Have you ever wondered how your child learns best? After I had a second and third child I realized each child is very different. They differ in personality, taste, interests and how they learn. I decided to research learning styles because the new school year is starting in a few weeks and due to the recent pandemic I will be shouldering most of the leaning process. So now I will share all that I learned.
There are 4 main learning styles: Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic. We can learn with all styles of learning but one style will be easier to pick up information and retain it.
When you start to consider your child’s learning style and then tailor lessons or school work to that style you will see your child really enjoying learning and retaining knowledge. As you read about the four styles think of your child and yourself and see how you each learn best.
Visual Learning
A visual learner is someone who needs to see everything written or drawn out. They will gain more from reading the book themselves than listening to a story or audio book. When a teacher writes out key phrases or draws diagrams on a board they will retain that information much better. They really need to see it to comprehend it.
Visual learners enjoy at arts and craft activities and like to look at illustrations in books. They will be good at recognizing faces and recalling people and places they have seen or been to. Visual learners will be very interested in exploring outside or playing with the toys around them. When given a task to complete they will preform better if they are given an example or shown how to do the task first. They need to walk through the process and see it done properly to visualize how it is done.
To help visual learners when it comes to school work crate flash cards when possible. Use different color pens when taking notes and possibly highlight different portions in colors. Create charts and diagrams when possible studying. When we practice math problems we use a scratch paper to draw out the problem or use our hands to count.
Personally I am a visual leaner. In a lecture type class I would often take word for word notes from a teachers lecture and highlight anything that was written on the board. When it came time to studying I would re-read my notes and focus on items written on the board. As I would test I could visually recall my notes and find correct answers in my mind. I have a strong hunch my daughter is the same. She likes to see an example and do her best to re-create the task as close to the example as possible. I am interested to see how this develops over the next school year.
Auditory Learners
Auditory learners prefer listening over reading and seeing things visually. They tend to repeat things to hear them out loud and retain the knowledge better. When it comes to learning they may benefit by speaking about it with someone because the conversation will be more memorable than reading it would have been. These are the people who need to talk out a problem to process it.
People who are auditory learners are good with auditory activities such as music or singing. If they tend to sing or hum or talk while playing or doing school work they are most likely auditory. If they do well with verbal instructions and want to hear all the instructions or plans before starting they may be an auditory learner. Frequent questions while working on tasks and activities is normal as well as having one conversations about the subject.
To help auditory learners study and retain information make up songs and stories and rhymes that go along with the material. When we practice sight words sometimes we try to make a saying using the word. When your child is struggling in a topic or with a problem talk through it and see where they are getting stuck. Read notes or stories out loud so they can hear them and retain the information that way.
Our oldest fits into this category. She would much rather watch a movie or listen to a song than read a book. She is a huge fan of crime shows and documentaries because she can gain the knowledge in her learning style. She also is a great singer and loves anything musical.
Reading andWriting Learners
Reading and writing learners learn best with written word. They prefer reading so they can process it, rephrase it and shorten. Think reading and learning from a text book. Those friends who read a book and retain everything from it.
Children who love to take notes when learning or doing a task are reading and writing learners. They enjoy reading and writing books and stories. They have great reading comprehension and can remember what was read for a longer time. They work well in a quiet environment and often time better alone.
To help a reading and writing learner encourage them to write out their notes by hand, even re-writing them while studying will help. Encourage them to make pro/ con lists, check lists and create their own study guides as they get older. They may also really love few good notebooks to keep track of all their work.
My husband is a reading and writing learner. He loves to have a real book in his hands, not a digital version. He also will write out notes as he reads and then later categorize all his notes in conjunction with his book. This process helps him digest the information. He carries a mini journal around in his pocket so he can take notes when needed and works with a few larger notebooks when studying or working.
Kinesthetic Learners
Kinesthetic learners are our hands-on people. They learn the best when they can manipulate objects and get their hands dirty. If they are asked to sit for a long period of time they can get fidgety and distracted. Being physically involved in an activity will help them retain information longer. They remember doing an action more than hearing or reading something.
A kinesthetic learner is excellent at sports and movement activities. They have a hard time sitting still in classrooms and look forward to recess. They enjoy learning activities that are active like games, drawing and creating things. They prefer to jump into a task or activity and figure it out as they go and are not as interested in the rules before getting started.
To help a kinesthetic learner study create practice tests. They will like the mock test more than reviewing old notes. Turn studying and learning into a fun game as often as possible and break it up with active breaks. Try giving them something to do with their hands while studying and learning like a squishy animal or fidget spinner.
My son is a kinesthetic learner and loves any activity I can give him where he builds or uses his hands. He likes the idea of workbooks or coloring pages (maybe because sister likes them) but often looses interest after a few minutes. But if we are active he can play and learn for a while.
Out of these four learning styles which do you think is most like your child? Hopefully after you identify their learning style you can adapt lessons and activities to suit their best needs. I find it interesting that we can learn in all four but one will stand out as the most fun, more most helpful. My son and daughter will be home schooling some of the year this year due to school closures and now that I know the styles they prefer I hope we can have a great start to the year.
How do Babies Learn?
Babies do not necessarily have a learning style yet. They are in explorer mode at all time and are trying to figure out the world with their body. Early on they use their mouths, hands and feet to explore anything in reach. As they begin to reach and grab they explore toys and objects and can pull the objects towards them. When babies learn to crawl and then walk more of the world is open to being explored. I love this exploration stage, every little thing must be so exciting to a baby who has never experienced it before.
How do Toddlers Learn?
Toddlers learn from thier environment as well but they have mobility and can interact with objects and people.
Toddlers learn to talk by mimicking you. As they grow and you talk and sing to them they pick up inflections in your voice and words that are said often. Take turns talking to teach them conversation and use words like “please” and “thank you” to teach them manners. We listen to music often and my son (just turned 2) loves to sing and hum. He picks up songs pretty quickly and we catch him singing them through the day. I am betting he will be an auditory learner when he starts school.
Toddlers learn about relationships through family and loves ones around them. They learn how to behave while playing, how to treat others and be treated through play and observation. The more time family spends playing with little ones the more practice they will have socializing and being friendly.
Practice and good role modeling is key to a toddlers development. They are also really fun to play with. So good luck!