AD| Understanding Your Child’s Learning Style
If you understand the way in which your child processes the information they are exposed to, you will find ways to become a better teacher and harness their greatest strengths. I have teamed up with a senior school in Hertfordshire to provide some information on the three main learning styles, to help you identify your child’s unique way of learning.
The three main learning styles that stand out to educational professionals are visual learners, kinaesthetic learners, and auditory learners. The relate to the different senses your child engages the most when dealing with information. If you can identify which one is most applicable to your child, you will be able to provide them with the right materials and equipment so that they make best use of their learning time.
Visual learners, as the name suggests, are those who absorb information based on what they can see. When studying, they enjoy using lots of coloured pens and highlighters and find it easier to process knowledge through graphs, diagrams and images in general. They may also like to read books, rather than listen to information. If your child is a visual leaner, it’s unlikely that they’ll respond well to verbal instructions, so try to use visual pointers when explaining things to them.
Kinaesthetic leaners are more engaged when they are involved in hands-on activities. They might find it difficult to sit still quietly for long periods of time because they prefer to touch and feel things. These types of learners enjoy subjects like drama, art, and sport, or taking part in science experiments. They may also use hand gestures when explaining things.
Finally, auditory learners ware those who are better at processing information that they’ve heard, as opposed to what they’ve read. They might be drawn to audio books and podcasts and they often read aloud as a way to help them absorb information. If your son or daughter is an auditory learner, you’d be better off helping explain things to them verbally rather than writing things down or referring to written extracts of information.
