Give a visual learner time to think before answering a question. Visual learners tend to think in pictures, so just as it takes time for an image to load on a computer, it might take time for a visual learner to picture his answer.
Let a visual learner focus on something other than the teacher's face during a lesson. For some students, looking out the window or doodling is actually their way of focusing their attention, rather than daydreaming, as it may appear to a non-visual learner.
Use whole-word learning when teaching reading. Visual learners sometimes struggle with learning to read with a phonics-based system, because they have difficulty attaching meaning to basic sounds such as ra, na, ga, and so forth. Introduce complete words and allow the visual learner to attach the meaning of the word to its appearance as a whole.
Let students do creative, hands-on work to express what they have learned. Some ideas are illustrating the main events of a story, drawing comic books, compiling scrapbooks (digital or paper) or making Power Point presentations.
Write out key words and phrases as you use them in a lesson. While asking students for answers and during discussions, write their answers on the board so visual learners will be able to see the responses. This technique is also useful when giving a series of instructions -- if there are more than two steps, write them out so visual learners will be able to see and remember them.
Color code calendars, schedules, files, notebooks and other materials. Assign one color to each subject -- for example, green for science, blue for social studies, red for math, and so forth.
Use discovery-based, or inductive, rather than lecture-based instruction. For example, when teaching the digestive system, rather than merely listing its parts and reciting their functions, allow students to examine specimens and illustrations and have them create their own diagrams and models.
Use manipulatives when teaching math. Dice, blocks, play money and Legos are valuable tools that help visual learners understand the relationships between numbers and how they work. When possible, avoid rote memorization and timed tests.