The Visualizing & Verbalizing® Program
The Visualizing & Verbalizing ® (V/V®) program focuses explicitly on development of the connection between language and imagery. The ability to imagine what you read and hear is fundamental to vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension. Visualizing & Verbalizing ®, through development of the imagery language connection, improves vocabulary, listening and reading comprehension, and language processing by teaching students to image language in progressively larger amounts until they can create a full imaged gestalt (understanding the whole story is more than just the sum of its parts).
What is Concept Imagery?
The foundation of understanding
Understanding the skills needed to learn is critical for preparing a student to be independent and successful. Often students who struggle to understand what they read or hear have a weakness in Concept Imagery. Weaknesses in Concept Imagery are often attributed to poor fluency, laziness or ADHD.
Concept Imagery is often overlooked and is the net that allows students to conceptualize language to prevent it from going in one ear and out the other. The ability to imagine what we hear and read is absolutely crucial to understanding the content provided. Without this foundational skill, one cannot be successful at acquiring and holding new information long term. This essential skill can be both measured and remediated in students, especially those diagnosed with challenges like Autism, ADHD, Hyperlexia and Auditory Processing Disorders.
Is this program right for my child?
Common Challenges:
Acquiring vocabulary is one of the most important early learning skills. Even before students learn to read, they use the connection between imagery and language to connect words and pictures in their mind. When this connection is underdeveloped, it impedes the development of vocabulary, one of the five essential skills for reading. Strengthening this connection allows students to not only learn new words faster but also use their existing vocabulary for contextual clues.
Poor concept imagery makes holding directions extremely difficult. When students lack the right tools to process language they often get lost when listening to more than one or two directions at a time. Students may feel “lost” in the classroom as the teacher continues directions faster than they can process.
Making a mental movie is the core of reading comprehension. Concept Imagery brings text to life through dynamic imagery that allows students to create a mental simulation of what they are reading on the page. The more vivid and detailed the picture the better that information is retained for long term use. By giving students this imagery language connection, they are able to process language naturally instead of applying strategies that don’t always work.
A detailed, dynamic mental picture serves as the foundation for higher order thinking. We cannot analyze a problem carefully if we don’t understand the basics. To improve critical thinking and problem solving, students are taught to first image and understand the material before applying that imagery to the “why” questions that are so important to their understanding.
Even students who understand what they read and listen to may still struggle to put that understanding into words. We first work to develop their oral expression by retelling stories based on Students’ imagery in their own words. As verbal expression becomes stronger, we make the leap to writing to put great ideas on paper.
How Do We Receive Instruction?
Our team of specialists are committed to identifying areas that could potentially inhibit your child’s successful learning and processing growth. Our approach at Eardley Education is focused on identifying these learning differences and building custom learning programs for your child’s remediation from processing skills to practical application in the classroom.
- Learning programs that fit your schedule
- 1:1 teaching sessions with learning coaches
- All learning coaches are highly trained in multiple methodologies and hold Certification in K-12 Exceptional Student Education
- Always a positive learning environment to build confidence and self esteem
At Home
We pride ourselves on creating success for your child’s growth in a convenient environment. We offer all our learning programs with learning coaches at your home.
At Your School
Sometimes life is busy, we offer all of our programs at many schools in South Florida and always expanding. Working at your child’s school allows us to be hands on with teachers to deliver truly tailored instruction that complements their school curriculum.
Virtual Instruction
We offer many of our programs online in a safe, secure online & interactive video conference. This is a favorite for many busy families, if travel distance to us is inconvenient or you would like to observe the session. It is particularly popular for students out of state or who reside internationally
Summer & Winter
Use a school break to turn weeks into years of progress! Our intensive sessions each summer and winter allow students all over South Florida to bridge gaps quickly and get back to school on the right path.
International Students
If you are not in the United States, that is okay! We offer international students Online Distance Learning (online interactive video conferences) or if visiting during the holidays you can join our Intensive Summer or Winter programs.
Educator Professional Development
If you are a teacher, administrator or other educational professional looking to learn our approach to help your students or improve your school’s ability to better service children with learning challenges – contact us today.