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Visual Memory- 6 year old
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My daughter is having a difficult time with the CM visual memory method of taking a picture, closing her eyes and seeing the image. In fact, while doing a lesson, she told me, “how can I see with my eyes closed!” I hated to admit that it was a valid question. At that moment, I was at a loss for words and could not help her.
Does anyone have any suggestions/tips on how I can help her to see the picture with her eyes closed?
Are you talking about picture study?
6 is still young. When my kids were that age, even a little older, they would look at the picture, talk about it (because I have talkers, LOL) and then I set it aside and they would tell me things they remembered. They improved with practice and maturity,
I was actually thinking that 6 is too young as well! The exercise was with her reading lesson, where I would write a word on the board and tell her to take a picture of it, then close her eyes and tell me what she sees. But again, I may have jumped the gun too soon.
I did this with my boys at her age and they did really well and I assumed the same with my daughter.
Thank you for your feedback!
I have a limited sample size, because I only have three kids. But I’m experiencing something similar with my 8yo. Her two older sisters (now graduated) were natural spellers who seemed to be able to memorize a word after seeing it only a few times. I was the same way. My 8yo, though, doesn’t seem to have this ability at all. She is a good reader, but sometimes she stumbles on a word even if she’s seen it just a sentence or two previously. And she is not what I would call a natural speller. Her writing is still virtually unreadable, phonics-wise.
I was resting on the idea that she would be like her sisters and need very little spelling instruction (I used Natural Speller and the old-school practice of a weekly spelling list with the other two). But, like your daughter, she basically says she can’t “see” a word in her head if her eyes are closed or if she covers the word with her hand, even if it’s a word she can easily read. I’m contemplating doing a combination of sight words for the very common short words, and….some kind of actual spelling instruction for the rest. 🙂
That said, six is still young, so keep trying. I think it’s definitely a skill that may grow with practice. But I think it’s harder for some than others.
As someone who was not a natural speller (not sure if related things spelling and visualization), me, visualization in my mind, does not make sense to me, it never has, even growing up, LOL. I have to be able to see the word written down, I don’t see it in my mind. It is hard for me to teach it because my mind does not work that way, haha.
So that said, work with your DD and dont worry if she can’t quite do what her siblings could at the same time. It is hard, I have three and it is hard to not try to get them to the same “place” at the same age. 6 is young, for all three of mine I saw big jumps around 7, and even if reading took a bit longer to master (closer to 8) they all love to read now, and spelling took time, improvement came with consistant practice and maturity.
Are you trying to have your daughter learn how to spell the word? Or is the exercise to help her remember what the word looks like for reading purposes? Reading and spelling are two different skills. For reading you only need to recognize the word when you come to it in a sentence. For spelling you need to be able to write the word from memory.
If it is spelling, she is too young. Charlotte Mason didn’t start spelling lessons (prepared dictation) until the child was 9 or 10 years old.
If it is for reading purposes, you might try having her build the word with letter tiles, letter blocks, or magnetic letters. After she can build the word correctly, have her choose that word from several strips of paper with words written on them. Remember, for reading, recognition of the word is what is important.
I appreciate your feedback Karen! Yes, it was related to reading and in reviewing how CM went about reading lessons, your advice came to mind.
So thank you, I will have her do the latter as you mentioned:)
You can work on visual memory skill by placing 4 or 5 items on a tray for her to study. Then have her look away or hold a partition in front as you take away one item. Have her tell what item you took away. Later, you could use letter manipulatives with this, like alphabet blocks, which would be more difficult. Start easier with household items like scissors, pencil, crayon, tape, eraser. You can make it more difficult with more items or limiting the time to study the items before you take one away. You can play 3 or 4 times using the same items on the tray, taking a different item away each time.
This is the same concept Charlotte Mason described about looking in a store window and then writing down every item they remembered. I think this was in the section on the habit of attention. Look and Find books, I Spy books, and Highlights Hidden Pictures helps develop visual perception.
We have liked Developing the Early Learner to help develop skills needed for learning to read and write. These include activities for visual memory like items on a tray. They also work on audio memory and more skills.
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