VISUAL PERCEPTUAL SKILLS
Spatial, analysis, motor and auditory categoriesTo appreciate visual perceptual skills is easiest by separating the skills into four different categories: visual spatial, visual analysis, visual motor, and visual auditory.
Through visual spatial skills a child develops what is known as directionality. A child has to understand the similarities and differences of the two sides of their body to then appreciate how this concept can be transferred to other people and objects.
Without this there is no consistency to sequencing sounds in a left-to-right direction. Also the English written word and sentence is built on a left-to-right page and children who do not have an inherent understanding of these concepts will find the left-to-right directional printing and writing hard to follow and recall.
Few children ever confuse a w with an m.
Few children ever confuse a w with an m.
Asking a child to say hospital is typically a verbal task, but asking the child to take the pi out of hospital is a virtual task.
Asking a child to say hospital is typically a verbal task, but asking the child to take the pi out of hospital is a virtual task.
Visual-motor skills are our ability to graphically represent what we see. This includes something as early as being able to copy a square, or form a letter, to being able to draw a picture of a building in three dimensions. At every age there are expectations of our ability to put pencil to paper and this is commonly a test to show how much we understand and the level of our thinking.
Telling the difference between b and d requires knowing which way round the stick goes on the ball.
Telling the difference between b and d requires knowing which way round the stick goes on the ball.
Recognising the difference between an m and an n requires more than good eyesight.
Recognising the difference between an m and an n requires more than good eyesight.
Visual analysis skills include realising the important features of what one is looking at, the similarities and differences between shapes and symbols, for visualisation (visual construction), recall and later – easy recognition. Manipulation of the visual images becomes important as we mature for comparing shapes and symbols, and developing thinking and logical reasoning skills. Higher level Visual Analysis skills are built on a good understanding of Directionality.
“Dog-ears” on a diamond are a strong sign of immaturity in visual-motor skills of an 8-9 year old.
Visual auditory skills encompass our skill and knowledge at matching sounds to visual symbols so that they can be used in a visual manner. The spoken word is heard (processed) over time as a sequence of sounds but written spatially and recognised as a whole, simultaneously. These skills include manipulation of sounds visually, such as breaking down the individual
sounds (phonemes) to write or check phonetically.
Words such as past and passed sound no different when spoken but you can ‘see’ the difference in them when they are spoken in a sentence. The difference between two and to is visual and conceptual although they are both used in our verbal language.
Words such as past and passed sound no different when spoken but you can ‘see’ the difference in them when they are spoken in a sentence. The difference between two and to is visual and conceptual although they are both used in our verbal language.
Training visual perception skills
Visual spatial training is directed towards Directionality by building understanding and automaticity around coordinates in space. It uses symbols with movement, imitation and language to develop more concrete understanding of directions in space.
Visual analysis training uses discrimination of similarities and differences to appreciate a shape, object or symbol. This can be done through exploring construction of these initially from a presented pattern, then from memory. Construction teaches us how the whole is made up of the parts and helps us understand the important features in a object, shape, design or symbol. Later matching can use construction from one medium such as a printed outline with shaped blocks. To develop visual imagery further the individual is challenged to manipulate the shapes in their mind before constructing their form if rotated or seen from a different perspective.
Visual motor training encompasses eye-hand organisation, visualisation and representational thinking skills. Through optometry’s interest in Visual-Motor skills optometrists are aware how vision guides movement. Nowhere is this more obvious than in our ability to guide our hand in the making of shapes and symbols on the page. Through eye-hand co-ordination training and the development of the skills mentioned above optometrists are uniquely qualified to help children develop more appropriate skills in this area.
Visual auditory training works with non-language sounds and nonsense words, where the child codes and decodes written, verbal sounds and symbols for sounds. The purpose is not to teach language symbols but to develop the ability to use language to follow directions or written sentences. Later meaningful words rather than nonsense words are integrated with other thinking activities.
The development of visual perceptual skills also increases the ability to understand and think about visual concepts and to create. Dr. Johan Pestalozzi, a Swiss education reformer, stated that “conceptual thinking is built on visual understanding; visual understanding is the basis of all knowledge”.