Use of Visuals in Teaching

Ever wondered why we remember movies so well even after years of watching it … Or why serials on TV have a long lasting impact or why news debates register in our minds so well? While we can tend to forget anything and everything we still remember A,B,C,D…  Why is that? As kids while learning A , B , C , D… or number 1,2,3,4 we are always shown visuals , that’s the reason we remember it for life. Even if we forget many things on earth, we will still remember the basics because they were shown by visuals. Similarly in School we had History, Geography, Civics , Physics , Chemistry , Biology and so on which covered most of the subjects in depth. How many of us can answer these questions? Which vegetable or fruit has maximum Vitamin A content? Which cereal is best in Protein? What to eat if we are minerals such as Magnesium deficient? Which state in rich in agriculture? Who were our great Maratha rulers? What is the chemical composition of Paraben? And the list can go on and on. While in school we are taught all of this and we remember it for exams but by the time we are grown-ups we have forgotten most of the subjects we had learnt. Majorly the reason is that not everything in our childhood is taught by showing movies, videos or pictures.

Visual learning makes complete sense as our brain is mainly “Image processor” not a “Word processor”. Visuals gives more clarity to thoughts rather than just hearing about it. It is one of the best ways to clarify any doubts related to the subject. Nothing is left to the reader’s imagination as picture is already painted. I do not want to discount the advantages of reading as that generates creativity and imagination.

Statistically we all remember what we see and talk about 75% of the times as compared to hearing which we remember 10% of the times and seeing which we remember 35% of the times. Usually most of the school books have information overload in terms of text which is difficult to understand, comprehend and remember. Teachers and School books should have more visuals than written text.

It is statistically proven that Visual thoughts are easier to recall and increases retention.

In addition to seeing visuals, it’s important to make the visual learning interactive by writing, drawing, painting or creating it. The more you interact about a subject, the more you remember it for long.

Today we have a lot of study material available with visuals on YouTube or various other websites with photos, pictures, icons, symbols, figures, maps, logos etc. which covers wide range of subjects. All this can be explored o make learning interactive, intuitive and long lasting!!!!

Advantages of learning Art and Craft at an early age !!!

Motor Coordination skills - Your Kid is required to use motor coordination skills to draw shapes and sizes, cut patterns, visualize different patterns and design, write etc. These skills translate to other areas of their lives, such as dressing, eating, walking, talking and studying.

Thinking ability - Crafts stimulate great thinking ability, new thinking patterns, thinking out of the box and going beyond the defined levels of creativity. This will help your kid open to new ideas.

Self-Control - Crafts that require drying require waiting for some time. This is a great lesson for you kid to demonstrate patience. Crafts are a great way to promote flexibility in your Kid. Every kid has a unique way to its own creativity!

Coordination - Crafts such as drawing, coloring, cutting etc. require your kid to use both of their hands together. These skill are important in other areas of their lives as they continue to grow, such as writing, tying shoes etc.

Collaborate - Crafts require your kids to talk to other kids, share their things, ask for other help etc. These increase your kid’s ability to work collaboratively with each other.

Observation - Crafts increase observation skills. Kids learn to accept different point of view. This helps them in various walks of life as they grow to accept different kinds of people with different believes and values.

Confidence - Completing the crafts successfully will give your kid great sense of achievement and pride. As you and your kid begin to explore more crafts, you can add in more and more challenges to boost their confidence.

Express emotions - Crafts inculcate different ways your kid can express emotions. Learning about all kinds of emotion is very vital for your kid.

Bonding - This is one of best ways to bond with your kid. Creating something together increases gives an immense feeling of being loved.

Fun - Your kids will love spending time doing art and craft. One of the best techniques to keep your kid occupied and have fun at the same time.