How to know if you are predominantly a visual learner? How do you approach new things? If you have a new bookshelf to put together, what do you do first? If you read the directions before you build, you are visual. You’d rather see a map than have someone tell you the directions. When in school, and taking a test, you could see in your mind the page of text with the answer. Your handwriting is likely very neat. You like things tidy and put away. You make lists. You look well put together and color-coordinated. You’ll likely want to watch when in a new situation to see how things are going before you join in. You’re good at reading facial expressions.

How to tell if your child is visual? When you read a picture book, do they want to see the pictures? I do. I’m visual, and while I’m checking out interesting illustrations, my daughter impatiently says, “Turn the page, Mom.”

How else can you tell? Your child will frequently say, “Show me” or “Let me see.” They’ll be good at learning sight words. Puzzles will be easy to complete. They’ll arrange their things, just so. They’ll have neat handwriting. They’ll be good at finding misprints. When you’re mad, they’ll say, “You look mad.”

How can you work with a visual learner? Be sure to provide them with visuals. If they have chores to do each day, have a list for them to see. If you’re training them, give them a list of steps to follow. Provide them with ways to store and sort their belongings. Be patient as they make their work look neat.

Reminds me of my teen years and putting on my makeup. My parents always wanted me to be ready to go, and I needed the time to feel I looked my best, or I felt all day that I didn’t look right.

If a child is struggling with a certain skill, they will need to practice in a visual way. If it’s math, flash cards and workbooks would be appropriate. Math problems in picture form will help them ’see’ the math function being carried out. In spelling, they’ll want to look at the words many times. For science and social studies, it may be enough to read things and create charts to make sense of the material.

When you really need them to listen to you, they might need to be looking at you. They might need to read your message in a letter or note. If it’s not written down, it might not get done.

Sound familiar, you’re likely a visual learner. If not, read the upcoming posts on auditory and kinesthetic learners. And remember that we all have a bit of each style.

There are three common learning styles. You might be auditory, and prefer to listen to gain information. Could you be visual, preferring to read or see information? Or are you kinesthetic, needing to touch and manipulate something to learn? Likely, we each have a bit of all three learning styles.  Although we likely have a dominant style for  processing information.

In my house, I’m visual. My husband is auditory. And my daughter is mostly auditory, with some of the other two styles. She’s still young enough that I’m not sure she has one preference yet.

In future posts, I’ll share more descriptions so that you’ll have a really good idea of which style you prefer. You’ll also be able to apply the styles to your children.

Why is that important? Future posts will also share ways to connect with the other styles so that your message is clear. It will also help you to work with your children on learning activities.

And if you’re working outside the home, and provide training for others, the suggestions will help you too.

Stay tuned.

A study from UCLA has found that activities that get children, aged 2 months to 4 years, talking are most helpful to language acquisition. Even more than exposure to one-on-one reading, adult-child conversations have more of an impact on language development. The study was published in the July issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

This fits a tip I shared earlier. Children will practice conversation turn-taking as well as build their vocabulary through conversations. By giving them the chance to have a conversation, with a give and take, they’ll make mistakes, learn correct words and sentence structure, and use language purposefully.

Thanks to Parenthood.com for sharing this study with the rest of us.