👀 Visual & Diagram Reading
Decode pictures, symbols, and visual clues to find the answer
👀 What is visual reading?
Many Kangaroo problems use pictures, diagrams, or symbol systems instead of (or alongside) words. The key skill is translating the visual into numbers or logic.
Instead of "add 3 and 7", you might see a dot (●) worth 1 and a line (═) worth 5. You decode the symbols, then solve the math.
🔑 Strategy: Decode symbol systems
Example: In a code, a dot means 1 and a line means 5. The number 8 looks like this: ●●●═
- Three dots = 3
- One line = 5
- Total: 3 + 5 = 8 ✓
Now you see this: ●●═══
- Two dots = 2
- Three lines = 15
- Total: 2 + 15 = 17
The steps: First figure out what each symbol is worth. Then count how many of each symbol you see. Then add them up.
🔍 Strategy: Read diagrams carefully
When you see a picture with overlapping circles, shapes, or regions, the trick is to be systematic.
Example: A picture shows two overlapping circles. How many separate regions are there?
- Left circle only (not in right) = 1 region
- Right circle only (not in left) = 1 region
- Where they overlap = 1 region
- Outside both circles = 1 region (but usually we count only inside)
So two circles create 3 regions (left, middle, right).
Three circles create at most 7 regions: 3 outer crescents, 3 overlapping pairs, and 1 centre where all three meet.
🔄 Strategy: Before and after
Some problems show a transformation — a fold, a cut, a rotation, a reflection. You must think about what changes and what stays the same.
Example — folding: You fold a square piece of paper in half. Then you cut off a corner. When you unfold, how many holes appear?
- You fold once → now you have 2 layers
- You cut 1 corner → but it goes through both layers
- Unfold → you see 2 holes (one on each layer)
Example — reflection: A mirror is placed on the right side of the letter 'b'. What does the reflection look like? The mirror flips left-right, so 'b' becomes 'd'.