Many children have different learning styles, and thus need to be taught differently. Use the following tips to help know which learning style is dominant and how to help that child learn most effectively. Learning this information early on during the school years will be helpful when the child is doing homework as well as studying independently later in life.
Information About the Visual Learner
The visual learner enjoys reading/looking at books and pictures. She will enjoy things being orderly so that she can find things easily. When discussing a book, she can easily find the page being discussed, because she pictures things in her head. She will often be quiet, and will enjoy working on puzzles.
Tips for Teaching the Visual Learner: Clean up and take away visual distractions. Write directions down or giver her one step at a time, since multiple spoken directions will often confuse her. Whenever possible write things down and demonstrate how to do things. Using color to organize information will help her keep things in order and remember information better.
Information About the Auditory Learner
The auditory learner talks a lot! He will enjoy telling jokes and stories, and remembers things that are spoken to him. He can memorize things easily, including all the words to songs that he hears. He may read aloud or whisper read so that he can hear the words.
Tips for Teaching the Auditory Learner: Find him a quiet place to work. He should be encouraged to read and study out loud. Correct spelling of words is most easily taught using the “say-spell-say” method. For example: HOUSE – H-O-U-S-E – HOUSE. Whenever possible, encourage spoken answers to questions instead of written answers. Using a tape recorder may help him take more accurate notes and allow more thorough studying.
Information About the Kinesthetic Learner
The kinesthetic learner enjoys moving and likes to touch everything. She can easily take things apart and put them back together again. She will also be good at sports, and will enjoy activities that allow her to touch and manipulate things. This learning style is also referred to as the tactile learning style.
Tips for Teaching the Kinesthetic Learner: Utilize as many activities as possible that allow for movement while learning. As long as a task is being completed, allow for what may seem like excess movement. This may include standing at the desk or table to do homework, fiddling with a pencil, dancing in her seat, etc.
Use a clock or timer to help cue her to how long any given task should take to keep her focused. Following an active time, have a “calm down” period of time before attempting to move on to another task, and use manipulatives to help teach a concept. A manipulative is anything that a child can touch and move and manipulate, no matter how simple or complex.
Learning styles are simply the way a child learns best. Students will often have a dominant learning style and a secondary learning style although in some rare cases, a child will show equal preference for two learning styles. Learning how to work within each individual learning style will allow students to learn and retain more information.
Teachers may be interested in reading more information on lesson planning including how to write individualized lesson plans and other teaching tips.
Jennifer Wagaman - Jennifer is a mother of 2 and has both public, private and administrative experience in the education field.
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