The Visualizing and Verbalizing Kit: Is it Worth it? Here's What You Need to Know Before You Buy {A Detailed Review}

A detailed review of the Visualizing and Verbalizing kit from Lindamood Bell written by Nanci Bell. Find out whether or not it's helpful for improving reading and language comprehension in kids with autism or hyperlexia.

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If you linger in any of the hyperlexia parenting groups, then you might have seen the terms Lindamood Bell or Visualizing and Verbalizing come up on a pretty regular basis, especially in discussions regarding reading comprehension.

Questions like...

• Has anyone tried the Lindamood Bell and how did it work for your family?

• Does Visualizing and Verbalizing work?

• Is it worth it?

Well, I'm here to hopefully answer most - if not, all - of those questions. Because I've got a pretty indepth review of the Lindamood Bell Visualizing and Verbalizing kit for you below.

Gander Publishing provided me with a copy of the Visualizing and Verbalizing Kit to review and try with my son. In particular, they sent us the homeschool bundle. All opinions are my own and 100% honest.

What is Visualizing and Verbalizing?

The Lindamood Bell Visualizing and Verbalizing program is designed to help improve language comprehension by building concept imagery. I described it in more detail here.

But I'm going to guess you already know a little bit about what it is if you're already here reading a full review of it...

So let's dive in!

Things I Like About Visualizing and Verbalizing

This is the part where I help you figure out whether or not the Visualizing and Verbalizing kit will be the right fit for you.

Because you're obviously here wondering if it's worth it or not, right?

1. Hyperlexia is Actually Mentioned in the Teacher's Manual

Okay this might seem like a silly thing to be excited about, but you know what? I was. See, there's not a lot of books about hyperlexia available so to see the word hyperlexia in print, multiple times, had me beyond excited to dive into this program with my son.

Before I received our kit in the mail, I actually happened to find an older version of the teacher's manual at our local library. I read through a good chunk of it before our kit arrived, but one of the main differences I noticed right away between the two versions, is that hyperlexia was actually mentioned!

So even if you just want a better understanding of what hyperlexia is, this teacher's manual is a great reference to help you learn more about how kids with hyperlexia learn. And honestly, this whole program seems to be designed with hyperlexic learners in mind.

P.S.: you can actually check out a sample chapter of the teacher's manual for free here.

So a quick recap of this point:

• Hyperlexia is actually recognized in the teacher's manual, making it one of only a handful of books that actually mention the term.

• The teacher's manual is a great reference for better understanding what hyperlexia is, why they struggle with comprehension, and what those struggles look like.

2. I Like the Progression of the Program

There are 10 steps in the Visualizing and Verbalizing program and each step allows you to build on the skills from the previous step. And even the numbering system of the structure words helps students move "from the whole to the parts" (p. 67 of the teacher's manual) instead of attending to the wrong details first. I wrote more about the structure words here.

We are currently still somewhere in the middle, working hard to build a strong foundation before moving on to the next steps where things get a bit more complex.

One of the first steps is the Picture to Picture step, which you can see us practicing here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dyan - Hyperlexia Advocate (@andnextcomesl) on Jul 8, 2019 at 11:03am PDT

Here's a quick summary of this point:

• The program moves in a logical and straightforward way.

• Each step allows you to build on the skills from the previous step while increasing the complexity.

3. I Can Implement it Myself at Home

The program is straightforward to implement on your own at home.

However, it is highly recommended that you sign up for the training workshops first to make sure that you are implementing the program correctly. I believe you even get the complete program kit if you register for a workshop. View the upcoming workshop schedule

You can also attend a specialized Lindamood Bell center or find a local speech therapist who is well-versed in Visualizing and Verbalizing if you'd prefer.

However, I understand that these options might not be available to you for a variety of reasons. Maybe there's no center close by. Maybe the ongoing cost of attending a specialized center isn't doable financially. Maybe there's no speech therapist near you trained in the program.

Thankfully, the program is easy to understand and very systematic so you can implement it at home. The kit even comes with all the important materials you need to get started anyway. I did however have to make a few things myself to supplement the homeschool bundle like the colored squares needed for the sentence by sentence imaging step.

Since there's no Lindamood Bell center near me, we've been implementing Visualizing and Verbalizing at home on my own. It allows us more flexibility in terms of the rate of instruction and allows us to work at our own pace and in an environment where my son is more comfortable.

Here's a quick recap of this point and some items related to it:

• There are online training workshops that you can attend to learn how to implement the program.

• The online training workshops also include the complete kit in the price.

• The program is easy to understand and easy to implement at home yourself.

• There are lots of professionals trained in using Visualizing and Verbalizing and you can attend specialized centers, if interested.

• The kit comes with everything you need to get started.

• The teacher's manual provides examples of how to implement each step.

• There are lots of speech therapists and professionals experienced in Visualizing and Verbalizing and there might be a local professional near you who is familiar with it (there was for us!).

4. It Seems to Be Working

But the bottom line is this: does Visualizing and Verbalizing actually work to improve language comprehension?

Well, let's take a quick look at what the research says and whether or not that seems to be reflective of our experiences so far.

"The program significantly improved the reading comprehension skills of the students who were exposed to the intervention, and they developed a more positive attitude and increased motivation towards tasks that require reading comprehension." - Fakhreddine (2013), source

Interestingly, we have noticed the increased motivation and positive attitude already and we haven't done the program as aggressive as was done in this research. And it's actually something that I mentioned on Instagram recently. So when I read this passage, I was like, "YES! That's what we've been noticing!"

The Visualizing and Verbalizing program also:

"appears helpful in improving vocabulary and oral comprehension abilities in children with ASD." - Lemelman (2014), source

Improvements in comprehension and vocabulary is always a good thing, right?

However, there are some studies that suggest that Visualizing and Verbalizing isn't necessarily better than other comprehension programs. For example:

"Students appeared to benefit equally from 'Visualising and Verbalising' training and 'traditional' comprehension training" - Dixon et al. (2001), source

I did also see a more recent study with similar findings, but of course, I can't seem to locate that article now...

So while Visualizing and Verbalizing is good at what it's meant to do (improve language comprehension), it's not necessarily the only option available to you, at least according to some of the research I read.

You can also find lots of research support for the program on the Lindamood Bell website, but I'm always leery of company-compiled research to be honest. They do offer a handy guide with research summaries in it though if you're interested, but I'm not going to link to it (see my previous comment as to why).

So let's recap this point:

• Visualizing and Verbalizing is research-backed.

• It has been found to significantly improve reading comprehension skills.

• Kids who have used Visualizing and Verbalizing develop a more positive attitude and see an increase in motivation towards reading comprehension related tasks.

• This program has been found to improve vocabulary and oral comprehension abilities in autistic children.

Some Other Strengths of Lindamood Bell Visualizing and Verbalizing Program

Here are a couple of other positives to know about the program:

• Can be used in group settings as well as in one-on-one instruction

• Takes a multisensory approach

• Offers lots of visual aids and supports (e.g., the stones, colored squares, and structure words cards)

• Includes clear lesson examples for each step in the process

• You can buy the full kit, a homeschool sized bundle, and/or even the individual parts

• You can frequently find sales on the kits on the Gander Publishing Website

• Quick shipping

• Gander Publishing does offer some fun themed supplementary materials from time to time for free (see all the free resources here)

Things I Don't Like About Visualizing and Verbalizing (So Far)

Like most things, the Visualizing and Verbalizing kit isn't perfect. There are quite a few things I don't like about the program so far, but the positives definitely outweigh any of the negatives I list below.

1. The Cost of the Program

The Visualizing and Verbalizing kit is expensive and I understand why, but the price point is a huge turn off for a lot of families. Thankfully they do offer a homeschool bundle that is a bit more affordable and they frequently have sales on the kits.

Here's a look at the homeschool bundle (not pictured is one book of stories or the tracking sheet; the colorful squares are not part of the bundle - I made those):

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dyan - Hyperlexia Advocate (@andnextcomesl) on Sep 3, 2019 at 9:29am PDT

The Visualizing and Verbalizing kit is also not easy to find here in Canada, which means exchange rates and potential duty fees have to be factored in when ordering the kit. For reference, I got hit with a duty fee of nearly $80 when the homeschool bundle arrived.

So to summarize...

• The kit is expensive.

• It's even more expensive to attend a specialized center or hire out instruction and implementation of the program.

• If you live in Canada, prepare to be hit by pretty big customs/duty fees.

2. Some of the Stories are Dated & Boring

The kit that we were given includes a book of stories called Imagine That! Stories. The back of the books says, "These true stories about unique people, animals, mysteries, and more are sure to interest students of all ages." But unfortunately, both my son and I found these stories kind of dated and boring. Here's why we disliked them:

• The stories are boring and my son absolutely hates them.

• Some stories seem like they were written in the 70s or something because some of the topics are just plain weird or inappropriate (like the story about a chimpanzee smoking cigarettes).

• The content of the stories don't seem relevant or interesting to a kid in 2019 (he asked me where all the stories were about dinosaurs, planets, and video games).

• There are a lot of stories with an American theme (something a Canadian kid struggles to relate to and understand).

However, the Visualizing and Verbalizing Stories book included in our kit was a much better fit. The stories are more engaging and interesting and my son seems to enjoy these stories instead. So I would just personally skip the Imagine That! Stories books.

Here's a quick summary of this point:

• Some of the stories are in desperate need of some refreshing to make sure they're relevant to kids today.

• Some of the stories are just plain boring and my son hated them.

Some Other Weaknesses

Here are a couple of other things that I don't like about the Visualizing and Verbalizing kit that are worth mentioning:

• No digital version available (and really there's no reason why there shouldn't be)

• Can be hard to determine when to progress to the next step

• Recommended rate of instruction is intense and requires a big time commitment

My Final Thoughts on the Lindamood Bell Visualizing & Verbalizing Kit

Just to reiterate, we are only at the halfway point in the program, but so far, I'm a huge fan of it.

It has been working wonders for my son and we have seen lots of positive changes in the short time that we have been implementing it. He's excited about reading again. He's all of a sudden binge reading books at a rapid pace. And his latest comprehension test at school showed a huge improvement.

So yes, I highly recommend the Visualizing and Verbalizing kit for working on comprehension with hyperlexic kids.

Is it better than other comprehension programs out there? I don't know, but I don't plan on seeking out any alternatives at this point.

Ready to Try the Visualizing and Verbalizing Kit to Improve Language Comprehension?

Major props to you if you read every single word above. I mean that was a pretty in depth review, huh?

But investing in a program like this is a big deal.

You have no idea how long I wondered about purchasing this kit myself...(hint: at least a couple of years). So hopefully my review above helped you make up your mind even just a little bit.

Ready to take the plunge? Click on any of the images or links below to purchase your own copy of the Visualizing and Verbalizing Kit.

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  V & V TEACHER'S MANUAL

• 

  V & V COMPLETE KIT

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  V & V 1-ON-1 BUNDLE

Still unsure? That's okay too. I know it's a big financial and time commitment.

However, I do encourage you to at least take some time to check out the free sample chapter of the teacher's manual. It will give you a better idea of what to expect. You can download the free sample chapter here.

Or you can go through my V/V Program story highlights on my Instagram account to see all the materials, as well as some additional photos and videos of the program in action.

DIY Chewable Zipper Pull

My six year old chews on absolutely everything. 

I repeat everything. 

In addition to doing lots of oral motor activities to provide him with the sensory input that he seeks, he uses a lot of chewable tools and necklaces. However, he has been chewing through the chewable necklaces at such an alarming rate that it was getting expensive. Even the ones described as extra extra tough for the most aggressive chewers couldn't last a week with him. I certainly couldn't be spending nearly $25 every week or two on a new chewable necklace for him.

The other issue that we have been facing with his avid chewing is chipped teeth. He regularly chews on his coat or sweater, specifically around the zipper area. And especially at school during recess. Not only was he wrecking the zipper teeth on his coats, but he chipped his front tooth. Thankfully it's a baby tooth, but still. 

We needed an inexpensive solution immediately.

Then one day his teacher suggested putting something on his zipper for him to chew on.

Wait. Why didn't I think of that?!

That night I tied one of his chewable necklaces to his zipper. I didn't dare cut the string because I still wanted to use the necklace as an actual necklace as well. So it wasn't pretty, but the tangled mess of string and the chew necklace on his zipper did the trick. But considering I couldn't find a reasonably priced chewable zipper pull to purchase that shipped here to Canada, it had to do.

Until he chewed on it so much that the string came untied and he lost the necklace in the snow. Thankfully it was located to avoid the meltdown that inevitably followed him losing it. 

Long story short, it was time to come up with an alternative. I had to make him a DIY chewable zipper pull.

The products featured in this post were sent to us, at my request, from Canadian DIY Supply, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced by the free products.

To solve our problem, I started searching online for silicone bead companies that shipped to Canada when I stumbled upon Canadian DIY Supply. I was instantly impressed with their selection of silicone beads. They literally had every shape, size, and color that I could imagine. It was a bit overwhelming at first. But the pricing was certainly right! I saw right away that I could purchase beads in bulk and it would be cheaper than replacing his chewable necklaces every other week.

Who is Canadian DIY Supply?

When I started reading more about the company, I discovered that one of the moms behind Canadian DIY Supply is also a mom of a child with autism. I just knew they would understand my current dilemma!

I asked Kelly-Ann and Cara to share more about how they started their company:

Kelly-Ann and Cara first began working creatively with silicone products when Cara's twelve month old daughter was diagnosed with autism.  Kelly-Ann has worked for years with children and teenagers who have different needs (FASD, autism, various genetic conditions), so she also quickly recognized the benefit that these products would have for so many of the people with whom she worked.  As sister-in-laws, they began an adventure of creating stylish and functional food grade silicone chewelry for children and teens with special specific sensory needs.  

They were excited when an opportunity arose to start supplying silicone products to customers just like themselves!  They belong to a tight-knit family who fully supported them and encouraged them to pursue their business dream.  They realized that having a DO-IT-YOURSELF avenue for customers was a great way for people to customize and personalize their products for specific needs, and at a much lower price! 

Currently, Cara's daughter, Tessa (2yrs), is in daily, intensive therapy (IBI).  She has made incredible gains since starting therapy, and the whole family loves watching her grow and bloom!  Both Kelly-Ann and Cara are so thankful for the incredible opportunities this business has given them to make a difference in practical ways!

Just look at some of the wonderful beads that they sent me! Gorgeous, right?

One of my favorite pieces that they sent is this black cookie necklace. When I first saw it on their website, I avoided it because in the past, my son just chewed off all of the texturey (yeah I made that word up) bits. But, much to my surprise, it has held up amazing. It is easily one of the top three toughest chewable necklaces that we have come across. So if you have an avid chewer, I highly recommend trying this cookie necklace. PS: Scroll down because I have a coupon code for you to use to save when ordering!

How to Make a DIY Chewable Zipper Pull for Kids

I couldn't make just any ordinary chewable zipper pull. It had to meet certain conditions:

1. It had to be easy to transfer from coat to coat.
2. It couldn't contain any metal pieces. The only chewable zipper pull that I could find to order used a key ring. I knew my son would chew on that, so I vowed to make one without the key ring.
3. The beads had to be replaceable for when (not if) he chews it beyond recognition.
4. It had to be affordable.

It took a few tries, but I finally managed to come up with a beautiful design that met all of the above criteria. And more importantly, it has been holding up to the aggressive chewing!

Here's what you'll need to make a DIY chewable zipper pull:

• Regular cord - I simply reused cords from some of those necklaces that have been destroyed via chewing.
• 1 faceted star silicone bead
• 2 square accent beads

STEP 1: Fold a piece of cord in half. Create a knot about 1.5-2" from the loop in the middle.

STEP 2: Thread beads onto the cord.

STEP 3: Knot the cord multiple times after threading the last bead. It is important to knot multiple times because if you do not, then the cord can be pulled through the bead's holes if there is enough pressure.

To attach the chewable zipper pull to the zipper, take the loop and loop it onto the zipper, threading the entire zipper pull through the looped cord. And that's it!

If you want to swap the beads for new ones, then simply unknot the ends and replace the beads. Or if you want to move the chewable zipper pull to a different coat or sweat, then simply unloop the loop from the zipper.

Save on Silicone Beads with a Coupon Code

I'm blown away by how durable these beads are. They're outperforming even the brand name extra extra tough chewable necklaces, which is fantastic! I want you to experience how wonderful their products are so pop over to Canadian DIY Supply and check out their amazing selection like these really neat alphabet beads (wouldn't they be perfect for hyperlexic kids!). But if your kids are chewing through necklaces and chew toys like my son is, then you definitely want to invest in the bulk beads!

Be sure to use the coupon code SENSORYDIY to save 10% off all orders. 

Please note that all orders on their website are processed in USD.

Other Ideas You'll Love

Bobbing for Stars Sensory Bin

25 Sensory Hacks for Kids

Oral Motor Activities for Kids Who Chew on Everything {Free Printable}

7 Reasons Why Magna-Tiles are a Must-Own Toy! {Kids Holiday Wishlist: Reviewed!}

Last Christmas, Magna-Tiles were on our wish list. I knew they would make a fabulous addition to our light table collection. Then one day, I splurged and we haven't looked back. Since the moment we first opened the box, the kids fell in love with them. Magna-Tiles have since been a favorite toy for both of my boys (and for many of my piano students' siblings!). So here are 7 reasons why we love Magna-Tiles and why I think every kid should own a set. 

This post contains affiliate links. 

7 Reasons Why Magna-Tiles are a Must-Own Toy!

I know I have raved about how much my boys love the Magna-Tiles before, but if you need further convincing why you must own this building set, then here are my top seven reasons why you and your kids need them.

1. Magna-Tiles make a great addition to light table play. 

The clear colors set is ideal for light table play. I mean look...

Ooooh-aaaah! So pretty, right? So whether you have a small light panel, a DIY light box, or a large light table, your kids will definitely enjoy how the Magna-Tiles look when the light shines through. Layer a couple Magna-Tiles and you can explore color mixing too! Don't have a light table? Well, they look fabulous in natural light too!

2. Magna-Tiles are open-ended and versatile. 

The possibilities are endless when it comes to building with Magna-Tiles. From a giant, colorful soccer field for figurines to tin can and Magna-Tiles rockets to houses and 3D shapes, my boys never seem to run out of creative ways to build with them. Recently, three year old K has been building fancy garages out of the Magna-Tiles so that he would have somewhere to park his cars.

3. Magna-Tiles are great for kids of multiple ages. 

My boys are currently three and five and both enjoy building with them. Kids aside, I also enjoy playing with Magna-Tiles. They are just plain fun! I usually set out Magna-Tiles for the boys to play with while I'm teaching piano. Oftentimes, I catch some of the parents and their other children playing with them too. Magna-Tiles are irresistible to little and big hands.

4. Magna-Tiles are super easy to store. 

When we need to store the Magna-Tiles, which is rare, or transport them from room to room, we store our Magna-Tiles in a clear tote. We own the 100 piece set and it all fits in this one bin (pictured below). Since the Magna-Tiles are magnetic, you can stack and store them quite easily. They don't take up much room at all. And please disregard my model's extra dirty clothes...he was coloring furiously with chalk just before I asked him to do some modeling. I may or may not have been fending off an angry three year old as well. Why was he angry, you ask? Because I packed up his Magna-Tiles to transport them upstairs. True story.

5. Magna-Tiles are durable. 

The boys love to build tall towers and destroy them. That means that oftentimes, Magna-Tiles come crashing down onto hard surfaces. Many months in and we've yet to break, scratch, or dent a Magna-Tile. Knock on wood. I hope to keep it that way!

6. There are no tiny pieces. 

My kids like building with blocks and LEGO and such, but they have tiny pieces. Tiny pieces that hurt when you step on them. Tiny pieces that easily get lost. Tiny pieces that easily (and quite accidentally) get eaten (a LEGO eye may have recently been consumed by a child in my house). That is not a problem with Magna-Tiles. They don't hurt to step on, trust me, which also supports reason number five.

7. Magna-Tiles are easy to build with. 

I remember both of my boys being frustrated by certain types of building sets because the pieces wouldn't hold their place or the pieces were difficult to take apart. Since Magna-Tiles are magnetic, the pieces just simply stick together, making them great for little toddler hands or kids with fine motor difficulties. Plus, playing with magnets is just plain old fun!


So now that I have convinced you of their awesomeness, here's where you can purchase them:

Magna-Tiles (Canada)

Magna-Tiles (USA)

Magna-Tiles (UK)

Other Ideas You'll Love

Magna-Tiles Activities for Kids

10 Ways to Play & Learn with Magna-Tiles

Light Table Gift Guide for Kids

This review is part of the Kid's Holiday Wishlist: Reviewed! series. You can read about all the other great products by perusing the full wishlist here.

Building with WEDGiTS Light Table Activity & Mirror Play

Light table activity and mirror play for kids using WEDGiTS building blocks.

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I am always on the lookout for cool toys for our light table. And one toy that I have been eyeing up for quite awhile are these translucent WEDGiTS building blocks. So, of course, I was super excited when I was given the opportunity to review a set of them.

We have been enjoying them for a couple of weeks now. I say "we" because I truly like building with them too!

Both boys have also been engaging in all sorts of imaginative play using them, ranging from building pyramids for camels and bath tubs for rabbits to baking layered cakes and exploring with them on the light table.

Open-ended building, creativity, and light table play?! It doesn't get much better than these WEDGiTS! Let's take a closer look at what they are, why we like them, and some fun ways to use them.

I was provided with a WEDGiTS Deluxe: Translucent Set from ImagAbility in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. (It looks like this particular set is no longer available on Amazon so here's an alternative.)

What are WEDGiTS?

The WEDGiTS Deluxe: Translucent Set comes with thirty pieces in bright colors (blue, green, yellow, red, and white) of various sizes. They stack and they wedge (hence the name). And they can be put together to build all sorts of neat creations!

The set also comes with a booklet of building ideas to get your kids inspired. There are also two clear plastic stands included. They can be used for building with, but are also where you can store all the pieces when not in play. You'll see them in action shortly.

As mentioned earlier, the particular set from ImagAbility you see in this post appears to no longer be available. Here's an alternative set of wedgits building blocks that comes in different colors.

WEDGits Building Blocks on the Light Table

First things first, we had to try the WEDGiTS on the light table. That's the reason why we were given the translucent set in the first place. The colors really pop when on the light table, as you can see.

Remember how I mentioned that the set comes with two clear plastic building stands? Well, my boys love using the stands on and off of the light table. Here they are building a tower in the stand on the light table.

Once the boys played around with and got the hang of how the WEDGiTS could stack, nest, and wedge together, I set out some colorful tube shots to extend their play on the light table. My boys ended up experimenting with the materials to make some pretty neat sculptures.

Building with WEDGiTS Blocks on Mirrors

Obviously, the WEDGiTS look amazing on the light table, just like I hoped. Yet, they're also great for exploring with mirrors and natural light.

My boys found building tall towers with the WEDGiTS on mirrors quite engaging. They'd build a tall tower and examine the reflection in the mirror, which makes the tower look even taller. Here are some photos of their exploration and creations:

WEDGiTS Building Blocks Review

I personally really like these translucent WEDGiTS and so do my boys. Here are a few reasons we've enjoyed playing with them so far:

• Open-ended: They encourage open-ended and imaginative play, off and on the light table. Plus, they come with a book of building ideas to get you started.

• Durable: They have been knocked over so many times and the pieces are still in perfect condition. They are definitely built to last.

• Fairly versatile: You can build so many neat things with them (e.g., their signature frog design that actually "hops"), especially when you combine them with other materials (as shown above).

• Easy storage: Since they are designed to stack and nest, they fit nicely inside the plastic stands and box for easy storage. And it's easy to know if a piece is gone missing or not because of how they all fit together nicely in the box for storage.

• Great for light table play: The translucent pieces look amazing on the light table.

One thing to note, though, is that some of the building techniques (e.g., wedging them together) can be a bit tricky to master at first. However, younger kids can easily (and happily!) stack them until they get the hang of the different building techniques.

What do you think? Will you be giving these WEDGiTS building blocks a try?