Visual Thinking Strategy

Visual Thinking Strategy

Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) is a strategy that makes use of images to help improve critical thinking. The teacher will show an image and facilitate a discussion by asking 3 basic questions that encourage children to look at, think about and talk about the image.

Three questions essential to the strategy:

What’s going on in the image?
What do you see that makes you say that?
What more can we find?

Why does it work?         –

• It uses visual images to engage, puzzle, and intrigue students while building ability and confidence in decoding complex and diverse material
• is inclusive and fully respects all learners
• is easily mastered because it uses existing strengths, interests, and experiences
• sparks motivation and curiosity
• is easy to transfer the verbal reasoning skills and strategies to other areas of study

In our next post we will look at using this strategy as the starting point for a writing activity.