Upside-Down Brilliance: The Visual Spatial Learner (Paperback)

Upside-Down Brilliance begins by defining the visual-spatial learner (VSL) in a "coconut shell." We aren't easy to define, but Silverman does a thorough job. And reading her description of the auditory-sequential learner was an "aha!" moment for me - I never realized how differently most people think.

Dr. Silverman explains the VSLs use of the right brain hemisphere, and uncovers the complications of early ear infections and auditory processing issues, organizational difficulties and AD/HD, even introversion and extraversion and how they interact in the VSL. She explains why VSLs don't fit well with the auditory-sequential educational style of the typical school. And she offers suggestions on how to help these children fit in and learn comfortably in the classroom.

Identification and assessment of VSL are illustrated by case studies including test profiles and descriptions, from the casual parental identification by characteristics and preferred playthings, to the professional identification and assessment by standardized ability and other assessments.

After comparing gifted learning disabled and gifted VSL children, discussing parenting and teaching recommendations, Dr. Silverman concludes with a chapter on VSL adults, including imposter syndrome and VSL women (yes, we do exist, though we are a minority within a minority!).

Upside-Down Brilliance contains so much great information, you'll need to read it more than once. There's so much great information in it that I find myself stopping, going off to deal with what I just learned, and coming back later to continue with the next chapter. I wish someone had explained years ago why my kids and I learn so differently!

Essentially, visual-spatial learners (VSLs) are more right-brained thinkers and tend to visualize everything at all once. Left-brained thinkers are auditory-sequential learner (ASLs)- they learn by hearing and do things in order. Not everyone is just a VSL or an ASL, many are combinations of both. The hard part comes for children who are mostly VSLs. The schools teach to ASLs, and that is the type of student who does well.

This book really gave me a whole new perspective on how my son learns, and it gave me many great tips of how and why to apply certain teaching strategies. Fortunately, I am able to homeschool him -- otherwise I think he would really struggle in public school and start to think that he was dumb (which he is
anything but!)

The author estimates that at least 30% of children are VSLs. The author's style is fun and very readable. The examples she gives are interesting to read, but they are often extreme cases from very gifted children. At first, this led me to believe that she was saying all VSLs are gifted (which they are not.) It's just that she has a background in working with gifted children and so that is her perspective. So rather or not your child is gifted, this book can help.

I think all parents and teachers should read this book. It's an interesting perspective in learning styles and it's a lot easier to incorporate in the classroom to accomodate these two learning styles than other methods such as the multiple intelligences suggested by Howard Gardner.