Children have different learning styles. They respond to different learning tactics. That’s why parents learn early on not to compare one child to the other.
If your children are slow learners, they may be finding it difficult to understand the learning style you might currently be using.
What Are Learning Styles?
Learning styles are the most common way to describe the ways in which children learn. They were created when researchers were investigating how different kinds of learners respond to different kinds of teaching methods.
The VARK model of learning styles suggests that there are four main types of learners: visual, auditory, reading/writing and kinesthetic. Learning styles are important because they help us know what kinds of environments will help us learn better.
Being aware of the different learning styles is a huge help, then. Your research will tell you which learning style you can practice, and which might be a better fit for your child.
Here’s a look at the eight styles. More information about each one can help you identify the best approach to take with your kids.
What are the Different Types of Learning Styles?
There are many different types of learning styles but the most common 4 learning styles are Kinesthetic, Visual, Auditory and Reading and Writing Learning Style.
1. Kinesthetic Learning Style
Children who appreciate this learning style process knowledge through physical sensations. They are highly active and not able to sit in one place for too long.
If your child seems to have a ton of energy, then they might be receptive to kinesthetic learning. These children are more likely to communicate using body language as well as gestures.
Children under this learning style will show you in action instead of telling you in words, how well they have absorbed the learning process.
How to Support Kinesthetic Learners?
To motivate them to study harder with kinesthetic learning, you should encourage movement to enable your child to focus better.
Chewing gum might help or allow them to doodle or fiddle with something like beads. Hands-on activities, experiments, art projects, and even nature walks will make your children learn and focus better.
2. Visual Learning Style
Do your children understand the lesson more when they have visual aids? Do they need to see the information written down on paper? Can they remember pictures on a page with ease?
If this is the case, your children are visual learners. Children who respond to visual learning enjoy art and drawing and will find charts, maps, and diagrams fascinating as they can read, understand, and use them efficiently.
They also tend to like playing with Lego and other construction toys, and completing jigsaw puzzles is a fun activity for them.
How to Support Visual Learners?
If you want to encourage your children further, provide them with board games and memory games that create visual patterns.
If you read to them before you tuck them into bed, suggest visual clues when reading the story. They’ll enjoy those sessions all the more.
Additionally, you can teach them mind-mapping techniques when they get older to help them learn and retain complex information for when they start primary school at one of the best international schools in Singapore.
Playing videos will also help them retain information when they study.
3. Auditory Learning Style
Auditory Learners are children who think in words. They need to talk about concepts to understand them better.
They spell words accurately and easily while other children in their age category struggle with learning.
They also hear the sounds, so they learn the language phonetically, marking a contrast with other children who learn from ‘look and say’ techniques.
These children are auditory learners. They have an excellent memory for names, dates, and trivia. They excel in word games and are wonderful readers.
Using tape recorders is fun for them, and they are often musically talented.
How to Support Auditory Learners?
If your children are auditory learners, encourage them to create their word problems. For activities, tell them a story and then ask them to do the same.
These activities will help them practice their speaking skills. Get them audiobooks, too. That will improve their learning process.
Listening to lectures on their phones or laptops will be good for the memory skills of older children. When they review for an exam, review materials in audiobook format will help them.
4. Reading and Writing Learning Style
Reading and writing are great ways to learn because they’re very concrete, children are absorbing information that has been written down clearly and specifically and then again writing it back down.
This keeps the information clear and orderly and can be easily referred to it later. Children with a reading and writing learning style tend to enjoy reading books and newspapers, taking notes, and writing papers.
How to Support Reading and Writing Learners?
If your child reads or writes something in order to learn it well, then this can be their learning style. To encourage them, give them books as presents, go to libraries together, encourage them to read every day, etc.
Also, encourage your child to write stories of their own.
5. Logical Learning Style
If your children think conceptually, enjoy exploring patterns and relationships, or take pleasure from working on puzzles and seeing how things work, you have logical learners on your hands. These children regularly ask questions and wonder about the world.
Routine and consistency appeal to them and make them long-term planners. They tend to plan for events in advance.
Mental arithmetic is easy for them, and they are capable of understanding highly abstract forms of logical thinking. Their idea of fun is a good strategy game, but they also enjoy playing on computers or performing experiments.
They usually have end goals to aim for and love building things with Lego or blocks.
How to Support Logical Learners?
To encourage your children and their learning process:
● Do science experiments with them.
● Record the results so they’ll get into the habit of taking down detailed notes.
● Let them try computer-learning games and introduce rhyming books along with non-fiction titles to them.
6. Solitary or Intrapersonal Learning Style
Some children prefer to study alone, and they are called solitary or intrapersonal learners. They retain more information through this method. They’re also mostly independent and disciplined.
If your children often prefer being away from the crowd and are happy when they’re on their own or with a small group of friends, then they are solitary learners.
Admittedly, though, traditional classroom curriculums and activities that measure intelligence usually favour social learners. Moreover, the shift to e-learning has made it possible for solitary learners to shine and show what they’ve got.
Being at home has done wonders for their self-esteem and has given them more leeway and freedom.
How to Support Intrapersonal or Solitary Learners?
If your children are solitary learners, encourage them by enrolling in classes that they can take online, which will further improve their knowledge in an area or field of study they’re interested in. Their disciplined nature will make it easy for them to thrive in these learning conditions.
7. Social or Interpersonal Learning Style
These are children who learn and work best when they are in a group or working with others. These children demonstrate excellent communication skills and are well equipped to collaborate with others.
Whether they’re brainstorming or sharing ideas and concepts, these children shine in social settings.
How to Support Interpersonal or Social Learners?
1. Create opportunities for children to work together on projects and group activities.
2. Organize group discussions about topics that interest them.
3. Encourage children to write about their own experiences related to the topic being discussed.
Also Read: 10 Life Skills to Teach Your Child at An Early Age
8. Combination of Learning Styles
If you notice that your children respond to more than one learning style, it means that your children would learn exceptionally well if you use a combination of different learning styles to teach them. That’s true for many children.
Since they respond to more than one learning style, your children have many options in terms of learning, understanding, and retaining information. Typically, though, children have one learning style that works most effectively for them.
They generally respond to a particular learning style more than others.
How to Support Children with More Than One Learning Style?
Find out what that style is by trying out different activities from other types of learning.
For example: To identify a visual learner, one of the best ways to identify is through photo essays (photo essays are simply sequences of photos), for kinesthetic learners, one of the best ways to identify is through charades (a classic game best suited to action verbs and sports).
After keeping track of each activity from different types of learning styles, find out the most suited one for your child and encourage them the consistent usage of that style to keep your children focused.
How Does Learning Style Affect Learning?
Every child is different. The way one learns might not be right for another. Children have different learning styles and it affects the way they learn. Children who possess the same IQ can deliver different learning outcomes due to their different learning styles.
By understanding their learning style and learning how to use their strengths, they can become better learners and their learning will become more efficient and effective.
Why is it Important for Teachers to Know Learning Styles?
Knowing the learning style of each student will help teachers better understand how best to teach them. This will make their lessons more effective and engaging for all students, including those whose learning styles may be different from theirs.
It can also help teachers to create an environment where students feel comfortable asking questions, making mistakes and trying new things without fear of judgment from their peers or from teachers.
Talk to Their Teachers
Don’t forget to set up a meeting with your children’s teachers. Doing so will tell you more about your children than anything else. You can ask important questions to the teachers like:
● How are your children doing in school?
● What are their strengths and weaknesses, according to their teachers?
● What activities take them the most time?
● Which activities are they excelling in the most?
Asking these questions will give you an insight into what learning approach to adopt for your children at home. Moreover, you also get the opportunity to learn if something is bothering your children.
A good teacher will let you know if there’s something you need to be worried about. In other words, interacting with teachers will help you tackle these concerns early on.
Use these tips to find out how to help your kids. Know the learning style that works for them.
Team GIIS
Team GIIS is a group of enthusiastic writers who bring the vibrant world of GIIS Singapore to life through engaging blog posts. Dedicated to highlighting the school’s teaching methodology, innovative learning environment, and diverse curriculum options like IB, Cambridge and CBSE, they aim to connect with parents, educators and students, sharing insights and stories that inspire and inform the school community.
