VISUAL PERCEPTION DEVELOPMENT

4 - 5 YEARS

Visual Perception is the way in which the brain interprets the messages which it receives through the eyes. Visual Perception is the umbrella term used and covers several visual functions which work together to make up Visual Perception. Briefly, these subsections are

• Visual Discrimination:
  This is the ability to see similarities and differences between objects, pictures and symbols. This enables the child to sort , match and categorize. It is an essential skill for reading, spelling and maths

• Visual Foreground and Background Perception:
  This refers to the ability to focus on a particular object while all other objects fade into the background. it is an important function in reading, maths and all other academic learning areas.

• Visual Seriation:
  This is the ability to arrange objects in increasing or decreasing order. It involves understanding the meaning of words and concepts such as few, more, most, etc.

• Visual Memory and Recall:
  The ability to remember what has been seen, and recall this information at a later stage. It involves the ability to remember shape, colour, size and sequence. Visual memory and recall are essential for reading and writing.

• Visual Sequencing:
  The ability to arrange objects, pictures, shapes letters and numbers in a logical order.

• Part/Whole and Whole /Part Relationships:
  This is the ability to break up visually presented items into it’s component parts and then put them back together again. This skill is essential for reading, spelling and maths.

FOUR YEARS (approximately)

• Understands large concepts such as the world, the sky and the ocean.
• Understands the whole picture or situation and can see it in a flash.
• Enjoys symmetrical patterns and shapes.
• Can look both ways when crossing a street.
• Is able to climb fences and trees to see what is happening on the other side of the fence.
• Prefers to go home using a “different” route.

FIVE YEARS (approximately)

• Thoroughly enjoys setting the table.
• Likes to be helpful.
• He knows what he is going to draw before he draws it.
• Likes to watch strangers first before approaching them in a confident manner.
• Enjoys drawing, tracing, colouring, copying.
• Prefers to use coloured crayons as opposed to drawing with a pencil.
• Delights in reading picture books that are in colour.
• Loves to draw his house and home and will draw houses repetitively.
• Most pictures are completed with the drawing of a house.
• Begins to use the word “long” instead of “big”.
• Enjoys drawing upwards on his paper.
• Likes to match form with form, size with size.
• Identifies capital letters and numbers.
• Identifies letters in store names and books eg. “That’s in my name.”
• Loves the pictures on the calendar and the figures on the clock.
• Eyes and head move almost simultaneously when interest is shown in something.
• Is sure footed when climbing.
• Uses tools and instruments correctly and with ease.