Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Elementary School Visual Spatial Child "needs" pictures in books

My DD4 told me yesterday that as she gets older her books will have black and white pictures and then no pictures she then told me she really liked the color pictures. We then had the discussion about imagining the pictures in your mind. Two days ago we started reading Chapter books since I'm going broke buying the short level 1-5 books that she reads in 3 minutes and then wants another one and another one.

Thought of one more thing. Not sure at what level your dd is reading but you might want to find books that are at high reading level but low interest level. I think scholastic web site has a search engine for that.

I was looking through my dd7's Flower Fairies Friends series books this morning. They have (b&w) pictures on every page. The contents are interesting for 2nd graders but the reading level is at grade 5-6 due to more difficult vocabulary. They are short and in large print so it's easy to read. If your dd likes fairies, I also recommend Fairy Chronicles series with all color pictures, not on every page, but the books are beautiful and colorful.

DD is very much into Fairy books. And I agree with a former poster that Magic Tree house has a fair amount of pictures in it. The Fairy series is very popular with DD5.

Ren

Thanks all. These suggestions are great. We found a book called Henrietta There's no one better yesterday and she loves that. Spent a good bit of time reading this a.m. And she loves fairies so that's a good option too.

My ds9 has always preferred books with illustrations,the more the merrier. He has been id'd at school as VS type, whatever that's worth, I think we *knew* that already, but they have been able to work with him to explain some of his strengths, and areas where things might not come as easily.
Lately just about the only books that appeal to him have to do with greek mythology, it is hard to find anything else to satisfy him.

This happened with my DD too from about age 7 - 8. Is changing now at 8.5. After being quite mystified about it all (her vocab and comp. are very advanced), she finally explained it to me by saying "those books don't look like they're meant for me". She wanted books that looked age appropriate (including the front cover), with reasonable font size, and plenty of white space on the page and PICTURES but they needed to be interesting. If I could find such a thing she would gulp it up with great pleasure even when the language was way past her age level.

Do you have access to a friendly children's bookshop or know of someone in a bookstore with a real interest in children's literature? Explain what you're after. The particular edition of the book is important as you can sometimes get the same book in an edition with closely packed font with no pcitures, or in a wide-spaced format with line illustrations.

We had success with
*Cartoons and graphic novels (Calvin & Hobbes were a life saver for a while and she still loves them),
* the Araminta Spook books by Angie Sage (which were in the perfect format)
* Nim at Sea, by Wendy Orr (it was a particlar edition but can't check as the school have borrowed it).
* DK non-fiction
* the Warrior series (she is cat obsessed and read them happily despite them not having pictures etc.)
* Roald Dahl! (also a life saver)
* the How to Tame a Dragon series (at 8 though)
* The firework maker's daugher by Philip Pullman (this was probably the first independant chapter book that she gobbled up with great excitement)
* Geronimo Stilton books (at 6.5 - 7)
* Captain Underpants (!!! Not my choice!)

My DD is not VS at all - in fact it's a relative weakness for her. I wonder if this is a developmental thing that some G&T kids go through where their reading skills are very sophisticated but their visual/aesthetic taste is age normal. Just speculating.

Also, keep reading aloud to her. DD would sometimes start reading independantly what we'd begun reading alound to her -despite it not meeting her criteria.

Best wishes

My ds7 much prefers books with pictures, too. When we go to the library, he heads straight to the picture book section and chooses the book by it's title and the picture on the front, regardless of the reading level. I've actually been surprised at how advanced some of the reading is in those books. Thanks to some suggestions here, I did get him to pick out a couple of graphic books, too - he read on straight away. Oneof his favorite books lately was the "My Father's dragon" trilogy - which does, I believe, have some pictures.

We ordered the first set of the Daisy Meadow Fairies books for DD4, we have read 3 in 3 days. We ordered the next set last night. We share read them since she says she gets tired reading because they are soooo long. To say the least they are a big hit. We have ordered the first 2 sets from Scholastic does anyone know of a site where you can get them cheaper since she is going through them pretty fast. We paid about $3.50 each last night.

Try the Fog Mound series by Susan Schade! http://www.amazon.com/Travels-Thelonious-Mound-Susan-Schade/dp/068987684X

They're part graphic novel, part novel novel and have great illustrations. DS5, who normally sticks to graphic novels, is cruising through the chapters.

I'm really late to taking notice of this thread but am thrilled to have discovered it!

My DD, almost 8, is so difficult to please with reading materials. I do suspect she is a visual spatial learner and this thread really ties together the kind of reader she is with the VS aspect of her learning style.

It is very hard for me to find things DD likes to read. When we go to the library, I pass her endless books...How about this one? She opens and closes it with a "Nope". I haven't been able to reconcile in my mind why she rejects books so quickly until now. I also have been puzzled as to how she even has the reading level she has given how little reading she has done. I see other identified GT kids who have been devouring every little bit of written print they have gotten their hands since age 4 or younger yet I have a child, also identified as GT, who is so different.

Things she has liked...

Magic Treehouse books, so much to the point where I felt the need to tell her she couldn't reread these anymore. Her teacher was also lightheartedly encouraging her to "leave Jack and Annie behind" because her reading level is so much higher than those books.

Non-fiction: I always thought this had something to do with laziness or not really liking to read. You know, she could read the 3 pages in the mammal book about lions and be done, unlike jumping into a chapter book that may require to read 15-20 pages.

My Father's Dragon trilogy: Fairly short books

The cartoon/funnies from the Sunday newspaper: Very short

***But within the past week, I have had a "lightbulb moment" and this thread supports it. IT IS THE PICTURES!

My lightbulb moment came with the Bone series, graphic novels. She asked me to buy her one at the school bookfair in May. I said "no" because it reminded me of video games(LOL, don't ask me why). She is very drawn into video games. OK, she is obsessed with video games and I have to watch her closely or she will play them way too much.

So, the Bone books came up again when she spotted one at the library this past week. After she had rejected everything else I tried to pass off on her, I let her check out the first three books because I'm desperate. She polished those off in two days! I could hardly pry her off the couch for meals.

Now I am on the hunt for more graphic novels. I really hope that after indulging her for a while with these, she will be turned on to other things.