Well folks I am getting better here at posting it has only been a couple of days  - focus focus focus!!

Let us examine that visual - spatial intelligence.  The student with a stronger visual-spatial intelligence then other areas of intelligences will find art, mapping and etc to be easier and more enjoyable.  We all enjoy doing that which we find easier.  But how do you use this strength in helping the student in other areas of their educational life.  These are students who can see the visual world and recreate even without that world in front of them.  An example would be the child that can draw a more accurate map of her neighbourhood then the rest of the class, or is putting together jigsaw puzzles that way above their age.  The student is able to visually see the whole picture even though they do not have the actual picture right beside them.

This student will find geometry very easy as they can see the whole picture.  This student will enjoy strategy games as they find seeing the whole picture easier then people like me.  The question is how do you help this kind of person in school when they are having difficulties.

In language spelling should not be a problem, but writing a story maybe.  This is because they see the whole story, but by the time they get to the end of the story they have forgotten the ending OR they see the main details but forget the smaller details.  These students do not really need the story map I have talked about because they can already see the story.  To help them create a more complete story have them point form every little idea they can think of for the story.  After they have all the ideas group the ideas with the different parts of the story - beginning, middle and end.  I have used highlighter, one colour for each part of the story.  The students enjoy it.  Reassure the students that they can add more details as they go. 

Once they have all the ideas (or most of them written down) they can start actually writing the story.  This kind of student may balk at this step - their logic, and it is sound, that they know what they want to happen in their story.  Help them understand this is to help them make sure they remember everything that they want to put in the story.

For the area of math, if the student has difficult understanding the concept, bring out the concrete materials, they like to see the visual.  Once they have the concept they should have no more difficulties because they can build on what they have already know and understand.

Till next time - have a good day.