We all can agree, and clearly understand, that God has created each of us as individuals. Even members of the same family are unique. We have different personalities and different preferences. When it comes to learning, the term, “learning styles,” simply refers to the way a person prefers to absorb, process and assimilate information.
This is a unique process for each person as we all learn differently. There are clearly laid out, “styles,” in which most children learn information. Often, people have a mix of learning styles that they can absorb information from, but there is almost always a very dominant style that works the best. This is a very important concept for parents to understand, as we spend our entire lives teaching our children from potty training to self-care, reading to domestic skills, we are teachers.
To break it down to the most basic, there are 4 learning styles that our children fall into with one being the dominant way they learn the best.
Auditory Learners
Auditory learners process information through hearing it. These children do very well listening to instructions and being able to recite it aloud for memory’s sake. These children do well with learning songs (like times tables, 50 states, English rules, etc. )
*Your auditory child would do very well to restate things to you, to list things for you, and to formulate catchy phrases for remembering things. You can help them by giving them tests verbally and having them recite the answers rather than writing them down.
Visual Learners
Visual learners, like the definition explains, prefer to see things. They like to relate items through relationships such as teaching shapes by flashcards.
*Your visual child would do very well to draw pictures of things they are learning, create poster boards of ideas and memorize spelling words through the use of flashcards. You can help your visual learner by teaching them how to color code things, draw new concepts out and associate new ideas with pictures.
Reading/Writing Learners
The title gives it away; these are learners who do well to read and write out the answers in chapter summaries.
*Your reading/writing child does well with worksheets and test taking through multiple choice. You can help your reading/writing learner through asking for repetition, writing out spelling words multiple times, not giving oral tests, and practicing penmanship.
Kinesthetic Learners
Kinesthetic learners have to do what they learn. They physically need to move or touch things as they go. Teaching a kinesthetic learner in the kitchen would require allowing them to do what you are doing.
*Your kinesthetic child does well with hands-on projects, building dioramas, playing with circuits, using math manipulatives. This type of learner can be hard for parents because to help them; you often have to let them move. What are some ways to help this child focus? Allow them to sit on a ball instead of a chair or to stand instead of sit. They can even fidget while reading.
Our children are all so unique, but learning how they learn best is a tremendous step toward knowing how to help them in all subjects best.
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You are so right! I always have to remind myself that my children learn differently.
Your Turn it Up Tuesday Cohost!
I have to remind myself, too. I can remind others, and I can write about it, but I still have to remind myself.
I had no clue what ‘Learning Styles’ were or what they meant when we began our homeschooling journey. My Mother’s Intuition must have kicked in right off the bat, because we saw clearly that our children did not all learn the same way. Makes a lot of sense, when we all know that each of us is a unique individual. Funny how we tried to squeeze our educating styles into one particular model.
Thanks for sharing this week at our Encouraging Hearts & Home Blog Hop!
I know! Knowing my children learned differently was a big inspiration for us to homeschool. Thanks for visiting.