Jo Boeler, a Stanford Professor of Mathematics Education, writes in her

article, Visual Math Improves Math Performance.

People who learned math the traditional way often push back against
visual representations of math. That kind of thinking represents a deep
misunderstanding of how the brain works. When you think visually
about anything, different brain pathways light up than when we think
numerically, Boaler said. The more brain pathways a student engages
on the same problem, the stronger the learning.

Each of these visuals highlights the mathematics inside the problem

and helps students develop understanding of multiplication. Pictures
help students see mathematical ideas, which aids understanding.
Visual mathematics also facilitates higher-level thinking, enables
communication and helps people see the creativity in mathematics.