Final answer:
For children with a visual learning style, materials such as images, diagrams, and other visual aids are most effective for understanding abstract concepts and relationships. Visual encoding, combined with semantic processing, can enhance memory, particularly with high-imagery words. Hands-on activities that include visual components can also be beneficial for visual learners.
Step-by-step explanation:
For children with a primarily visual learning style, material that is most effective in helping them understand abstract concepts and relationships is likely to be images and visual aids. This includes diagrams, charts, graphs, and illustrations, which are more impactful than solely textual or auditory information. These visual elements can complement written text, making abstract concepts more tangible.
According to studies, such as those by psychologists Fergus Craik and Endel Tulving, semantic processing, which involves understanding meaning, can improve recall. However, for visual learners, coupling this with visual encoding—the process of encoding images—can enhance memory further, especially when dealing with high-imagery words that evoke mental pictures. Visuals not only help in memorization but also in identifying relationships between ideas, recognizing patterns of organization, and understanding the interplay between verbal and nonverbal elements in texts.
Vivid visuals and representations might engage students more actively than audio recordings or oral explanations, which may not leave as lasting an impression on visual learners. On the other hand, hands-on activities can also be beneficial as they often incorporate visual elements and can be highly engaging for students to grasp abstract concepts. In an educational setting, it is important to gauge the effectiveness of visuals in the context and ensure that they are purposeful and not overly distracting.