Raising Topsy-Turvy Kids: Successfully Parenting Your Visual-Spatial Child [Paperback]

Alexandra Shires Golon (Author), Linda Silverman (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 124 pages
• Publisher: Deleon Pub Inc (November 18, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932186085
• ISBN-13: 978-1932186086
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #351,473 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alexandra "Allie" Golon, M.B.A., is a former Gifted & Talented teacher and parent to two visual-spatial learners. Allie helped found the Visual-Spatial Resource serving as its original director, and now directs Visual-Learners.com. She brings a wealth of experience to her books, Raising Topsy-Turvy Kids, If You Could See the Way I Think, and The Visual-Spatial Classroom. Her latest release, Visual-Spatial Learners: Differentiation Strategies for Creating a Successful Classroom is a rich source of classroom strategies that will help every student succeed, regardless of preferred learning style. Allie has been invited to present on teaching and parenting visual-spatial learners at state, national and international venues. She has appeared on talk radio programs and in various print media and her articles can be found in a variety of journals and magazines.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best resources for parents of VSLs!!!, November 3, 2005

By 

mom who knows (crystal Lake, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Raising Topsy-Turvy Kids: Successfully Parenting Your Visual-Spatial Child (Paperback)

This book is an incredible resource. Some of the things the previous reviewer pointed out as negatives, I find to be quite positive. Yes, Allie Golon does tell stories about her kids, she does tell stories about other VSLs, and she does provide her own personal insight - exactly what I was looking for!! As a parent who has done countless hours of research (and could probably research for the rest of my life) it is so refreshing to find a book that tells things from the perspective of someone "who's been there". As a mom, I appreciate the personality of this book. I've read about the studies and the science and the research and the experts. This book does not shy away from the research, but it also provides real-life tools from a real-life expert! This book is a wonderful companion to Dr. Silverman's book, Upside-Down Brilliance. I was also thrilled to discover Allie Golon's new book, If You Could See the Way I Think. I got it for my daughter and it is so wonderful for her to see that she is understood. It is directed to kids and provides them with tools for life - everything from spelling helps to organizational skills to self-advocacy. Check out Dr. Silverman's website, visualspatial.org and purchase all 3 books! Your eyes will be opened and you'll be thankful!!

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How do you know, and what should you do!, February 23, 2005

By 

Carolyn K. "Mrs. Hoagie" (Hoagies' Gifted Education Page) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Raising Topsy-Turvy Kids: Successfully Parenting Your Visual-Spatial Child (Paperback)

If you're the parent of a visual-spatial child, this book is for you. If you don't know what type of child you have, this book can tell you if you child is visual-spatial... and if you are. Do you remember in pictures? Does your child learn better hands-on, or by taking notes in charts and colors? If so, you've got a visual-spatial child.

Now what? Allie gives suggests for parneting and educating this wonderful, but unique, kids. Does your child's room look like a bomb hit, but she knows exactly where everything is?

How do can you help your child through those elementary years and beyond? Allie offers help, and hope, for parents of visual-spatial kids.

And while you're reading, do you find that struggle with a visual-spatial spouse... or self? Raising Topsy-Turvy Kids brings insight to the rest of the family, too.

If you've got a gifted child who seems to learn differently than the school is teaching, you need this book!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The book Linda Silverman wanted to write, November 18, 2005

By 

Pat Rowbotham (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Raising Topsy-Turvy Kids: Successfully Parenting Your Visual-Spatial Child (Paperback)

If your child has horrible handwriting, hates to write, appears disorganized, has a messy room (but still can find things when he needs to), loves LEGO's, or loses track of time, this is the book for you.

Alexandra Golon has been influenced by the work of Silverman, and has developed specific techniques in dealing with her own VSL children. She also includes ideas that other parents of VSL's have shared. One suggestion is that, since VSL's think in pictures, not words, post a picture of a chore (such as feeding the dog) because the child will remember the chore better with the picture than with words.

Based on over 20 years of research, Silverman believes that appoximately 60% of all students (not just gifted) have strong VSL tendencies. Many dyslexic children and children in special education classes are VSL's. VSL's often have had numerous ear infections during early childhood.

Golon reognizes the problems her children experience because of their learning style differences and wants to help other parents and teachers of children with similar problems. Since her experience is with her own children, she refers to them in this book. She works closely with Silverman and is very knowledgeable about the theory behind her techniques. Silverman originally intended to write UpsideDown Brilliance as a book listing VSL techniques (rather that the research and theory behind it), so this is the book she says she wanted to write.

This is a must read for all teachers and for parents of children with school problems. It is easy to read, with illustrations that visually describe the situation described.

I constantly recommend it to parents and teachers and am donating copies of it to several libraries so that more people can be helped by the VSL concept and some specific ways to help VSL learners.