Knowing which shoe to put on which foot. Understanding that a “b” has a bump on the right side. Putting homework on the left side of the take home folder before putting books into a locker beside the gym bag. Visual spatial relations are everywhere!
Visual Spatial Relations is an important visual perceptual skill that is important for many functional tasks. Visual spatial relations allows the organization of the body in relation to objects or spatial awareness. This is an important part of spatial awareness in handwriting and many other movement-based activities. An important part of visual spatial relations includes laterality and directionality. These terms refer to left-right body awareness and the ability to perceive left/right relationship of objects.
The following tasks require visual spatial relations:
Letter formation and number formation
Writing letters without reversal
Reading letters without reversal
Sports
Completing puzzles
Walking in a crowded hallway without running into others
Standing in line without bumping into others
Left/right awareness
Understanding spatial reasoning concepts such as beside/under/next to/etc
Reading without losing one’s place
Copying written work with appropriate spatial awareness
These activities all require the ability to perceive an object in space. The way they interpret position in space to their body and to other objects in the environment impacts motor skills.
Spacing pieces of a puzzle amongst the others and writing in relation to the lines is one way to work on this skill.
Try these other activities that challenge visual spatial relations:
Concentric Circle Painting
Line Matching with pipe cleaners
Color matching Elmer Activity
Word building with nature
Line awareness heart maze
Finger dexterity exercise
Winter scissor activity-cut icicles
Pencil Control candy cane
Sight word match with string
Giant motor planning maze
Line awareness bead picture
Create your own race track
Letters on the garage door
