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Take a multi-faceted approach to appeal to all learning preferences.
Author
Taylor Hartley
Expert Reviewer
Jill Padfield
Published: August 24, 2023
Author
Taylor Hartley
Expert Reviewer
Jill Padfield
Published: August 24, 2023
Take a multi-faceted approach to appeal to all learning preferences.
Author
Taylor Hartley
Expert Reviewer
Jill Padfield
Published: August 24, 2023
Key takeaways
A few decades ago, learning styles were the hot topic in the education world. People believed that if you could simply figure out the specific way an individual child’s mind wanted to absorb information, whether through visual, auditory, or kinesthetic means, they would be able to teach that student anything. However, while some people do prefer visual aids or working hands-on with a topic, the theory of learning styles turned out to be far less effective than researchers, teachers, and parents originally had hoped.
However, even though the test score boosting goals of learning styles have been debunked, learning what each style offers can help parents develop activities and strategies that combine these concepts to create engaging and varied learning experiences. A successful at-home approach will find a balance between all of these learning styles.
Verbal learners are drawn to the power of words, and, despite the name, verbal learners like language both spoken and written. When given the option, these learners would rather just read over directions or listen to someone explain a task, and usually that is enough to get the concept in question to click.
Even if your child is not immediately drawn to this kind of instruction, practice with this kind of information is vital. Most interactions between people, whether that be school, social, or workplace, relay information verbally. A quick question in the hallway or an email explaining the latest assignment all require your child to process verbally.
If you have a particularly active child, whether that be in the form of sports, theater, or simply jumping around, you may have the makings of a kinesthetic learner. This learning style focuses on using action and hands-on learning to help information stick in the minds of students who may not respond as well to more traditional verbal learning.
Studies have shown that creating models, acting out scenes, and working with manipulatives all help students visualize abstract concepts and can be a much more engaging way of teaching challenging concepts.
For those kids who don’t respond well to written or spoken words, a more visual approach might be beneficial. Visual learning involves incorporating visual aids like pictures, diagrams, and videos to help illustrate points and help forge associations in the minds of young learners.
Everyone benefits from visual aids, though, so any good lesson or learning aid can include drawings or pictures to help the information stick. Learners can also create images of their own as they learn new vocab words or figure out math problems.
Aural learning functions as something of an extension of the verbal learning style with a particular focus on the spoken word. An auditory preference refers to learners who would rather hear directions and listen for vocal cues than rely on written instructions or visual aids. An aural learner may also gravitate towards performance-based activities like theater or public speaking. They may also express a keen ear for music.
When learning a new language, aural learning is particularly important since so much of the way we engage with language is through spoken words. As part of appealing to aural learners in both a new language context or in other areas of study, a special focus on clear communication is necessary.
Through deliberate logical steps and reasoning, logical learners understand the world broken up into units or pieces of a larger machine. These learners can more easily think systematically and organize complex concepts into step-by-step guides. They also respond better to instructions that explain the logic behind each step rather than simply stating what is to be done.
This learning style is vital to develop as students embark on more and more complicated tasks that require critical thinking skills. Multi-step math problems and analysis tasks in language classes require that students understand how to dissect a problem step-by-step.
More out-going and sociable students likely already love working in groups and thrive in collaborative environments. As you would expect, these learners embody the interpersonal learning style and work best when they are able to put their head together with another person. These learners do not simply follow along with the group, though. They seek to contribute meaningfully to discussions and even step into leadership roles as the group seeks to complete tasks.
The ability to work with others is wildly important for the real world, and working in groups in general is beneficial for all sorts of developmental and social well-being reasons. Even students who often prefer to work alone should be encouraged to engage in interpersonal learning.
On the other hand, solitary learners prefer a quieter, more isolated approach to learning. These students prefer the simplicity of working by themselves and often demonstrate a higher level of independence than their peers. They may, however, still find working with a consistent partner or trusted adult to be palatable and constructive.
Just as your child will need to learn to work with others as they grow, they will need to be able to work alone, as well. These moments of working alone allow for introspection and develop independence for young learners. A more solitary approach can also remove the potentially distracting elements of interpersonal activities.
Recent research into learning styles has found that focusing instruction and review on one particular style is ineffective or even detrimental at times. However, that does not mean that you cannot approach the learning styles as learning abilities and preferences instead. All learners can benefit from lessons and tutoring that engage all of the learning styles and help kids hone their skills processing information and encourage completing tasks in many different ways.
Out in the “real world,” people have to be able to absorb and process information from many different sources and in many different forms, so when you are looking to prepare your child for their future, you should look at how all the learning styles can be engaged as you review school work and practice skills.
If you are still interested in identifying your child’s learning style based on the old research, you can look for questionnaires online that follow the VARK (visual, aural, read/write, kinesthetic) model. Your child will respond to a few different scenarios and pick answer choices that best align with how they would prefer to receive or give information. Remember, though, that even if your child scores highest on kinesthetic as their learning style, that does not mean that they exclusively learn via hands-on activities. That may be their preferred way of getting the information, but they should still learn how to process information in all of the different forms, too.
Trying to balance so many learning abilities and preferences into your study sessions can feel overwhelming, but, fortunately, there are plenty of ways to appeal to many styles at once.
Plenty of online games and study guides like Doodle Math incorporate visual aids and other stimuli to appeal to both the verbal and visual styles. Many services also include videos or voice instructions to help those who prefer to or need to hear instructions read aloud. These kinds of apps and online platforms are great for regular review, and they require very little prep work from you.
Just like how each child might have their own preference for how to study, every adult has their own strengths that can align with the different learning styles. You may be a very visual and aural person who loves to draw and listen to music, and you may have a partner who is more kinesthetically-minded, who wants to hop up and get hands-on with some learning. Divide up the study sessions so that your child gets some experience with different people and different approaches to reviewing the material.
A good lesson or study session will involve several learning styles overlapping all at once. Don’t fret about making this or that specific part of the review dedicated exclusively to one learning style. You can easily pair visual aids with verbal instruction. Kinesthetic activities will likely include auditory directions and feedback. All the learning styles fit together well and complement one another, so look to add layers to your studies rather than limit.
When you are reviewing something like addition and subtraction math problems, think about the real-world application of that skill. You may start with a quick verbal review of the basic math principles, accompanied with some visual aids, of course. Then you can make the lesson hands-on by doling out some Monopoly money and walking your child through some play transactions.
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While people may have one preferred learning style, most can and should learn using all the styles. You can look at these as skills or abilities rather than styles since they all deserve to be developed and utilized.
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Taylor Hartley
Taylor Hartley is an author and an English teacher based in Charlotte, North Carolina. When she's not writing, you can find her on the rowing machine or lost in a good novel.
Jill Padfield
Jill Padfield has 7 years of experience teaching high school mathematics, ranging from Alegra 1 to AP Calculas. She is currently working as a Business Analyst, working to improve services for Veterans while earning a masters degree in business administration.
Taylor Hartley
Taylor Hartley is an author and an English teacher based in Charlotte, North Carolina. When she's not writing, you can find her on the rowing machine or lost in a good novel.
Jill Padfield
Jill Padfield has 7 years of experience teaching high school mathematics, ranging from Alegra 1 to AP Calculas. She is currently working as a Business Analyst, working to improve services for Veterans while earning a masters degree in business administration.
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