Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Activities/careers for visual-spatial kids

I know there is the obvious engineer, architect, artist, etc. but I'm looking for more specifics, as well as other activities for kids with this strength. I signed the kids up for a short Robotics course over the summer and they enjoyed it. Whether it will be a long-term interest, I don't know. They are too young (7 and 8) to pick a career, but I feel like I should at least be introducing them to activities that they enjoy and are good at that may ultimately lead to a career. A kid who has talent in music can say "Sign me up for piano!" but with certain talents it's not obvious.

With my two kids I see different visual strengths. Both LOVE Minecraft, and have been playing since age 3 or 4, but DS7 excels with actually building things. If he decides to build a ship, he whips one together in seconds and it actually looks like a ship. DD8 builds as well but she is not as adept at designing/whipping things together. DS also has an uncanny ability for memorizing maps, and then drawing maps from memory. DD can't do that at all. He has fine motor issues so his drawings look scribbly, but when he's putting in effort and not scribbling, they look very sophisticated. Like he'll draw a train from the front and it actually looks like a train.

DD on the other hand HATES drawing. Where I see her strength is pattern recognition, like matrices. We have a game called "Squares Up" or something which is like a 2D rubics cube and you race each other to solve your own cube. I don't even bother playing it, because before I've even started, she is done with hers, and then attempting to help me with mine. She was able to read upside-down in preschool and she can easily see if a number or letter is backwards even if it's upside-down. DD seems to do better than DS in terms of strategy games, and I can see her possibly doing well with games like chess, but haven't done too much with it yet.

Anyone have ideas in general, or for each specific kid?

I don't know, it seems like a useless talent on the surface. That's why I'm hoping it translates into some sort of activity.

Matrix reasoning subtests are the task-type most closely associated with overall intelligence--abstract reasoning, fluid reasoning, problem solving, pattern recognition.

So it doesn't have to translate into a specific activity, as it has relevance for all areas of thinking and reasoning. =)

aeh--Ok, I see what you're saying. I just wish I could see an obvious direction to steer DD, or guide her so to speak. She doesn't look "gifted" unless you give her one of these seemingly odd tasks, like a puzzle. I guess I'll just keep introducing her to activities and hopefully one day something will click for her. She doesn't do anything right now except take piano lessons, which she is mildly interested in.

I'm going to keep track of this thread. Thanks for asking this! My son (almost 5) sounds a lot like a mix of your DS and DD. He did ceiling out on the WPPSI IV in both Matrix Reasoning and the Visual spatial index (the visual spatial one wasn't a surprise, the matrix reasoning was, and like you, I wasn't sure what to make of it). His drawings in preschool at just turned 4 got comments by higher grade teachers that they were better than the ones of some third graders. He was good then, but he is amazing now. His three dimensional representions are spot on, and he also likes to draw maps from memory (walks or drives), as well as the same object from different viewpoints (half a year ago, he drew a train from the top, bottom, and both sides, and then had us glue the drawings together to create a train). I always thought that three dimensional drawing came much much later? He looks at the world with different eyes than we, his parents, do, that's pretty clear. But he also is incredibly good at puzzles and Lego, and yup, he has always been able to read upside down words. Strategy games he is not that good at yet, but perhaps it's still too early to tell. Not that worried about a career, but suggestions for other activities might be useful.

Art of all forms... sculpting, mixed media, computer graphics (try out Sketch-Up from Google.) Electronics kits, Make stuff. If they find a focused area, consider an Etsy store.

Also, music is much closer to visual-spatial and pattern strengths than to verbal.

Look for opportunities to learn design principles in addition to skills.

And, of course, computer programming (search for Scratch and related threads here.)

DS likes any hands-on construction project with a design element. Things I'd like to do with him when he's a bit older:
-Finish a basement
-Build a deck or patio
-Rebuild an old car
-Wire the house with a central control panel for blinds, media, temperature control, etc.
-Design and plant a garden and irrigation system
-Build a computer
-Make various machines/putter with electronics

By far, DS8's highest score was in the Matrix Reasoning when he was tested at 6.5. I suspect I would be somewhat similar if tested.

Things I liked as a kid -
- lego, lego and more lego
- building models - I particularly remember building a working, see through model of a V8 engine with my dad around age 10
- taking things apart and trying to fix them - my dad could fix anything and everything and he let me help for as long as I can remember. We took apart VCR's, washers, driers, vacuum cleaners, etc.
- art
- piano

Things DS likes
- basically the same as above
- we also do a lot of computer/robot type stuff with him

I took art all of the way through school. Our school was known for it's art program and no one took it for easy credit (I put more work into that one course than anything else). Most people were building their portfolio to attend art college. Of the ones that didn't do art college there were 2 engineers, 1 physics major (he then did architecture) and 1 comp sci. I was one of the engineers.

My job is 99% finding patterns and solving problems. In school I found the ability to be able to picture things and spin them around in my head very useful in the more advanced math and physics classes so I would imagine it might be useful in those types of careers as well. For some types of engineering it would be extremely useful to be able to rotate 3-D images but my field isn't one of them. I was also always good at reading maps and getting places although now that GPS is so easy to access that is a bit less of a perk/skill.

It has also saved me a few bucks on car repairs.....

Thanks for all the ideas, I will look into a lot of them. I think trying something with graphic arts is a good idea. DS has fine motor issues so doesn't play with things like legos the way I had hoped. DD is very good with them, just doesn't seem to have the interest for whatever reason. Maybe it's too much sorting through little pieces trying to find what you need. DS was surprisingly good at with building his robots at robotics camp. I think he was the youngest one there and was able to use tiny little screws and parts. So maybe it will take some work but be ultimately doable.

Anyone have a kid who tests highly visual spatial who *isn't* that into art and/or building things? That's my kid...

What he *is* good at is physical, sporty things, which I've also heard can be a good path for v-s people. In particular, he's good at scooter, bike, parkour, and skateboarding, leaning towards stuff in a skate park-type environment. He's only 5, though, and I think that hinders his abilities at times because he just doesn't have the mass to get things done.