Visual-perceptual reasoning is the ability of a person to visualize, understand and work with non-verbal information. As they grow up, good visual-perceptual reasoning skills become increasingly important for children to succeed in school, particularly with math. Do you want to improve a child's visual-perceptual reasoning? Start with step 1. NOTE: For convenience, we will always refer to the male gender in this article, but the guide applies to both genders.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Developing the Child's Visual-Perceptual Reasoning Skills
Step 1. Practice playing association games
Association games can boost visual perceptual reasoning by increasing the child's ability to recognize and compare visual information. There are actually an infinite number of ways to make it play with associations, but you can start with:
- associate colors. Challenge the child to find as many blue colored things as possible, then red and so on. Ask him to find something in the room that is the same color as his shirt or his eyes.
- associate shapes and sizes. Use cubes and bricks of various shapes and sizes and challenge the child to match them by shape or size or, once he has made progress, both.
- write letters on cards or pieces of paper and have them associate with the child. Once he's good at it, you can move on to short words, and then longer and longer.
- challenge the child to associate words with pictures. This game strengthens the connection between the written word and the picture. There are postcards and games designed for this purpose, or you can make your own.
- encourage the child to find objects starting with a certain letter. This game reinforces the connection between a certain letter or sound and the object or people that letter can represent.
- play memory games. Memory games develop both associative and memory skills. They are usually played with cards, which travel in pairs. The cards are turned face down, and the players must find pairs.
Step 2. Work on the ability to identify differences
Part of visual perceptual reasoning is about the ability to recognize differences and to know when something does or isn't part of a group. Many simple activities can help the child develop this ability. For instance:
- try using "spot the differences" images. They are found in puzzle magazines, collected in books and even on the internet. They present two almost identical images, placed side by side, and the child has to look for the small differences between them.
- encourage the child to find objects that do not belong to a certain group. Prepare a group of objects - for example, three apples and a pencil - and ask which of those objects has nothing to do with the others. As the child progresses, you can make the game more difficult: use an apple, an orange, a banana and a ball, for example, then an apple, an orange, a banana and a carrot.
Step 3. Train your visual memory
Show the child a picture, then cover all or part of it and ask him to describe what he saw. Alternatively, show the child a series of objects, then hide them and challenge him to remember as many as possible.
Encouraging the child to talk about the images they see may also be helpful. Have them describe the pictures in detail, tell stories about the pictures and compare them to others
Step 4. Cultivate attention to detail
Show him a picture with words or other hidden images, and challenge him to find as many as possible.
Step 5. Have him do puzzles
Puzzles help the child to train his visual perception skills: he has to rotate and match shapes and visualize larger images. These skills will be the foundation for succeeding in mathematics.
Step 6. Teach him left and right
Orientation between right and left is part of visual perceptual reasoning and visual perception. Explain the difference between right and left - you can use the hand with which he writes or eats to begin with - and reinforce the concept by asking the child to carry objects with his left hand or wave with his right - whatever comes to mind.
This is a good time to introduce the concept of directional arrows. Show the child pictures with arrows pointing left and right, and ask him to identify the direction
Step 7. Develop depth perception
Depth perception is part of visual perceptual reasoning. Play the kids version of darts, basketball and tennis with him to develop depth perception. You can also:
- put some objects in a box (sticks, bricks or other) and tell him to take only the objects that are on top.
- make him close one eye, and put a glass upside down on the table. Run your finger around the glass and ask the child to stop when you reach the top of the glass.
Step 8. Start getting him to develop math skills
As the child grows, he can begin to practice visual perceptual reasoning in relation to numbers. Have him associate the objects with the number that describes them (two balloons, three apples, four cups, etc.). When it's ready, start working on addition and other math concepts.
Method 2 of 2: Helping the Child to Think Logically
Step 1. Emphasize the importance of concentration
From an early age, children can be taught to focus on specific tasks or ideas for short periods of time; as they grow up, they can learn to focus for longer and longer periods of time. Teach the child that concentration is important.
Help your child focus by minimizing distractions - noise, television, electronic devices, other people, and anything else that makes it difficult for them to concentrate
Step 2. Stimulate logical thinking skills
Logical thinking is a difficult skill to develop because a lot depends on the level of development of the child. However, you can encourage the use of logic by giving the child the opportunity to think about what will happen and why. You can do this while reading him a story or while doing your daily activities.
Step 3. Ask him open questions
Ask the child questions in which the words "why" and "how" stimulate logical thinking rather than "yes / no" or multiple choice questions.
Advice
- Visual-perceptual reasoning is considered one of the general aspects of intelligence. It is an important skill that will play a vital role in his success in the study.
- Stick to games and activities that the child finds fun. You will not make much progress by forcing your child to do boring exercises, and there is no need for it - you can practice his visual-perceptual reasoning and make him have fun at the same time.
Sources and Citations (in English)
- https://www.brainy-child.com/experts/WISC-IV-perceptual-reasoning.shtml
- https://www.brainy-child.com/experts/strengthen-perceptual-reasoning.shtml
- https://portalsso.vansd.org/portal/page/portal/Parent_Pages/Parent_Web_Center/TAB1651153:TAB1651182:TAB1651236
- https://www.fibonicci.com/non-verbal-reasoning/
- https://www.theschoolrun.com/non-verbal-reasoning
- https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/advice/non-verbal-reasoning
- https://sites.google.com/site/resourcesbybrunsman/disabilities/the-learning-profile
- https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/ages-stages-helping-children-develop-logic-reasoning-skills
- https://udini.proquest.com/view/the-relationship-between-visual-pqid:1917132111/
