Activities That Improve Visual Closure Skills

Individuals who have difficulties with visual closure have a hard time visualizing a complete object when a part of it is missing. Visual closure also enables individuals to make accurate judgments when there is only partial information. For example, if you are given a picture of half drawn apple, you should be able to complete the picture in your mind because it is familiar. Visual closure perception also helps to identify sight words. The ability to read relies on the capability to recognize sight words; it helps to increase speed in fluency when reading and spelling.

Puzzles

• The ability to successfully put together a puzzle is dependent on your visual closure and visual perception abilities. Puzzle play is an activity that can be used to improve visual closure skills. In order to successfully complete a puzzle, you must be able to visualize the pieces coming together to form a complete picture. Start out with puzzles that contain no more than 50 pieces and gradually increase the piece count.

Three-Dimensional Models

• Assembling three-dimensional objects such as models of animals, cars and people will help improve visual closure skills. Putting the objects together will help you to be able to organize the placement of objects in your mind first and then following up with hands-on organization.

Word Lists

• Create a list of words that you have found to be challenging. Write the words on index cards. Practice the words by reading through the list. Look at the word, say the word aloud, then close your eyes and visualize the word as it is written on the paper. Word identification is difficult for those with visual closure difficulties. Through consistent practice, the words will become easier to identify and your reading speed will increase.

Drawing

• Draw a triangle and then draw a horizontal line in the middle of it. The line can intersect the triangle or be contained within it. The line will serve as a visual distraction from the triangle. Erase parts of the line in the image. Do your best to imagine the image as if the lines were complete. Drawing geographic shapes with incomplete lines in and around it will help to improve your ability to visualize the closure of the object and completed lines.