Visual Memory

Difficulty remembering visually presented material.

SymptomsStrategies
Misplaces Has difficulty storing and retrieving information he/she has been exposed to visually.– Use auditory clues to help with retrieval, i.e., songs or nursery
– Chains of visual picture associations, associative thinking, etc.
Unable to remember events in a series (Social Studies, time lines).– Use a “walk-through” method.
– Use oral presentation, small group or whole class discussion.Use creative crafts such as making a mobile.Cooking with recipes.
Misplaces his/her belongings on a regular basis.– Develop a system for storing his/her personal equipment, organize notebooks: one special section for homework – alert parents.
– Require consistency in placement of name and heading on all assignments.
When recalling items in the middle of a series, he/she must go back to the beginning (alphabet, months, books of Bible).– Teach in bite size pieces to mastery levels.
– Use visual sequencing activities.
– Ask before/after questions.
– Encourage attention to logical divisions or breaks in any series.
Reverses words, letters, and numbers.– Have student sit near board.
– Teach songs that help with rhythm.
– Emphasize precise proofreading.
– Don’t penalize for miscopying if answer is correct, but consider extra credit for correct proofreading.
– Encourage student to verbalize softly.
– Encourage thinking out loud.
Doesn’t visualize what is read, either silently or orally.

Can’t conjure up from memory.
– Use role play.Use verbalizing and visualization clues.
– Ask probing questions which lead to main idea.
– Have student draw a picture about what he/she has read.
– Read smaller selections to develop visualization.
Is slow in completing written work.– Be willing to reduce amount of “copy” work and/or length of assignment.
– Eliminate time limits whenever possible./li>
– Allow oral presentation as an alternative.
– Reinforce task completion.
May learn spelling words for weekly tests but unable to carry over into written work.– Create spelling lists from incorrect words on written assignments.
– Teach spelling rules and patterns.
– May need computers for written assignments.
Scroll to Top