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Gifted Visual-Spatial Learners

Ideas compiled by Cathie Wengreen, Enrichment Program Coordinator, from the writings of Dr. Linda Silverman and her associates at the Gifted Development Center

Achieving gifted children are usually good sequential learners; they favor the sequential mode of learning or have balanced sequential and spatial modalities. Gifted underachievers tend to have high spatial abilities coupled with underdeveloped sequencing skills.

The sequential system appears to be influenced profoundly by audition, whereas the spatial system relies heavily on vision and visualization. A visual-spatial learner is a student who learns holistically rather than in a step-by-step fashion. Visual imagery plays an important role in the student's learning process. Because the individual is processing primarily in pictures rather than in words, ideas are interconnected. Linear sequential thinking--the norm in American education---is particularly difficult for this person. Some visual-spatial learners are excellent at auditory sequential processing as well. They have full access to both systems, and can resort to sequential methods of problem solving if they don't get an immediate understanding when looking at a problem. These students are usually highly gifted with well integrated abilities. However, the majority of visual-spatial learners found in the work of Dr. Silverman and associates have major discrepancies between the two processing systems.

Since 1979, The Gifted Development Center has assessed over 2000 children and they have found two groups of children who seem to favor more spatial or holistic modes of learning: their highest scoring and lowest scoring clients. These groups don't fare well in school. Those with the highest IQs have good sequential abilities, but rely primarily on their spatial strengths. They are often so far beyond their classmates that they just don't bother to perform in school. Their refusal to do work that is too easy for them may prevent them from gaining a teacher nomination to a gifted program.

Many visual-spatial learners do not gain access to gifted programs because of lack of academic achievement. These learners make great intuitive leaps, grasp extremely complex material, excel at mathematical and scientific reasoning, and demonstrate high levels of creativity. However, if they are weak in sequencing, they may be poor in mechanics---computation, spelling and handwriting. Their weakness are often viewed as evidence that they are not "really gifted," and their high abilities may be ignored.

Their learning style is paradoxical: the harder the concept, the faster they grasp it; the easier the work, the more likely they are to fail. Their abilities are frequently misjudged, because of the discrepancy between the way they learn and the way material is presented in the regular classroom. They may be so frustrated with their lack of success at rote memorization, drill and timed tests that they become behavior problems. School can be a miserable experience for them.

Teachers may misinterpret their difficulties with the instructional strategies as inability to learn the concepts and assume that the student needs more drill to grasp the material. When this happens, the student gets caught up in a spiraling web of failure, assumes he is stupid, loses all motivation and hates school. To shield his ego from trying to succeed at impossible tasks, he turns off completely. Teachers then assume that the student doesn't care or is lazy, and behavior problems escalate. This whole cycle can erode student's self-esteem.

Their achievement and behavior improve dramatically when visual and holistic teaching techniques are employed. The key is to show them, rather than tell them. They remember what they see but often forget what they hear. One suggestion is to approach teaching them by thinking how you would teach a deaf person! They need to be shown the big picture first---the goal of instruction. Dr. Silverman and her associates have identified instructional strategies that have been found effective in teaching children with visual-spatial strengths. Some of these strategies include:

• Use visual aids, such as overhead projectors, and visual imagery in lectures.
• Use manipulative materials to allow hands-on experience.
• Use a sight approach to reading rather than phonics.
• Use a visualization approach to spelling.
• Have them discover their own methods of problem-solving.
• Avoid timed tests and allow them more time for classroom assignments.
• Avoid rote memorization. Use more abstract, conceptual or inductive approaches.
• Avoid drill and repetition. Instead, have them perform the hardest tasks in the unit.
• As these students may suffer from deficits in mechanics, give more weight to the content of papers than to format.
• Give them advanced, abstract, complex material at a faster pace even if they haven't mastered the easier, sequential work.
• Allow them to accelerate in school.
• Emphasize mastery of higher level concepts rather than perfection of simpler concepts in competition with other students.
• Emphasize creativity, imagination, new insights, new approaches rather than the acquisition of knowledge.
• Group gifted visual-spatial learners together for instruction.
• Engage students in independent studies or group projects which involve problem-finding as well as problem-solving.
• Allow them to construct, draw, or otherwise create visual representations of concepts.
• Use computers so that material is presented visually.
• Have the students discuss the ethical, moral and global implications of their learning and involve them in service-oriented projects.

Visual-spatial learners are more attentive if they understand the goals of instruction. They are more cooperative in they are allowed some input into the decision-making process and some legitimate choices.

Spatial learners learn best through inductive or discover techniques. The Junior Great Books program focuses on this approach.

A key component in the recovery of motivation for visual-spatial learners is experiencing success. Sincere praise works wonders. Any skill in which these young people experience success should be encouraged and nurtured.

"In adulthood, these individuals excel in fields dependent upon their spatial abilities: art, architecture, physics, aeronautics, pure mathematical research, engineering, computer programming, and photography. Frequently, they develop their own businesses or become chief executive officers (CEOs) in major corporations because of their inventiveness and ability to see the relationships of large numbers of variables. We need individuals with highly developed visual-spatial abilities for advancement in the arts, technology and business. These are the creative leaders of society. We need to protect their differences in childhood and enable them to develop their unique talents in supportive environments at home and at school."

Questions? Contact Terri Bawden (bawden.t@mail.wsd.wednet.edu)