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What are learning styles and why do we need to pay attention to them? Is there value in using them to educate my child? And, how can I discover and develop my child’s learning styles?
In this post, I answer all these questions about learning styles and more! I share my thoughts on the what, how and when of learning styles for kids, as well as effective learning style activities. Read on to discover the steps to successfully educate your children. Kids learning made easy. Utilize this powerful approach to guide them in learning excellence.
The basis of Learning Styles
Learning styles are defined as models explaining different learning methods. There are many learning style modalities described for kids. Some more elaborate than others. But in essence, they all describe the way you prefer to learn.
Learning styles also dictate the manner in which you present yourself. The way you learn something will, therefore, determine the way you recall it. In other words, your learning style will predict the way, and the words you choose, to remember and describe events.
Teachers and parents use learning styles to discover the best tactics for child education. However, neuroscientists, psychiatrists, and child psychologists have varied opinions on the importance of using learning styles. Nevertheless, all these experts agree that different learning styles do exist. In my opinion, there certainly is value to support a child’s preferred learning style and more importantly provide experience in the lesser used methods. This strategy results in more efficient learning capabilities by knowing and understanding oneself better.
Never label kids
The hesitation from the medical and educational professionals to use learning styles is easily understood. The problem does not lie in the effectiveness of this strategy. It is however present in the risk of child classification or labeling. From years of research, we all know that categorizing kids into certain groups can lead to limiting a child’s potential, a lack of confidence and even peer pressure.
We should, therefore, refrain from using learning styles to label our kids. We should not limit them to their awareness of learning style preferences. But rather use the knowledge and power of learnings styles to drive our kids towards effective learning experiences.
What can I as a parent do?
The steps of successfully educating your child with the help of learning styles are not focused on teachers only. As a parent of a young child, you can have a massive impact on your child’s learning efficiency by discovering their preferred learning style from as early as 2 to 3 years of age. And then focusing on developing the lesser favored strategies at home prior to school going years. You will find more academic information on learning styles in the Discover your child’s Learning Style and How to Implement and Supervise a Learning Style Program books.
Understanding and knowing how to learn gives children confidence and motivates them to excel. There are few more difficult situations during school years than dealing with kids who do not know how to learn or simply don’t enjoy it because they don’t understand the principles or how to apply them. This basic education skill needs to be established by parents from very early on in life. As a parent you can achieve this easily by following:
The 5 essential steps to successfully educate a child guided by learning styles
1. Understand the different learning styles
- and know that there is no wrong or right one
- even if your child prefers a different style to your own!
2. Discover what works well for your child
- and teach them to use this style effectively.
3. Capitalize on their strong suit
- and use this learning style for difficult tasks.
4. Discover learning styles that do not work well for your child
- and improve these
- to ensure more efficient learning capabilities when older
- and empower them with the ability to adapt more easily to different learning environments.
5. Improve their learning capacity by exposing them to all the different learning styles
- to boost their brain power and memory skills
- and further maximize this boost by fueling it with mega brain power superfoods.
For easy reference at home or in class, you can download the cheat sheet guide with the 5 essential steps to successfully educate a child every day using learning styles from Free Resource Library.
So, let’s dive into the facts behind each learning style and define the group of learners, understand the part of the brain involved and explore the characteristics of each style. We will also touch on the optimal learning environment for the various learning styles and suggest the best educational toys and activities. Remember to include toys and activities from your child’s lesser preferred learning styles to grow this capability, rather than just buying the type of games they already enjoy.
Learning Styles: Visual 
The majority of learners fall into this common group and that explains why most teachers focus their teaching methods on visual learning activities. An interesting article on this learning model was published recently if you enjoy a good academic read.
Learning Style Definition
This style includes kids who think in dimensions, understand spatial orientation and like to use pictures, shapes, paintings and images to learn. They enjoy diagrams and graphs to ease their understanding of a subject.
Brain involvement
Spatial orientation is accomplished by the occipital and parietal lobes of the brain.
Characteristics
Visual learners need visual instructions and a pen in hand. Always allow them to doodle in between instructions; this is part of their learning process. They like to take lots of notes and close their eyes to visualize facts.
Optimal learning environment
They generally prefer their rooms clean and neat with beautiful images or paintings. Quiet surroundings will allow them to visualize their work and remember better.
Suggested activities and toys
If you want to teach your child to draw, for example, a house, ask them to draw it as you described it or from looking at a similar image. Discussing the actual elements of a house will not interest a visual learner.
Great educational toys include soft books, spelling and counting puzzles and when they are a bit older 3D brain teaser transformer as well as snap circuits and brain flakes.
If you already have an Apple iPad at home, I would highly recommend investing in an OSMO Genius Kit, specifically for their Tenogram Game to encourage visual thinking. This is a brilliant way to encourage non-visual learners into visual learning.
Learning Styles: Auditory
Learning Style Definition
The best way for aural learners to remember facts is by hearing them. Verbal instructions are therefor their choice of learning method.
Brain involvement
Auditory facts are managed by the temporal lobes and as some of you may know, music is processed on the right side of the brain.
Characteristics
Reading the facts out loud and finding a rhyme or chant that goes with it will optimize learning. Aural learners often talk to themselves while learning something new and are easily distracted by music or sounds while learning.
Optimal learning environment
They need a quiet space to learn best and should not be distracted by music and sounds.
Suggested activities and toys
For auditory learners, I would recommend the OSMO coding jam game, used with the OSMO Genius Kit on your Apple iPad. Other great educational toys include audio books, musical instruments and snap circuit FM radio.
You can also have a look at these 20 listening games and activities for pre-schoolers for more ideas.
Learning Styles: Verbal
Learning Style Definition
These learners prefer linguistic tactics. They have to read and then write the facts in order to remember them.
Brain involvement
This time the left side of the brain is more involved, mostly the Broca and Wernicke speech areas.
Characteristics
Verbal learners need to use words, both in speech and writing.
Optimal learning environment
They generally prefer a neat and clean working space with access to many different colored pens, pencils and highlighters.
Suggested activities and toys
Best toys and activities to stimulate these verbal learners are book games for reading and writing, the Leapfrog scribble and write, EduQuiz Set and writing workbooks.
Learning Styles: Logical
Learning Style Definition
Logical learners rationalize things, they ask a lot of questions and love mathematical problems.
Brain involvement
The logical thinking processes happen in the parietal lobes, mostly on the left side.
Characteristics
These learners use logic and reasoning and show unexpected insight at an early age. They love to ask WHY!
Optimal learning environment
They like a space to learn where they can place their gadgets, move their brain toys around and be inspired by their engineered wonders.
Suggested activities and toys
Best toys for these learners include IQ smart games and IQ challenge sets. They enjoy wooden tetris, Meccano and snap circuits.
The Newton Game that is part of the OSMO Genius Kit, specifically for the problem-solving skills is one of the best activities when you have an Apple iPad.
Learning Styles: Physical
Learning Style Definition
Tactile learners use object manipulation or body movements to learn.
Brain involvement
All our physical crusades are managed by the cerebellum and motor cortex.
Characteristics
Associating the facts with parts of their body is a great way for them to learn. They often talk with their hands and move around while listening. They need to take breaks often in order to stay productive.
Optimal learning environment
A high work desk where they can stand and write works well for these learners. Replace their seat with a stationary bicycle and watch them speed towards excellence!
Suggested activities and toys
Physical learners enjoy building blocks, brain flakes, and gyro wheels when they are a bit older. To introduce toddlers to letter and numbers invest in inexpensive letter and number shaped fridge magnets.
A super way to expose kids to creative drawing skills is with the Masterpiece Game on the OSMO Genius Kit, This genius game set that works with your Apple iPad is one of the best teaching tools.
The infamous fidget arrow and rainbow spinners are a great way to keep these little hands busy …
An extension of the above learning styles includes two more groups:
Learning Styles: Interpersonal
This learning style includes children who prefer to learn with someone else or in a group. These social undertakings are managed by our frontal and temporal lobes. Social interaction is also handled by the limbic system. Finding a study buddy will really help these kids to optimize their learning strategy. Auditory learners are often included in this group.
Learning Styles: Intrapersonal
Intrapersonal learners are children who prefer to do self-study and work by themselves. The frontal and limbic system is again involved here, as well as the parietal lobes. Forcing them to work in groups will be detrimental to their learning capabilities.
Understand the different learning styles and discover the benefits of successfully educating your child even before they start their school years! This is an easy way for you to be an awesome parent with brilliant kids!
Remember that although we focus on the learning styles in kids today, the same principles hold for adults. If you want to make sure you remember 5 things you need from the store, discover your own learning style. If you are a visual learner, try writing them down in 5 different colors. Or, if you are more auditory learning inclined, chant the 5 things to yourself several times! Using the right and effective learning style, you will be surprised how well you remember them!
My favorite activities to discover and develop learning styles
1. Letter, number and shape activity
This activity will teach kids the letters of the alphabet and numbers, whilst exposing and shaping learning styles. This is an activity that can be used for all ages. By giving your children the freedom to choose the way they want to manipulate the activity, without instruction, will be a good indicator of his or her preferred learning style.
Write or print out big font letters on cardboard. Prior to instructing the kids, give them one letter and ask for suggestions of what they would like to do with it. This will give you a great first impression of their learning style of choice.
This image shows what my 5-year-old son created when I gave him a page with his name and a selection of beads, shells, pencils and stickers. It was very easy to discover his learning styles by giving him free reign.
Activity Tips
- With younger kids, it is a great idea to only do one or two of the crafts below at a time. Space them over a couple of days to really get them engaged and help you discover their strengths and weaknesses.
- For kids younger than 3 years of age, use shapes rather than numbers and letters.
After assessing their preferred style, continue to lead the activity by following the instructions below. The learning style is indicated at the end of each instruction. Use them as a guide to determine your child’s preferred and non-preferred learning styles.
Learning styles activity instructions
- Give your child the numbers, letters or shapes to look at and let them trace the outline with their fingers – visual.
- Let them cut the letter out, preferably with child-safe scissors – tactile.
- Talk about the name of the letter and words that start with or contain the letter – auditory. Always focus first on the letters of their names.
- Sing a song pertaining to the relevant word – auditory and verbal.
- Ask them to repeat the letter names after you and try to replicate the letter with a pencil. When older than 6 years, let them practice writing these words down – verbal reading and writing.
- Printing pictures of objects starting with the relevant letter is also great for having your child group them with the corresponding letter – visual.
- Provide stickers, flat glass beads, shells or pasta to stick onto the letter – tactile.
- Do some of the activity with them – interpersonal.
- Leave them to do some on their own – intrapersonal.
- this way you will very easily find if they prefer working on their own or in a group. Continue working with them if that is their preference, but also get them to do some parts alone. This is a very important skill for later in life – being able to work alone. The ability to entertain themselves without having someone around will give you some much-needed time off to get things done in and around the house.
For easy use and reference, you can download the letter, number and shape activity instructions in pdf format below
Learning Styles Activities_HealthyFamilyandMe
2. The Fun Fact Sheets
The Fun Fact Sheet series is an easy and fun way for the kids to learn about their bodies. The sheets are designed to educate kids with various learning styles. They can also help you discover your child’s preferred method of learning and assist you in teaching them different ways of learning.
Prior to instructing the kids, give them one page and ask for suggestions of what they would like to do with it. This will again give you a great first impression of their learning style of choice.
After assessing their preferred style, continue to lead the activity by following the instructions below. Discover the kids’ preferred styles by noting the learning style at the end of each instruction.
Learning style activity instructions
- Download the fun fact sheets below and print two copies of each fun fact sheets, preferably in color.
- If you printed the sheets in black and white, start with having the kids color the sheets – visual.
- Read the facts with the kids or let them read it out aloud – auditory.
- Have them repeat the facts, and try and see how many they can remember – auditory.
- Give them one of the sheets to cut the facts out with child-safe scissors – tactile.
- Ask them to arrange the cut pieces on top of the uncut page, trying to find its position based on color and size – tactile.
- Have kids older than 6 years of age, re-write the facts – verbal, reading and writing.
- Do some of the activity with them – interpersonal.
- Leave them to do some of the activities on their own – intrapersonal.
For easy use and reference, you can download the free fun fact sheet activity instructions in pdf format below
Learning Styles Activities_HealthyFamilyandMe
The fun fact sheets are great for use by parents at home and teachers in class. The titles that are available for free download are:
-
Fun Facts about My Brain
and the related Mega Memory SuperFoodPower Boost Infographic.
-
Fun Facts about My Skin
and the related Healthy Skin SuperFood Transformation Infographic.
The other Fun Fact Sheet topics to come, include
- My Immune system
- My Guts
- My Heart
- My Lungs
- My Muscles
BONUS Also look out for the new range of Fun Facts Sheets
It will cover the following topics that are very relevant to children to better understand their bodies as well as their own actions and how it affects them
- When I Sleep
- When I Exercise
- When I Stress
- When I Starve Myself
If you want the Fun Fact Sheets delivered to your inbox for free download, as they become available, just leave your details below
You can read more on the origin of learning styles from Howard Gardner and find more learning styles activities.
I hope you enjoyed the learning styles information and activities. Remember to share your experiences. Was it easy to discover your child’s learning styles What activities are you doing with the kids to successfully educate them?
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