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I talk to a lot of teachers in regards to how they may best reach the visual-spatial learners in their classes, those who think in images and see the whole picture, not in words or step-by-step. Many of these teachers tell me that they undertake to comprise visual tricks so their students may master the material that will have to be memorized. But, there are things you may do, as a parent, to aid your visual-spatial student make learning permanent, as well. Here are a great deal of examples.

Take the info your children must memorize and have them create a absurd story with it. I once met an fantastically dynamic teacher and group discussion presenter named Jon Pearson (www.createlearning.com) who taught the 13 colonies by having his audience memorize a foolish story–in pictures that players invented in their minds–of a Jersey cow named Georgia, atop the Empire State Building. Can you “see” New Jersey, Georgia and New York here? The tale went on to include all 13 colonies and after each line we were instructed to develop an effigy in our mind’s eye while we repeated the line back to him:

There’s a cow named Georgia (Georgia)

It’s a Jersey cow (New Jersey)

She’s sitting on top of the Empire State

Building (New York)

She’s singing a couple of Christmas carols

(North and South Carolina)

Under her arm is a Virginia ham

(Virginia and New Hampshire)

The cow is wearing a pair of yellow underwear

(Rhymes with Delaware)

In it is hoof is a pencil (Pennsylvania)

The cow is making a Connect-the-dots

drawing (Connecticut)

Of Marilyn Monroe (Maryland)

Walking down a road (Rhode Island)

Going to mass (Massachusetts)

Illustrated by Buck Jones, 2004. All rights reserved.

When Jon was done, each fellow member of the audience could accurately recall the ridiculous images each had mentally devised and, hence, all 13 colonies. The best share is that your children don’t have to be artists to accomplish this. If they want the images drawn, not just imagined, stick figures work just fine. As long as the story is ridiculous and amusive and you use color, exaggerated sizes and humor to convey the new material, it will be remembered. They may use this trick to do not forget so some dissimilar types of material, from historical selective information to science principles, and so much more.

Why do you suppose beginning piano students are taught the notes of the scale as Every Good Boy Does Fine? Because it works to stick in the student’s mind. Why did we learn the letters of the alphabet to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star? Because attentiongetting tunes serve as an anchor and they make new data permanent and retrievable.

Or, show your children how to use acronyms for remembering strings of words. Have you seen the trick for memorizing the Great Lakes?

H Huron

O Ontario

M Michigan

E Erie

S Superior

A Canadian woman I met while presenting in Australia taught me that if you learn this as “Super Man Helps Every One” (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario), then you’ve memorized them in geographical order!

Creating acronyms and mnemonic gadgets are a helpful way to memorize a wide potpourri of material, in particular if you may make the acronym stand for something silly, because humor engages the right hemisphere of the brain, the firmest side for visual-spatial learners. My oldest son, had to memorize this info for his science class:

Domain

Kingdom

Phylum

Class

Order

Family

Genus

Species

So he produced this absurd “headline” to do not forget the order:

Darwin Kracks Porpoise Code Orders Families to Group Specialist

It’s meaningless and ridiculous, which makes it memorable! Try this with your kids the next time they have a string of material to memorize.

A dear friend of mine wrote me with this:

I took an exhausting/exhilarating 16-hour reflexology corroboration course this past weekend. I was told that memorizing the official 47-word definition of reflexology – exactly, word for word, was worth 15 points on the Certification exam. First I thought, I may never do this. Then, I decisive I would make a song out of it!! I put it to a intimate tune! THAT came from YOU!! (Personal communication, E. Meckstroth, October, 2004.)

Put the selective information your children are attempting to learn to the tune of a intimate song, like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, or Three Blind Mice, or even Happy Birthday. Always remember, visual-spatial learners thrive on the use of color, humor, music, hands-on activities–anything that gets the right hemisphere of the brain into the act. Such proficiencies are sure to make the learning fun and permanent.

Create a game out of new material your children are learning. This works great for memorizing capitals to states, countries to continents, specific animals of a species, or any other data that includes two groups of info that are related to each other. Matching games like “Concentration” don’t take long to create, are fun to play and may help you do not forget which selective information goes with what. Just take numerous blank white index cards for recording your information. You may give rise to each note card with words or drawings, whatsoever works best for your children .

Let’s suppose they are attempting to memorize the states’ capitals. Make a card for each state, using an outline of the shape of the state with the name of that state included someplace on or above the outline of it. Then, make a card for each capital. You may make up ludicrous stories if that helps do not forget the names of the capitals. (Springfield, IL could include a drawing of a field of springs, for example.)

You may likewise use color to support your children do not forget which capitals go with which states. Just have them include color in the drawing or put a dot of color someplace and use the same color on the card that matches. This will be a good way to assert your selections as they play the game, too.

Once all the cards have been created, lay them face down and play the traditionalisti game of concentration where you match capital to state. (You’ll in all likelihood want to commence with just five or seven states and their capitals and gradually increase the number.)

No matter what material will have to be memorized, show your children how to call upon their strengths–using color, humor, music, rhyme, etc.–to learn it and be capable to recall it later.

©Copyright kept by Alexandra Shires Golon (2004). From Golon, A.S., If You Could See the Way I Think: A Handbook for Visual-Spatial Kids, Denver (2005): Visual-Spatial Resource.

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