Question about V/V and Seeing Stars -- also Vision Therapy

I think Seeing Stars is a narrower program that works on kids “seeing” letters. V & V teaches kids to visualize pictures as part of a reading comprehension program. I have also heard it helps with writing a lot. (My IM therapist’s daughter did it this fall with really good results).

Seeing Stars was developed after V & V in response to some kids not becoming automatic with LIPS. So it is more related to decoding text. It is designed in such a way you can use it with other programs (e.g., PG).

Our vision therapist did not teach visualization but a second one I went to for a second opinion (after first one said he was OK and I didn’t agree) tested visualization. (He did not do therapy). I would presume some would and in fact might be a good way to help choose someone who is broadly oriented.

Beth

I was just curious if the visualization techniques were similar because it’s becoming clearer to me that my son may have a problem with general visualizing (both symbol and concept).

We’re doing Audiblox right now and what I’m finding is that my son tends to memorize patterns auditorially. Not outloud, but he’ll say the patterns to himself. Because of memorizing auditorially, he is having difficulty going beyond a particular level. This makes sense because he does test as having very good auditory processing skills, and yet this is not obvious because he has such a tremendous problem with expressive language, word retrieval, and, I have to guess, he’s having a symbol imagery problem as well. Maybe visualization is an important piece of the puzzle that I’ve been missing?

From reading the Seeing Stars manual, it seems that kids do not necessarily have problems with both. In fact, the breakthrough, from their perspective, was realizing that symbol imagery and visualization were separate.

I haven’t seen Audioblox but have seen a copy cat program that uses similar techniques. You are supposed to retain a picture of the sequence in your mind. Seems to me that you could have no problem with symbol imagery and still not be able to do that. Seems to me that skill might be more related to visualization. If you can’t get beyond a point, maybe he needs to be explicitly taught how to hold images in his mind.

I think all these cognitive development programs work if the child actually can master them.

Beth

I can attest to what you are saying Beth. My son can hold images of concepts in his mind but has trouble holding visual images of symbols. As a matter a fact he is very good at holding images of concepts. The V/V manual explains that both of these activities utilize different areas of the brain.

I think my son’s vision problems are somehow related to his inability visualize symbols.

I bought the fixation block game from www.balametrics.com. They explain the need to fixate your eyes for at least 1/4 second in order to process one bit of visual information.

I am doing the fixation games they include, the circle e activity and another activity that involves my son skateboarding by our little basketball hoop and throwing the ball in while he maintains his balance.

I will then have him tested for vision therapy in January when my new insurance kicks in. I like the idea of going to someone who teaches visualization and does gross motor body work.