Teachers often present information verbally and linguistically. However, many of our students are visual learners. A substantial amount of our brain power is devoted to visual processing. When we add a visual component, a drawing component, to our teaching strategies, student recall increases.

Consider chunking your lesson plan:

  1. Direct teach for 10 minutes.
  2. Stop for 3 minutes (set a timer).
  3. Instruct students to draw a picture of what you’ve taught them in the last ten minutes.
  4. Have students share their picture with a partner (2 minutes).
  5. Ask a few students to share and explain their photos (summarize).
  6. Continue with the next chunk of direct teaching or move onto another activity.

When students are reading, or reviewing previously read material…

  •  Have them draw pictures of what they are reading.
  •  Have them illustrate their notes with drawings that represent the concepts and facts in their notes.

Although represented in black and white here, this drawing – as well as many of the illustrations throughout my book Special Needs in the General Classroom, 3rd. Edition – was originally created in color.

Special Needs and Differentiation
   

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