Visual Learners: What Do They See

We have talked about our kinesthetic learners, now let us look at our visual learners. Visual learners learn through seeing information in various styles and settings. There are different ways to reach these learners, so here are some strategies.

One strategy to reach visual learners is by using visual schedules. Visuals are pictures used to illustrate something. You may have heard of visual schedules used in classrooms, therapy, or at home. You can create a visual schedule tailored to your daily schedule with your learner. What does a visual schedule look like? A visual schedule has the name of the activity and a picture that the learner associates with it. You may also add a time for the activity. Some take it a step further and add a visual of a clock with the time. These can be made large to put on a board or wall, but they can also be made small to fit on a learner’s desk, table, etc.

Another strategy for visual learners is to color code notes and vocabulary. The educator could pre-highlight notes and vocabulary, have the learner highlight while taking notes and vocabulary, or the educator could use various colors when writing notes and vocabulary words. The strategy will help these learners make visual categories in their minds. For example, when learning about frogs, the learner might use green to associate green with a frog with what they are learning.

A final strategy that could be helpful is context maps and mind maps. Context maps and mind maps are great for visual learners to use when writing. When thinking about writing, some people make these maps in their minds, but for our visual learners, it is much easier to put this onto paper to see their ideas. These mind maps are great for writing, but can also be used for learning new vocabulary. The students can create a map with the word, its definition, a picture, and a synonym or word they associate with it.

These are just a few ways that educators can reach visual learners. If you want more ideas, feel free to leave a message. I would love to help you reach all your visual learners and their needs.