A Second Grade Visual Spatial Learner
A visual spatial learner in the second grade fell into trouble with her studies. She passed first grade with the stipulation that her parents continue tutoring over the summer. So that by the beginning of second grade, she would be reading on-level. To our delight, after consistent weekly, one-on-one lessons – this second-grader read on-level. Cassandra (pseudonym) scored As and Bs on her schoolwork during the first two nine weeks of her second grade. But then, three-quarters of the way in, once again, her grades fell below average. This repeat dip in grades forced us to take a hard look at what lies behind this pattern. In this post, we look at Cassy’s background and personality. Also, at my similar personal qualities and what unlocks the mystery behind repeated grade dips.
Student Background
To begin with, Cassy, as a very well-behaved, always respectful student, never an unkind word crossed her lips. In working with her for one year now, I saw how Cassy’s creative and bubbly nature made her a natural optimist. Clearly, this shows her resilience in being so cheerful after so many learning hardships. Of course most children quickly bounce back as a natural tendency, but Cassy experienced real difficulties. Her school recommends testing, attributing her difficulties to a lack of focus. Besides, her mother received a diagnosis of ADHD when she was in school. She did not want Cassy to be turned-off by learning like herself. Admittedly, her mother hated school. For this reason, this determined mother fully intended to keep Cassy from ending up feeling the same way.
Similar Experiences
Just a few days ago, I searched for answers. You see, I myself possess similar qualities as Cassy. When I attended school, we covered less material at a slower pace; plus I attended a private school. In that different environment, my teachers perceived me as artistic and sentimental. Due to these qualities, I took notes and tried to reorganize them in order to learn. It was my feeble attempt at deciphering knowledge. Peers studied in a typical way, memorizing through repetition, etc. Even in graduate school, I created a diagram of a statistical neighborhood to learn all the types of statistical research. For example, I remember the passengers in cars on the roads. They represented the types of samples. A two-tailed test car traveled both ways on a two-lane highway. This shows that two-tailed tests exist with the possibility of bi-directionality. Needless-to-say, this visual stuck with me.
Visual Spatial Learner
In the case of Cassy and in my search for a solution, I uncovered a type of learner that I identify with which might make all the difference in the world for her. In a nutshell, a visual-spatial learner thinks in pictures and possesses specific strengths, e.g., a vivid imagination, visualization, seeing the big picture, pattern recognition, out-of-the-box thinking, seeing relationships, radar scanning, emotional intensity and gamesmanship.
Mind Map
To test this out, I created a mind map for us to use during a math lesson. I tried to get Cassy to memorize her math facts, but even after several lessons, she scored poorly on 5-minute math drills. This time, I asked Cassy to put the whole number of 12 in the center of the mind map. Then, Cassy wrote the math addition facts that equal 12 at the end of the branches that sprout out from the center of the map. In this way, Cassy sees the whole (12) and all the parts (3+9, 4+8, 5+7, 6+6). Also, reverse equations that add up to twelve. After giving Cassy a while to take it all in, she scored higher on the 5-minute math drill than ever before. This time she actually scored an A. In the past, her highest score was 60. We saw a huge leap.
A Holistic Approach for A Visual Spatial Learner
What an exciting time: the beginning of discovering this learning phenomenon. Plus, we find many new ways to approach the whole/part learner with appropriate holistic activities. I want to share this discovery for those of you who know students, friends, family or colleagues with similar behavior traits. For instance, those who might show signs of not being focused in class or in a meeting. When it comes to visual-spatial thinkers, what appears as not being focused creates an illusion. This type of thinker appears to be distracted. Rather, he or she struggles with trying to grasp a visual connection that makes the topic fit into his or her visual-spatial world. To the teacher, these students appear to lose sight of the topic. That occurs when a required big picture and certain questions must be answered before visual-spatial learners begin to learn.
