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Discovering Your Child's Preferred
Learning Style
You can help your child learn
by discovering and working with your child's preferred learning
style.
What are Learning Styles?
Every child is born ready to learn. Yet children (and
adults) generally have a preferred style in which they
learn best. A child might learn through a combination of
styles, but usually there is one learning style he or she
favors over the others.
For example:
- You may be able to spell by visualizing a word, but
your child may not be able to memorize him or her
spelling words unless he or she writes them down
first.
- Your child's incessant pencil tapping may actually
help her or him stay on task.
There is no right or wrong learning style. Your primary
learning style may be different from your child's. To work
effectively with your child, you need to understand both
your own learning style and your child's.
When you identify how your child learns best, you can
help your child have more positive learning
experiences.
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The Most Common Learning Styles
The three most common learning styles are:
- Visual
- Auditory
- Physical (Kinesthetic)
Visual Learners learn by watching. They
use images to remember, creating a picture in their heads.
To learn spelling, for example, they may picture the way a
word looks.
Visual learners may also:
- Enjoy art and drawing
- Read maps, charts and diagrams well
- Like mazes and puzzles
Teaching methods for visual learners include:
- Making flash cards for key information
- Drawing symbols or pictures
- Visually highlighting key words and pictures
- Making charts to organize information
- Translating words and ideas into symbols, pictures
and diagrams
- Using to-do lists, assignment logs and written
notes (also benefits physical learners)
Auditory learners benefit from
traditional teaching techniques. They learn well when
directions are read aloud or information is presented and
requested verbally. They remember facts when presented in
a poem, song or melody.
Auditory learners also like:
- To tell stories and jokes
- To play word games
- To use tape recorders
Teaching methods for auditory learners include:
- Reading out loud together
- Encouraging them to read out loud when they study,
so they can "hear" the instruction
- Studying with a partner, so they can talk out the
solutions to problems
- Writing out a sequence of steps to solve a problem,
then reading the steps out loud
Physical learners learn best through
movement and physical manipulation. They like to find out
how things work and want to touch, feel and experience what
they are being asked to learn. Most kindergartners are
physical learners, but by second or third grade their
learning styles may change to visual or auditory. However,
half of all students in high school and beyond remain
physical learners.
Physical learners may also:
- Need to manipulate, handle and try things out
- Have a short attention span
- Need to be moving to learn
- Show you things rather than telling you about
them
Teaching methods for physical learners include:
- Letting them participate in science or math
laboratories
- Creating and participating in dramatic
productions
- Going on field trips
- Creating and performing skits and dances
- Encouraging them to take notes and draw
diagrams
- Having them make models.
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How to Discover Your Child's Learning Style
You can discover your child's learning style by watching
how your child tackles new tasks and interacts with her or
his world.
The visual learner:
- Notices details
- Is aware of similarities and differences
- Often has good eye-hand coordination
- May be quiet and deliberate
- May have a vivid imagination
- May have trouble remembering verbal directions and
messages
The auditory learner:
- Talks to him or herself
- Hums and asks lots of questions
- May want to make a lot of noise if it is too
quiet
- May be distracted by having too many sounds at one
time
- Is very social and loves to talk about what he or
she is doing
The physical learner:
- Seems to be in constant motion
- Needs to handle and try things out to understand
them
- May actually need to be moving to learn
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How Understanding Learning Styles Helps Your Child
If a subject in school is not taught using your child's
preferred learning style, he or she may struggle to
understand it. You can help your child grasp difficult
material by practicing at home using your child's best
learning style.
You may also be able to talk with your child's teacher
about how your child learns best. This can help both your
own and other children in the class. In the past, most
instruction was delivered verbally (although only about 10
percent of secondary school students are auditory
learners).
Many teachers are now aware of the need to deliver
instruction in ways that accommodate all learning
styles.
Understanding your child's learning style also helps
you:
- Keep expectations realistic
- Help your child at home
- Become an advocate for your child at school
- Teach your child coping skills for situations that
are not geared to his or her learning style
- Prevent your child from feeling frustrated when he or she is not doing work that is up to his or he potential
- Experiment with different learning styles and
environments to improve your child's accomplishments
and feelings of achievement
It is important to avoid negative labels for learners.
All children are born ready to learn.
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For More Information:
- Index
of Learning Styles (North Carolina State University)
- What's
Your Child's Learning Style? (Parent Center.com) l
- Learning
Styles Online
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