While visual perception mostly involves the eyes this skillset also relates to:
Your child may be experiencing visual perception difficulties if they find these tasks tricky:
- Completing jigsaw puzzles
- Copying block designs
- Telling the difference between shapes, pictures or letters
- Reading and spelling
- Copying information in written form (e.g. from the blackboard or a workbook)
Let’s get into the thick of it! Visual perception can be divided into the following seven broad categories or subsets:
- Scanning and tracking – moving the eyes to follow and focus on an object
- Discrimination – recognising the differences and similarities between objects
- Memory – storing and recalling information (e.g. characteristics) from previously viewed things
- Figure ground – finding an object when it’s hidden or surrounded by other objects
- Closure – identifying objects, letters or shapes that are incomplete
- Spatial awareness – recognising the position of objects (such as next to, above, below)
- Motor integration – coordinating hand and eye movements by combining sight, perception and movement skills
You may find that little miss or mister has strong abilities in some of the above subsets and needs to hone others. However, they all contribute to the development of junior’s visual perception skills so it’s important they’re all given attention.
Visit the visual scanning and tracking, discrimination, memory, figure ground, closure, spatial awareness and motor integration pages to find out more about the seven visual perception skill subsets, including how to spot if your child might be having difficulties with any of them.
Don’t forget that becoming a PlayBiz member gives you access to a comprehensive library of activities that will help you help your whippersnapper develop their crucial foundation skills!
This includes 2-minute Play-a-Short videos that give you and junior a fun and entertaining ‘therapist style’ demonstration of how to develop specific visual perception skills through playful activities such as ‘I Spy’ and ‘Spot the Difference’. Not only will your tot have fun, but they’ll be developing their sight skills too!
There are also the 10-minute Play-a-Long videos that combine several foundation skills for optimum effect. Picture a fun and educational TV program like PlaySchool crossed with an occupational therapy session that’s chock full of strategies to help develop your little one’s essential foundation skills.
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