideas will help you learn how to incorporate techniques into your lesson plans that will help your child succeed in learning specific concepts.

The copyright of the article What is a Visual-Spatial Learner? in Homeschooling is owned by Denise Oliveri. Permission to republish What is a Visual-Spatial Learner? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Visual-Spatial Learner