How to Support Visual Learners in Online School
byConnections Academy
3 min to read
For those teaching or supporting students, understanding the strengths and challenges of being a visual learner can help improve their educational journey.
Why Supporting Visual Learners Matters
According to the Multiple Intelligences Theory, students align with one of eight ways they best process information when learning something new—verbal, logical, auditory, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, kinesthetic, and visual.
By discovering more about how to help visual learners, families can supplement their child’s education with learning materials better suited for visual learners. By adding a visual component to the information students are already studying in class, visual learners have more opportunities to understand the lesson and thrive in school.
Although most people are visual learners, it should be noted that students should not feel restricted to one learning style. Indeed, students end up using a variety of learning styles to learn and retain information, even if they have a favorite.
How Do Visual Learners Learn?
Students who are visual learners typically engage with, understand, and remember concepts more easily when they can see the information, which means they tend to learn best when lessons include visual aids such as pictures, diagrams, drawings, and videos.
A visual learner may likely be drawn to whatever an instructor writes down (either on a board or on a handout). Outside instruction time, they may enjoy drawing and painting, and they may prefer to see a task being done by someone else first before they attempt it themselves. They also best understand relationships and connections between ideas if they are mapped, charted, or presented in a diagram.
Strengths of Being a Visual Learner
While there is no one learning preference that is better for academic success than another, there are some advantages to keep in mind so instructors can better know how to teach visual learners.
Some of the strengths of being a visual learner may include:
An excellent ability to remember places and experiences
Strong imagination and visualization skills
An ability to organize information via lists and charts
Strong attention to detail
An ability to discern patterns
Strong spelling skills
Exceptional note-taking skills
Challenges Visual Learners May Face
Even the strongest visual learners may struggle on occasion, especially in lecture-heavy courses. Knowing these weaknesses ahead of time can help families know how to support visual learners when they may begin to fall behind in their online class.
Some of the possible downsides to being a visual learner include:
Difficulty remembering something if it is not paired with a visual aid
Needing to look at a person who is talking to help the learner focus on what the person is saying
Difficulty retaining information from verbal instructions or verbal lectures
Being easily distracted or overwhelmed by movement or visual disorder
Trouble remembering names
Difficulty in working in group settings
Reading may require intense concentration
How Parents Can Support Visual Learners
Remember that visual learners best understand and retain material when they can see it. So, putting verbal information into some sort of visual context can greatly help visual learners fully digest what they hear in class. Here are some ideas and tips for how to support visual learners.
Write down instructions somewhere easily visible to the student
Make wall displays with posters featuring examples of concepts the student us learning about
Employ visual cues—such as pictures, colors, large font size, bolding, underlining, bracketing, and purposeful white space—to signify important information
Demonstrate tasks for students
Pair concepts with visual symbols or movements, especially when using flashcards
Study Tips for Visual Learners
Helping students understand their learning preferences can improve their study habits. Here are some study tips for visual learners:
Create color-coded notes
Use flow charts, timelines, diagrams, and graphs to put information into a visual format
Outline the necessary steps to completing a project or meeting a goal somewhere the student can easily see it
Underline or highlight important information when reading
Watch people when they talk to help increase focus and material retention
Make study areas visually welcoming
Study individually rather than in a group when possible
Find Effective Teaching Strategies for Visual Learners with Online School
It can be hard for students who are visual learners to have their academic needs met when enrolled in a brick-and-mortar school; however, the flexibility and personalization options available to online school students can allow students to thrive in school regardless of their learning preferences. Help your family take charge of your child’s education by learning more about enrolling in a tuition-free virtual school like Connections Academy. Download our free eGuide to learn more or speak to an enrollment specialist.
Ready to Learn More
About Connections Academy?
Explore the benefits of attending Connections Academy, a tuition-free, accredited online public school that’s passionate about helping your child thrive.