Sunday, 25th May 2008

Visual or verbal thinking?

Ninette Pace Balzan

If something is not working well what do you do first? Read the manual or look at the parts to figure out what's wrong?

Does your child suffer at school but remember the way to a friend's house after going only once?

Many people think, communicate and learn best through sound, including the spoken word. They enjoy discussions, debates and lectures and listening to stories. Others use a visual mode of gathering information and find it easier to learn, understand and remember by seeing. Visual thinkers find it easier to remember people's faces rather than their names. They learn to spell by recalling the pattern of the letters rather than the sounds, and find it difficult to play 'I spy'.

Visual thinkers learn best through pictures, graphs and visual signs. From an early age children are able to visualise, and that's why it's easy for them to remember the way to his friend's house. Reading and writing are more easily learnt as pictures rather than sound.

Unfortunately, in many school settings, auditory learners do well while visual learners are disadvantaged. The balance is gradually being redressed through the use of ICT in the classroom and the use of new technology such as interactive whiteboards.

But what happens during homework and study time? How can parents help their children learn and study in the method best suited for them?

Visual organisation of information is an invaluable tool both for adults and children. When organising information visually, colour, space and dimension are used to organise keywords in a similar way than non-important words and grammar organise information for other people who are language oriented.

Visual	Verbal
In an argument I try to keep out, keep quiet or visualise a solution.	In an argument I tend to use put-downs, sarcasm or counter arguments and discussion.
I enjoy hobbies such as photography or woodwork or things I can touch or see.	I enjoy word games such as Scrabble.
I like doodling or drawing whenever I can.	I like making lists or writing down my ideas.
If something breaks and won't work I prefer to study a diagram.	If something breaks and won't work I look for instructions to read.
If I have to memorise something I draw a diagram or chart.	If I have to memorise something I create a rhyme or saying to help me remember.
I prefer a map to written directions	I would prefer written directions to accompany a map.