Like drawing, reading, and math, visual literacy is a developmental process in children. It appears that the same progression occurs in adults who have no prior experience with print-based material. This paper traces the gaps around linking visual two- and three-dimensional representations to the people, objects, and concepts they represent through the growth and development of ten pre-literate elder Liberian adult refugees in a small faith-based community literacy program. It also explores the implications of this developmental process in the education of low-literate learners.