“If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.” – Ignacio Estrada.
Have you ever paid attention to how your kids quickly picked up something new? When you understand the way your kids learn this can save a lot of time, effort and frustration. By knowing their individual learning style you can make the time you spend studying with them more effective (Coalfield et al., 2004). This can be a powerful way to decrease anxiety, which can arise when kids feel like they are falling behind at school.
The following learning styles may serve as a rough guide;
- Auditory (The Listeners) – Kids with a preference for this area like to process information by hearing it and they like to show what they know about a subject by talking about it out loud. TIP- Ask them specific questions about what they learnt at school in the day and get them to describe each thing to you.
- Kinaesthetic (The Doers) – These kids like to jump straight in, with this tactile preference they process information whilst they are being active in some way. TIP – Let them pace around while studying for a test, you could also practice questions while kicking the footy or shooting hoops with them.
- Visual (The Watchers) – They like to view a demonstration, pictures and diagrams on a topic so they can see what it looks like. They love watching DVD’s or YouTube clips on a subject, reading and drawing. TIP – When studying for exams, colour coded mind maps, complete with drawings could make the information easier to recall.
Some of us may also be a combination and like to learn through a blend of all three in different ways. Take the St Luke’s Learning Styles test for yourself and find our your learning style! 🙂
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