1. VISUAL SPATIAL APPROACH
July 6, Math Alliance Project

2. Caveats for tonight
Students’ strengths and challenges are not “all or nothing”
Students can be strong in multiple areas
Right brain - left brain can be misleading
Language is very critical for learning
Found to be much more important than visual spatial abilities in reading

3. Please keep in mind
Think of how to support and use students’ strengths
Think of how we may overlook ways students approach tasks and “chalk it up” to something else
Think of how our instruction may be a mismatch to the student
Think of ways students approach tasks and difficulties they may have
Think of how we ask students to demonstrate their knowledge

4. Please keep in mind
Think of the knowledge we want students to demonstrate
Woman quoted a lot in this article works with students who are gifted and have strengths in visual spatial areas

5. Characteristics of students who have a strength in visual spatial learning (Adapted from Silverman, in Rapp, 2009)
Make use of visual images a lot
Think primarily in pictures – visualize situations
Relate better to space than time
Are whole concept learners
Have unique methods of organization
Learn best by seeing relationships and patterns
Learning complex concepts sometimes easier than simple ones

6. Potential problems of students with visual spatial processing strengths
Takes time to process – may miss something
Difficulty showing work, especially if the problem is not meaningful
“I just know it”
May have difficulty recalling simple tasks
May have difficulty with writing
May have difficulty with computation
Limited attention to details

7. TYLER’S JOURNEY
Please read page 7-9 Tyler’s Journey.

8. Early childhood Infant and toddle developmental milestones on time.
Counting stairs
“Infinity”

9. Kindergarten
Color by number/ symmetrical
1st and 2nd grade geometry

10. 1st grade
Transition from discovery approach to numerals on paper, equations with precise symbols and worksheets. “ I jut nu it”.

11. 5th grade
OHI ( executive functioning, anxiety and sensory integration).
Math Reasoning 90th percentile and Numerical Operations 27th percentile.

12. Strategies Provide as many different manipulatives as possible.
Incorporate physical movement/ art.
Play math games/computer games.
Allow output that does not involve writing.
Allow for extra processing time.
Give math problems real world application.