Visualizing and Verbalizing® Program
for Cognitive Development,
Comprehension, & Thinking
co-founder of Lindamood-bell
Clinical research and experience over the last twenty-five years indicate there is a separate comprehension weakness that is rarely identified. This weakness often undermines the reading process…It is weakness, based in the sensory system, in creating an imaged gestalt.
Michelle reads words accurately, but she doesn’t understand what she reads. Words seem to “go in one ear and out the other” and she struggles with following directions. Her parents express frustration about her weak short term and long term memory. Her teachers think she is not trying, and she has been labelled as having ADHD.
A primary cause of language comprehension problems is difficulty creating an imagined gestalt. This is called weak concept imagery. This weakness causes individuals to get only “parts” of information they read or hear, but not the whole.
Individuals of all ages may experience the symptoms of a weakness in concept imagery.
This causes weakness in:
- Reading comprehension
- Listening comprehension
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Following directions
- Oral language expression
- Written language expression
- Grasping humor
- Interpreting social situations
- Understanding cause and effect
The Visualizing and Verbalizing® (V/V®) program develops concept imagery—the ability to create an imagined or imaged gestalt from language—as a basis for comprehension and higher order thinking. The development of concept imagery improves reading and listening comprehension, memory, oral vocabulary, critical thinking, and writing.
The Lindamood-Bell programs explicitly employ the principles of dual coding theory…Any theory of reading or writing that does not eventually align with a broader theory of general cognition will not endure.American Educational Research Journal
When my daughter, Lauren, first learned to read, she had no difficulty pronouncing the words. Nevertheless, she couldn’t sustain her attention span and although she was on medication for attention deficit, her ability to process material seemed slow.
My goal was to find some techniques that would teach my daughter how to comprehend. What I found were a number of methods that practiced comprehension but didn’t relate how to comprehend.
Finally, I found Lindamood-Bell and visualization. The post-term data at the program’s conclusion showed an increased oral language comprehension. Her reading comprehension jumped from 5th to 50th percentile. This all occurred in three weeks time!
You have given my daughter a most precious gift that she will appreciate for a lifetime. Thank you again and again.
Mother and M.D.
Dottie spent six months trying to count to five. Her behavior changed from retreating to angry acting out. After 6 weeks of Visualizing and Verbalizing Dottie was beginning to connect to language and was visualizing and verbalizing paragraphs. I am overjoyed to report that Dottie entered a regular classroom at the end of November. She is on grade level and doing excellent work. Her behavior has changed drastically as her academics. We thank God for the wonderful work your clinic is doing.About a young girl
Who can we help?
Children and adults of all ages and levels who are experiencing literacy difficulties.
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Dyslexia, ADHD, Hyperlexia, Learning Disabilities, Learning Difficulties.