Visual
Thinking Strategies
… What is it?
This is a method of teaching to get students to arrive at their own conclusions through critical thinking and observation skills. The kicker? Teachers/care givers never give an answer, that is why it is a beloved strategy for art related, open-ended thinking and looking.
To Begin:
Select an artwork that is visually interesting for your child or is related to life/learning at home. This is the easiest way to get them interested and talking.
Start by asking “What do you see?” or “What’s going on here?”
(Skip the details of the work, like the artist or title.)
Wait for a response. There are no wrong answers.
Once you get an answer from students, make sure you now paraphrase each answer you receive to clarify: a) that you have understood and b) that it is the statement they were trying to make.
Next, you follow up with “what makes you say that.” This question makes your child actively seek evidence for their statement.
Again, paraphrase the answer to this question.
Then, we loop around with a simple “what more can we find?” This acknowledges and validates previous answers, while searching for more or new things to discuss.
That is the basis of VTS in a nutshell, but pressing further I might use this conversation as a springboard to talking about linking to school related subjects.
VTS can also be a great tool to kids relating previous experiences to artworks. Such as looking at historical instruments or cultural objects. The more you practice the VTS conversational set up, the more students will become accustomed to relating visual objects back to their own lives and experiences.
Share your experiences with VTS with me on instagram: moms_in_museums
or Moms.in.museums@gmail.com