Does Your Boy Have a Visual-Spatial Learning Style?

Today we begin a series of articles on learning styles. I was introduced to learning styles at a homeschool conference many years ago and did a lot of reading on it afterwards.  I found it fascinating and certainly wished I had known about it when I was younger.

Schools are set up to provide mostly auditory and sequential, step-by-step instruction. This wasn’t the way I learned best and there were times when I began to feel like I was stupid because I struggled to do some of the work. So sad! It took me a long time to recover from that school experience.  It certainly doesn’t need to be that way. We can do better for our boys.

Those with a Visual-Spatial Learning Style learn visually. We will give you some ideas on how to tell if your boy has a visual-spatial learning style and what that looks like. Next we will give you some hints on what to provide to them and where you can take them to honor their learning style.

Be sure to take a look at our overview of all the learning styles: Boys’ Learning Styles Overview. This will give you information on the different styles.

Finding out how our boys learn best is a big step toward helping them learn, but, more than that, finding a way to help them learn so that learning is enjoyable and fulfilling is key. Believe me, it makes all the difference.

This post may contain affiliate links which means we may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. All opinions are our own and we share things we think would be of interest to boys.

What we are doing today is giving you some easy to digest information on this learning style. As we move forward with the series we will provide deeper, more substantive information and ideas for helping boys learn within their styles.

By styles, I mean that we all tend to have one to three dominate styles but we really learn in all of the different styles. It is not that I am saying that if someone has a visual learning style they can only learning by seeing, more that this might be one of their main learning styles and knowing which are most prevalent can help them learn.

How you can tell if your boy has a Visual-Spatial Learning Style

When your boy has a visual-spatial learning style he learns mostly from looking and seeing things visually.  He is sensitive to his surroundings and knows where items are located.  He thinks in images, colors and pictures.

Here are some characteristics that he may have. Not all of them need to be present for him to lean toward this style.

• Easily finds lost items
• Highly sensitive to visual changes (such as moved furniture)
• Fascinated with machines and contraptions
• Sees visual images when thinking about something
• Can draw accurate pictures of people and objects
• Likes to scribble and doodle
• May daydream a lot
• Likes to invent things
• Loves designing and building (think LEGO creations)
• Very detail-oriented
• Needs to see the big picture before learning something (doesn’t learn step-by-step)

What you can provide if he has a Visual-Spatial Learning Style

Providing a variety of materials that mesh with this style is a smart way for you to help him learn. I tend to leave these thing around my house and don’t even mind if he picks them up or not. They are there for him to use if and when he needs them. I bring in different things on occasion to mix it up a bit.

• • Mazes (try our favorite inexpensive ones for older boys) and puzzles in all shapes and sizes
  • Drawing/art supplies
  • Unlimited paper of various types
  • LEGO (this box!) and other 3D building materials such as K’nex and Brain Flakes.
  • 3D modeling opportunities such as LEGO Digital Designer (see Encourage and Enhance LEGO Learning for links)
  • Maps, and charts
  • Cameras (we got my son this starter camera and he loves it.)
  • Telescopes, and compasses
  • Dvds, video (YouTube) on topics he is passionate about
  • Computer drawing tablet and graphics programs
  • Building materials/kits

Here are a few more items a visual spatial learner may enjoy. Click each image to learn more.

Places you can take a boy  to honor his Visual-Spatial Learning Style

He may have his own suggestions for where he would like to go and what he would like to see. I am providing a few ideas that have been popular for boys with this learning style.  See if he is interested. You never know where you are going to be when a passion is suddenly sparked.

• Architectural landmarks
• Planetariums
• Art museums
• Photography Studio

These are all easy things to do that will help your boy if he has a visual-spatial learning style. One thing to keep in mind is that we all learn in many ways. Once I found the way that I learn best it made all the difference for me and I no longer had to feel the terrible way I felt, and many boys feel, at school. There really is a better way and you can make a big difference by providing your boy with an opportunity to discover “his way.”

This website is dedicated to raising boys who love to learn. It is important to me that the way a child learns is honored and we strive to provide information and resources so you can help your boy, your wonderfully complicated, interesting and delightful boy, learn in ways that are the very best for him.

For additional information on learning styles see Boys Learning Styles Overview and go here for more boy’s learning ideas.