Organizational Skills for Visual-Spatial Learners (continued)

"A place for everything and everything in its place"--not an easy trick for visual-spatial kids, but a technique that will last them a lifetime. I seldom lose my car keys because they go in the exact same place every time I return home. We have a small bookshelf set aside just for library books so when the due date comes, we're not scrambling to find them. I do believe it's important for kids to have their bedrooms kept the way they would like them, but they must be able to locate their clothing, sports equipment and other items in a reasonable amount of time. In our home, we also insist on no food in the bedroom (yuck!) and that there be a clear path from the door to the bedside in case we have to go to them in the night-there have been too many episodes of bare feet on toys to count! Inexpensive containers, even shoeboxes and plastic food tubs, make great sorting accessories for small toys. We maintain an entire closet exclusively for construction toys.

Advanced preparation is critical. Have your kids pack backpacks and lunchboxes the night before. Sometimes, we even load the car up the night before to try to eliminate morning hassles. Clothing for the next day should be selected the night before, Matt lays his out on the end of his bed. Where we live the weather changes frequently and without notice so we keep the car prepared with extra light jackets, sometimes a complete change of clothing and, always, snacks.

With a bit of practice and trial-and-error to see what works and what doesn't, your visual-spatial children can probably get themselves organized and stay that way!

Alexandra "Allie" Golon is Director of the Visual-Spatial Resource, a subsidiary of the Institute for the Study of Advanced Development, in Denver, Colorado. As a founding member of the Visual-Spatial Resource Access Team, a former G/T teacher and homeschooling parent to two exceptionally gifted visual-spatial learners, Allie brings a wealth of experience to her books, Raising Topsy-Turvy Kids: Successfully Parenting Your Visual-Spatial Child and, If You Could See the Way I Think: A Handbook for Visual-Spatial Kids which has also been used by teachers as a rich source for classroom strategies. Allie has been invited to present on parenting and teaching visual-spatial learners and on homeschooling issues at state, national and international venues. She has counseled dozens of families regarding harmoniously parenting visual-spatial learners as well as on various homeschooling issues, and has appeared on talk radio programs and in various print media. Allie can be reached at alex@visualspatial.org

From Golon, A.S., RaisingTopsy-Turvy Kids: Successfully Parenting Your Visual-Spatial Child, Denver (2004): DeLeon Publishing.