It is common for visual spatial learners spelling to require a little extra help. Their brains read differently. These fun ways to bring your visual spatial learners spelling to the next level will be a big help. Your child might even start to like spelling lists. My Dimples has visual spatial traits. I have found that visual spatial learners spelling, reading and writing has become easier when we use these alternative methods.
What is a Visual Spatial Learner?
Visual spatial learners are people who think in pictures and patterns. They tend to utilise their sight, and visualise the whole concept or see the big picture. Often missing the small details and the logical small steps that get them there. They are right brained people; multidimensional learners. Thus, visual spatial learners spelling is learnt better when taught with visually appealing methods.
Sadly, visual spatial learners (VSL’s) don’t learn to spell and write well with traditional auditory and sequential methods that are commonly used within educational settings. VSL’s often do great in creative, artistic, mechanic and technological subjects. They might struggle with spelling, phonics, writing and math logic.
If you think that sounds like your child, try these strategies that improve writing and visual spatial learners spelling…. And please let me know how you go or if you have any more ideas.
26 ways to bring your Visual Spatial Learners spelling to the next level.
1. Try an interactive sight word book.
Make an interactive sight word book. It uses flip book pages, color the rainbow, puzzle pieces and cut and paste to make learning these 21 sight words fun, tactile and visually appealing.
This is our recent sight words one for Miss T. You can get it online here. Or click the picture below.
2. Stamp the word
Instead of writing use a different media to make it more tactile, hands on and also visually different. Bright rainbow coloured stamps work well for visual spatial learners as the end product looks more interesting then typeface or hand writing. I want to get this Melissa & Doug Alphabet Stamp Set
3. Highlight the word.
Use a highlighter, or a range of highlighters. Ask your child to trace over their spelling or sight words to make them bright. Again, this pops with colour and is more memorable in a VSL’s mind.
4. Box and shape the word
VSL’s think in patterns, plans and shapes, so this is a well known technique for visual spatial learners spelling skills. Box their words to form an overall shape in their mind. you can do it around each one, or do a mix and match like I have done below. They have to visually match the shape and write it in, then we read it back while they are envisioning the shape of the word as well.
5. Use magnets
Mix things up by doing sight words and spelling with some alphabet magnets. Like these here. On the board, the fridge or dishwasher or even in a cookie tray. They bright colours and the 3D shapes of the magnets mean more visual appeal for VSL’s.
6. Chalk and water the word
Using a chalk board, write the spelling words in chalk. Then get your child to trace over them with a wet q-tip.
7. Puzzle pieces
Write the words on flashcard sized paper and cut a puzzle pattern through them in syllables. The child then has to spell the word by putting the puzzle together and saying it by syllables. You can also extend onto this by clapping with each syllable.
8. Draw the word
Because visual spatial learners spell better with imagery, try to draw the word. Or draw the word, in the picture like this fire one below. Miss T was getting stuck on reading one, becuase it isnt sounded out. I drew a number 1 on the side of the n, and from then on she got it, without needing the 1 there. It just seemed to sink into her head, like she could envision the one and click, she knew it. Another example is writing said inside a speech bubble.
9. Write the word in the sand or dirt
Take your learning outdoors and on a large scale. Writing words in sand or dirt can be fun. Requiring big motor movement. The end product is large with a visual bang that you don’t get sitting at a desk. VSL’s will more likely remember spelling words when its fun, big and visually different.
10. Paint the word with Mud
We’ve done this several times. You can read about it here.
11. Rainbow words
An array of colours. Over the top of each other. Or a list of the same word, in every colour of the rainbow. Like what we do here in the interactive sight word spelling book.
12. Build the word
Use Lego, or duplo blocks and write the spelling words along the face of them. Scramble them on a base plate. The child then has to “build the word.” You can also get these cool alphabet blocks which word well to help VSL’s spell. They love to create and build things.
13. Magazine letter word
Prepare some pre-cut letters from a magazine. Ask your child to find the letters from a tub and glue them into the word they need to spell. They might need a little help or even a written list. But the end result will look quirky and stick in their mind.
14. Tactile writing Trays
We have done this several times. Read the blog here. Both Dimples and Miss T love this. They both show traits of being VSL’s and they both do well when we mix things up with a tactile writing tray. This one is a magic theme, with salt and a magic wand.
15. Pipe Cleaner spelling words
Get your VSL to create and build a word from pipe cleaners. This is very tactile and hands-on. They will do well using their planning and construction minds to form correct letters and words.
16. Tooth pick or paddle pop stick words
Using different materials can be visually stimulating when VSL’s are learning new words. From instance, sticks, tooth picks or q tips can work well.
17. Writing in the material.
Following on from the above, you can use different materials to write the word of the material (or the colour). Some examples are chalk, sticks, white, sparkle and glitter (glitter pens), string, glue, rope, leaf (on one leaf), leaves (writing with multiple leaves)… The list is endless…
18. 3D sensory writing
If a child is really struggling with certain words, you can prepare their spelling list or sight words on flashcards by writing them in glue or puffy paint. Once they are dry they will not only pop 3D with texture and look unique, they will also feel cool. Get them to trace them with their fingers. As they write over the word with their finger, it is adding another sensory element to learning the word.
19. Magic watercolour words
Our picture doesn’t show just how dramatic this can be. Dimples watercolour paint was too thick. I think most people know how to do magic words. Get white paper, write in white crayon and then paint the paint in a wash of watercolours. Make sure its thinner than ours. The crayon is resistant to the water and will whine through. If you can’t make it out, I wrote lamb inside a fluffy lamb.
20. Play dough print the word
Get the VSL to use play dough. They can either roll worms and form the spelling word. Or write in a flat bit of playdough like we have done here. This playdough set has some great writing tools.
21. Kinetic sand stamp words
Similar to above but with the use of stamps. You can also use playdough writing tools.
22. Coloured syllable words
When you use colour in correlation to the syllables, a visual learner can “see” the sounding out of the word. this increases the chances of them remembering to chunk the word when spelling it.
23. Type the spelling words
I don’t think I need to explain this one. get them on a word processing or note program on the computer, or tablet. VSL’s love technology subjects and do well in tech. They may also benefit if they learn how to use different fonts, word art, text color and so forth to make it look awesome and interesting. Dimples has a Fire and lovvvves it. Check it out here. You can get other colours.
24. Trace and write with magnet balls or tablets.
This isnt ‘spelling’ but VSL’s can really benefit their fine motor skills and letter formation with these. We have a bunch of them in our chill out corner. You can see them here.
25. Dot paint words.
We have done this a few times, even on NAIDOC day. It is so easy. Just use some q-tips and paint to write some super fun dot words. Here is the post about our naidoc words.
26. Writing in wet paint or shaving cream.
We just wrote with the back of a paint brush on wet paint. But you can also do this in a zip lock bag with paint. Or even a tray with shaving cream. The different colours and texture make it more visually interesting and VSL’s love being hands-on.
Visually appealing, bright and interactive.
Remember that visual spatial learners spelling works best when they learn in a visually appealing, bright and interactive way. Make it fun and happy. With no pressure! It is worthy to note, that visual spatial learners will get distracted more easily. They are attracted to cool looking, bright, fun, better-than-spelling things to do. Thus, it is best they have a clean clear desk space some where quiet.
- Try to read often and point to the word as it is being read.
- Read words in every day life, eg. a stop sign is more visually appealing and memorable for a VSL than just the word written by itself. Same goes with words on signs, supermarkets, food labels.
- Use books with pictures and if they struggle with a word, ask them to ‘visualise’ or ‘picture’ the word in their mind.
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