Sometimes children with word finding difficulties need help visualizing the context of the words they need. I find that kids can sometimes retrieve the word for which they are searching when I help them “picture it.” On November 2, I posted the acronym “Silly Sally Always Draws Fuzzy Pandas” created by my colleagues Sarah Mendoza and Tara Brooks. The “P” in Pets stands for “picture it.” In FAVOR-C, the “V” stands for Visualize. Either acronym can help students remember to try a variety of strategies when they get stuck on a word.
“Make a movie in your head.” “Make your brain be a camera.” Describe visualizing in words they understand. These phrases have worked for me.
If my student is having trouble retrieving the word for her after-school snack, I have her visualize her kitchen: “Walk in the door and put down your backpack. It’s time for an after-school snack! Do you see the kitchen table and the cupboards? Do you see your fridge and the stove? Look in the refrigerator – what do you see? What color is the counter top? What else do you see?” If she can’t retrieve the word for that new piece of science equipment, I have her visualize the science lab: “Pretend you are walking to your station. You can see the microscope, the Petri dish, and your notes. Tell me what it looks like.”
Of course, it’s important to remember that what Olivia visualizes may be different than what Andrew visualizes. When asked to visualize her bedroom, Olivia may use words like “pink,” “fluffy” and “stuffed animals.” Andrew may use words like “camo” “video console” and “Legos.” I became very aware of seeing a room from different perspectives when I realized that what I visualized when I thought of my office was my cutesy bulletin board and organized bookshelf of therapy materials. What my students visualized, however, was the room from the opposite side of the table: my cluttered desk, distracting computer screen, and stained coffee mug. Ugh! What a lesson in visualizing!
Try “visualizing” as one strategy in your student’s arsenal of strategies. Always encourage him to think about what helps him “find” the words he needs. Help him become aware of what works for him. As he becomes more aware, he can be a better self-advocate.