Intersection of Use of Visual Supports with Other Evidence-Based Strategies/ Promising Practices
Success in the implementation of a visual support was seen when there were high expectations for all learners, but a visual was provided as a means of clarifying/noting multiple steps/posted so that students could refer back to it and use it.
Previewing, priming and thinking aloud - when teachers modeled using a visual support and how they were using it to solve a problem that might arise during small group or independent work, students were more likely to use that visual in the same way.
Pairing of picture support and written word - with this study focused on learners in grades 1 and 2, value was seen in including a picture/sketch/drawing paired with the written word - eventually as a visual becomes very familiar, teachers could consider reducing size of picture then fading it out and just having the word. But, when procedures were listed in words alone, especially if the visual support was newer to the class, some students struggled to access the visual (and would ask adults in the room to read the visual to them). During the course of this study, quickly sketched visuals proved as effective and as often independently referred to as flashy, laminated visuals.
Environmental Print/Teacher Labeling in a Classroom - Students notice the labeling and print in the room and often problem-solve to use environmental print to support them in their classwork. For example, teachers may have student names on a word wall but if a peer’s desk label, chair label or locker label is closer and more accessible to a particular student, that learner might use the closer environmental print. Ensure environmental print appears in such a way, therefore, that students can access it (e.g. use of printing rather than cursive even if original intent is for adult use). Students notice where peer names are listed and alternate places to find days of the week, months of the year and numerals/letters even if there are visual supports posted explicitly for student use on the same topics/themes.
Multi entry point activities (high ceiling, low floor) with open-ended and multilevel tasks are nicely paired with visual supports. All learners can experience some level of success and all can learn. In my observations, because teachers know the curricular outcomes well, they can adjust for some learners within an activity and don’t need to plan a separate activity to differentiate when using these types of tasks. See Liljedahl, P. (retrieved November 27, 2023). https://www.gscsmath.ca/instruction/thinking-classroom
Location of Visual Supports - Visuals posted too high are less referenced. It can be tempting to use vertical space to add more visuals in a classroom, but Student Triangulation interviews revealed that if visuals were too high out of sight line, they were less noticed/accessed.
Activities that are visually supported but that allow learners to stand or move, while using oral language lead to a high level of engagement (more learners on task than tasks that have less of these elements). Activities and phonemic/phonological awareness activities with a visual, kinesthetic and auditory component engaged the majority of learners.
Play - During my observations I saw structured play that allowed for learners of all levels to learn; strategic groupings within the play were created by teachers and varying roles in groups, all able to play and engage in their way. The play was visually supported with manipulative items, printed word, and artistic tasks. Play was observed to allow for practice in a different way and practice, building vocabulary and oral language through play based activities, and practice opportunities happened within play. What visuals pair best with play-based learning?
Incorporation of technology like document cameras (some teachers specifically mentioned appreciating Intuition document camera) and use of LCD allows teachers to model for students exactly where on a worksheet/handout they should be writing/drawing/creating and leads to quicker understanding by more learners than description of the spot they should be writing. (Pointing on a small sample helps but was not as effective as the large screen during my observations).
Teaching use of a volume of voice chart and practicing the volumes of voice that are expected/accepted at each level, then marking the expectation visually for volume of voice helps to remind students of the expectation and reduces the number of teacher reminders to correct volume of voice.
Involve the students who will most benefit from use of a visual support in the room - sometimes teachers may forget to change a visual support like where the class is on a daily visual schedule, or to mark the volume of voice expectation. However, if a teacher knows which students will benefit most from having this information kept up to date, these students can be assigned to update the visual. This allows for extra priming for students who may need it most, while giving the learner(s) a positive responsibility in the classroom.
Use an interactive visual (see Numbers 11-20, from Observation 3) to promote more student interaction and engagement than using an iPad app.
Novelty leads to increased engagement (change and move visual supports throughout the academic year).
Co-creation of visual supports leads to increased use of a visual support by learners and leads to active learning.
When particular, common (amongst adults working in the classroom/school) language/vocabulary such as First/Then or When/Then is modeled with a visual support, once the language modeled by the visual is mastered, use of the same language verbally still leads to comprehension when the visual support is not present.
Visually supported read-alouds (on LCD screen or with the book itself) lead to a high rate of student engagement - novelty, visual, and animated voice all brought together which motivates and engages many learners.
While visual supports are helpful, too many items in a room can be too busy and distracting for some learners. When walls are too busy, this can be overwhelming from a sensory perspective for some learners and they may avoid looking at the walls at all. Find a balance of necessary supports. Have means of tucking some supports away. If individuals still need some supports but the concept is mastered by others, can photos of a support be provided to them in a small photo album, or on a student’s fold away office, etc.
Transitions - use of whole class visual timers (Time Timers), and review of expectations (especially effective when posted close to the classroom door and referenced simultaneously verbally and visually) supported the majority of learners in classrooms to transition successfully.
Clear expectations and practice of routines supported by visual supports may lead to success and independence in these routines. Supporting Neurodiverse Learners by Using Visual Supports as a Tier 1 Intervention revealed success with visual supports contributing to teacher clarity and spontaneously peers used visual supports in classroom environments to support and prompt peers.
Gesturing and physical modeling by co-teachers/Educational Assistants in the room is a helpful practice that helps students to attend to the teacher. When an individual learner or a small group needs an individualized review of class instructions, modeling with the visual materials to be used is effective. Caution is needed to ensure that learners are not over prompted, unnecessarily prompted and to avoid creation of prompt dependent learners. (Wait time is essential before a prompt and only minor prompts like eye gaze or gesture should be used.) For more resources on prompting contact powerofvisuals@outlook.com.
Visual Supports and Wait Time/Prompting: In the classroom context, it can be tempting for adults (teachers, Educational Assistants, co-teachers, administrators in the room) to prompt quickly if it appears that a student does not know what to do next. It will likely be valuable, in most cases, to pause and give wait time of up to 11 seconds, then to use a rephrase or repeat prompt, a minor and easier to fade prompt such as a gestural prompt or eye gaze prompt toward an available visual support that can cue the learner. It is possible that using visual supports as a Tier 1 strategy will reduce prompting/over prompting or prompt dependence. (This is an area that warrants further research.) For more resources on prompting contact powerofvisuals@outlook.com.
Visual supports increase teacher clarity for learners.
Pairing visual supports with structure, routine, consistency, along with clear expectations is particularly useful.
To regain learner attention after independent or small group work, although all teachers in this study used a variety of teacher supports, the most common strategy was auditory - call and response, repeat after me, beeping timer, ringing of a bell, etc. This strategy was effective in all cases it was seen. To use a visual strategy for regaining student attention, try turning lights off and back on, or raising a hand and having students also do so when they notice.
Visual supports were commonly used in Language Arts and Mathematics, but teachers noted, and I observed, that visuals help with classroom management - students who are independent enough can refer back to procedures or next steps without having to ask a teacher/adult or peer. Visuals help to cue for classroom management - a teacher can point to a reminder and keep teaching or use the visual to review expectations with the whole group, small group or certain learners. Visuals support independence. Visuals provide peer leadership opportunities - students can refer back to the visual to help a peer know what to do (and this was observed multiple times during classroom observations for this project).
Co-creation of visual supports can support shifting of power dynamics in a classroom to allow for more student independence, contribution to visual supports used in classrooms, and successful peer prompting (a step toward decolonization).
Related Resources:
Want to learn more about high-leverage teaching practices in education? See John Hattie et al., Visible Learning resources 2008 to 2023 as linked on https://visible-learning.org/2023/01/visible-learning-the-sequel-2023/
Want to learn about Building Thinking Classrooms? See Liljedahl, P. (retrieved November 27, 2023). https://www.gscsmath.ca/instruction/thinking-classroom
Interested in Additional Research in this Field? This project, Supporting Neurodiverse Learners by Using Visual Supports as a Tier 1 Intervention, has led the researcher toward many other research questions. To talk more about future research projects that can continue to grow the research in the area of use of visual supports, as a result of these findings please reach out to Mary Barrow, researcher, at powerofvisuals@outlook.com. (A list of potential future research questions has been created and will be sent to the McDowell Foundation.)
Interested in seeing data or data collection instruments used in this study? If you are a fellow researcher interested in seeing more about the data collection instruments and seeing the data, please review Data and Data Summaries then reach out to powerofvisuals@outlook.com for additional information.
The Supporting Neurodiverse Learners by Using Visual Supports as a Tier 1 Intervention Study was funded by McDowell Foundation and was supported by Regina Public Schools. For additional information, including objectives, please see Summary of Study Findings - Supporting Neurodiverse Learners by Using Visual Supports as a Tier 1 Intervention.