November 2006 Useful Information
Learning Styles
Did you know that there is not just one way to learn? Each person has a unique combination of styles through which learning happens most easily. These styles may change over time, especially during childhood and adolescence.
The three most commonly identified learning styles are described below:
Visual Learners: Information is best absorbed when the learner can see the teacher and/or can see the concepts via diagrams, photographs, demonstrations, and the written word. Visual learners often retain information better when they take detailed notes. They may be distracted by nearby movement and moving images such as television.
Auditory Learners: Information is best absorbed when the learner can hear the words of instruction spoken. Printed text may have much less value or may be difficult to understand at all until the text is read aloud. Information may be retained better when the student reads the text and notes aloud and may be aided by tape recordings of lectures. They may be distracted by nearby sounds and talking.
Kinesthetic Learners: Information is best absorbed when the learner can touch, handle, or act out the lesson materials. This may be accompanied by restlessness when unable to move, touch, or interact physically with materials. Distractions include activities going on nearby and access to games or toys. Younger learners tend to be kinesthetic learners more than visual or auditory.
Which is best? No one way to learn is best. Some topics may be better understood by people with certain learning styles. For example, music theory may be more easily understood by an auditory learner while musical performance may be easier for a kinesthetic learner.
How to determine the learning style for you or your child: There are tests which can identify learning styles, but closer observation of yourself or your child can give important clues. Visual learners will be more interested in images and may lose focus when listening to a lecture. Kinesthetic learners get fidgety when unable to move freely. Pay attention to the way questions are asked. An auditory learner may ask, “Can I hear that explanation again?” while a visual learner may ask “Can I see that again?”
Teaching tips: A good classroom teacher will attempt to provide learning experiences that help each learning style. An explanation should be spoken, written out, and demonstrated, whenever possible. Tutors should learn their pupil’s preferred learning style and suggest ways to use that style when learning. For example, in the movie Akeelah and the Bee, Akeelah’s mentor suggests she spell out words while jumping rope. In the competition, she spells out a difficult word by pretending she is jumping rope and gets the word right.
For more information on learning styles, see www.ldpride.net/learningstyles.MI.htm
For more information on Akeelah and the Bee, see www.akeelahandthebee.com/