Tips for teaching a very visual learner without breaking the bank?

[UCF612]

My youngest son is very smart but is a struggling learner.  We had him evaluated for learning disabilities.  His IQ is high, but he has a learning disability in reading and writing.  The evaluator said he is an EXTREMELY visual learner which I had suspected.  Unlike my oldest who picks things up very quickly, and in any "learning style." (I put that in quotes because I know some don't believe in different styles or think it matters.  With my oldest it doesn't but my youngest it appears he leans very strongly one way).  So...I'm trying to modify what we do to reach him in the best possible way.  I think AAR and AAS are working well for him, he's learning but just at his own pace.  Writing though...I just don't know what more he needs.  He's in 2nd grade.  We do ELTL but he needs more.  We use Wayfarers for history and science, which is very auditory with lots of reading.   I'm scouring Pinterest and the web for hands on things to incorporate with all our lessons.  Science is coming together nicely.  But I don't know what to do/add/change for history without going bankrupt on costumes/toys/trips.  

 

So I need help with writing and history (medieval this year) for a visual learner.  But on a TIGHT budget.  I'm open to hearing any ideas!  It is quite possible I'm overthinking this.  :)

[Rosie_0801]

If he was an extremely visual learner, wouldn't he be picking up reading and spelling very quickly? And you are talking about hands on, kinaesthetic learning.

 

Is visual the issue or does he have a lower verbal intelligence and higher non-verbal intelligence?

[HomeAgain]

Writing: We do grammar hands on with Montessori symbols.  We also are starting to incorporate their word boxes.  I also found FunThinkers and Versatiles at thrift sales, both of which reinforce the work with self-correction (match the pattern)

 

History....I had to teach history backwards.  There is no reading then doing a craft/coloring page/etc.  No.  History has to START with something visual.  I use HistoryTeachers on youtube to find a music video.  Then we start doing the activity: setting up a chess board and teaching the basic game while learning about knights.  Ripping the heads off Barbies to teach Henry VIII (I went for super cheap knock offs).  It is much easier to think "what is this lesson about" and then find direct ways of showing that.  And when in doubt, homemade playdoh works wonders.  So does acting it out (fancy costumes unnecessary)  We finish by going back to the History Teacher's video.  I don't teach outlining for history, I teach ripple effect, a la throwing a rock in water.  A circle is drawn in the center of the paper with an event written in it.  This is the "stone".  A second circle is drawn around that to write an event that the first one led to.  A third circle around to show the next event.  This way the events are directly connected in their minds - they're always looking for the next ripple.

 

[UCF612]

His reading and spelling struggles are related to sound. He struggles distinguishing sounds. He is excellent at math.

 

He needs the kinesthetic stuff because he can see and do. He doesn't remember anything just read/said.

 

Home Again - thank you! I love your suggestions!

[Ellie]

His reading and spelling struggles are related to sound. He struggles distinguishing sounds. He is excellent at math.

 

He needs the kinesthetic stuff because he can see and do. He doesn't remember anything just read/said.

 

 

 

So, wouldn't that be kinesthetic and not visual (or auditory. Obviously not auditory.)

 

I would think a unit study like KONOS would be ideal: lots and lots of doing.

[Rosie_0801]

I've worked on dd's auditory processing issues with the phonemic awareness work in 'Apples and Pears' spelling (I'm not familiar with other spelling programs but assume AAS does the same,) having her take piano lessons and listen to audiobooks in the car. The audiobooks give her something to listen to, but there's no expectation of output.

 

And I'm agreeing with Ellie. That's a kinaesthetic learner, not a visual one. 

 

How does he go with video? There's a link in my siggie that have a list of Horrible History episodes listed by SOTW chapter if that's any use.

 

Since you're doing medieval history, try looking up your local SCA group. It wouldn't be hugely expensive to go along to a tourney- you should be able to borrow clothes for a once off.

[UCF612]

Ok...then he's kinesthetic and visual. I assume the lend well to one another. Ultimately he just needs far less auditory input to learn. The stuff HomeAgain suggested is exactly what he needs. The ripple effect map will make sense to him. The "backwards" aspect...all of it seems right up his alley. He does well with videos. I'll check out Horrible Histories and look into the SCA group. Now that you mention it I have an acquaintance very into that type thing. I'll seek her out. Thanks!

Edited August 21, 2016 by UCF612

[rebcoola]

Movies, Comic books and picture books to introduce things.

 

Copywork has been best for my visual learner but incorporating color or highlighting to focus on the subject.  We  use spelling you see but you could use the same method on other copywork.  

 

This was great resource for learning how to make complete sentences and parts of speech.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Key-Education-846026-Sentence-Building/dp/1602680132/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1471745247&sr=8-4&keywords=silly+sentences 

 

You could DIY with colored paper or font, print out words and cut them into strips your self.

[wapiti]

I highly recommend reading Silverman's Upside Down Brilliance.  Your library might have it.

 

(under Silverman's description, kinesthetic would be a subset of visual-spatial.  Auditory goes with sequential, and reading/spelling are auditory sequential activities.  She does have at least one suggestion for spelling; try the visual-spatial.org website.  As the student gets older, the most important teaching method will involve presenting the big picture, or context, before the details.)

 

Also remember to visit both the learning challenges and accelerated learning forums here - plenty of 2e kids around :)

Edited August 21, 2016 by wapiti

[Jennifer132]

My youngest son is very smart but is a struggling learner. We had him evaluated for learning disabilities. His IQ is high, but he has a learning disability in reading and writing. The evaluator said he is an EXTREMELY visual learner which I had suspected. Unlike my oldest who picks things up very quickly, and in any "learning style." (I put that in quotes because I know some don't believe in different styles or think it matters. With my oldest it doesn't but my youngest it appears he leans very strongly one way). So...I'm trying to modify what we do to reach him in the best possible way. I think AAR and AAS are working well for him, he's learning but just at his own pace. Writing though...I just don't know what more he needs. He's in 2nd grade. We do ELTL but he needs more. We use Wayfarers for history and science, which is very auditory with lots of reading. I'm scouring Pinterest and the web for hands on things to incorporate with all our lessons. Science is coming together nicely. But I don't know what to do/add/change for history without going bankrupt on costumes/toys/trips.

 

So I need help with writing and history (medieval this year) for a visual learner. But on a TIGHT budget. I'm open to hearing any ideas! It is quite possible I'm overthinking this. :)

Maybe try Evan Moor History Pockets or the Famous Figures for history.

[MerryAtHope]

I find that struggling writers tend to find it easier to start writing after they have mastered about 1000 spelling words, which would be around the end of AAS 3. AAS gradually works on building up writing stamina through the dictations which get longer with each level (level 1 has short phrases, level 2 has 6 phrases and 6 sentences per step, level 3 has 12 sentences per step), and through the Writing Station (introduced in level 3--the student makes up sentences using a given list of words). You can divide these up so he does some dictation every day to get writing practice. That, handwriting, and some occasional informal writing (cards etc...) may be enough for now.

 

Since he struggles with sounds, the dictation in AAS is going to be very important for him (copywork for this type of student can sometimes backfire--they try to rely on their strength using visual strategies while excluding their weaker strategy of paying attention to the sounds, and often write letters out of order as a result. Both visual and auditory skills are needed to be a strong writer.) AAR and AAS incorporate visual, kinesthetic, and auditory, so that the student continues getting practice in the weaker strategy, but the other two stronger modalities come alongside and help. This article on the SMI Method explains more.

 

If you do use any copywork with him, make sure he knows how all of the phonograms work in any words that are more advanced than what he has studied in AAS. And, if he makes errors (leaves sounds out of words, reverses the order of sounds etc...), have him try to sound out exactly what he wrote--don't just have him fix it visually. That emphasis on learning to pay attention to sounds and segmenting the words is what he needs to get stronger in this area overall. You may need to model this a lot (and I'd help him do that with the tiles)--show him how to segment words into sounds and then write the sounds, etc...  Keep this kind of work short, so he's not overtired doing it--he's already working extra hard since auditory is difficult for him. 

 

hth!

[paceofnature]

Sounds like a visual spatial learner. Check out this post for some ideas: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/153797-if-you-have-a-visual-spatial-learner-which-curriculum-works-best/  This blog also has a lot of great tips: http://dancing-with-dragons.blogspot.com/2012/07/teaching-visual-spatial-learner-when.html

 

[Sk8ermaiden]

My DD is also extremely NOT auditory, not diagnosable, just obvious. I joke (but it's true) that she can read fluently, but still not sing her ABCs, even though she's heard them a million times.

 

History is so fun! We always start with some videos like Brainpop, I do find that verbal content sticks better when it comes with a visual component. I have lots of very colorful, engaging books on the country or topic, with great pictures and sidebars. She'll ask me what this or that picture is and the caption-sized soundbite is easier to retain, especially since she just asked me a question and is looking at the picture and waiting for the answer. We have a lot of conversations about the things we've read because if she can converse with me about it, then I know she absorbed it. 

 

And then the fun! We tend to do several craft projects with any history unit. With the ancient mesoamericans, we made imitation Aztec face carvings and made Aztec-inspired mosaic masks. We made an Aztec recipe (which turned out surprisingly similar to one of our family's favorite traditional Mexican recipes, which sparked a super cool conversation about why that would be.) We went to the history museum and spent some time in the MesoAmerica section. We do a cool notebooking thing where she colors little maps and minibooks....We actually got to visit the Mayan city Lamanai, which was INCREDIBLE, and I only wish that was the kind of thing we could do for other units. It is not, and it's only a fluke that we got to do this one.

China, we went to the Asian cultural center's Chinese new year celebration! That was awesome, they had crafts centered on Chinese symbols and games, and dancers from many different areas, all in traditional dress. What a way to cap the unit! She loved decorating printed paper dolls in Chinese clothing. We made Chinese food too. 

Egypt was amazing. She mummified a doll! Like from the brains-pulling-out to the honey and wine - everything, and she dressed up like an Egyptian priestess while she did it (using what we could find in the dress up box, and discussing how women didn't really get to do the mummification back then.) We made our own canopic jars from empty spice containers. She made a straw boat and floated it in a fountain! Lego pyramids...Also we have a KILLER Egypt exhibit at our museum and we went SO many times. Once in a while we'd run into a docent who would stop to tell her something interesting. 

She picked Greece for this semester, so I'm planning...and I already ordered one of the Lego games, Minotaurus, which the whole family is excited about...have to find out when the Greek festival is! And I feel like there will probably be making a model of a major Greek structure with air dry clay involved somewhere. 

I will say - these units are so much fun to do that I have to plan most of the big activities for the weekend because DH always wants to participate, and DD has retained more info from our history units than anything else I've ever taught her. History units become a whole-family affair, and we spend a lot of car rides discussing the finer points of what we learned. 

None of it is particularly expensive. Except the books. I buy one million books per unit, all used from Amazon, but still. But some people are on speaking terms with libraries, so that part doesn't NEED to be expensive. For them. ;)

Edited August 22, 2016 by Sk8ermaiden