“My child can’t even sit still and finish up 1 simple assignment!”
“My child likes to daydream whenever doing his homework…”
“My child hates homework…”
“I always have to shout or nag at them to learn!”
Sounds familiar? I’m one of the parents who said the above too. It took me quite some time to figure out what type of person my children are before I could finally diagnosed them with different ways of learning and keeping them engaged. Honestly, it is not an easy task because as they grow, their behavior may change and new ways of learning have to be re-customized and implemented. But the sparkles in their eyes and their love for learning keep me going.
There are 3 types of learners: auditory, visual and kinesthetic. It is always good to know which type of learner your kid belongs to so that we can tackle or customize the way of learning accordingly. Different kid has different preferences in the way they learn. There are no one method works for all kids.
Auditory
Auditory learning is where the child prefers to learn through speaking and listening. This type of learner learns better by sound and is able to process information without the need to write it down. They have an excellent memory and are able to recall information by simply hearing it.
How to identify:
Children falling into this category loves verbal praises from the people around them. However, they lose concentration easily and dislike noises. Therefore, they are easily distracted by noise.
Tools to help them learn:
– recorded lectures
– allowing them to read aloud, sing or even talk about what they learn
– using rhymes to memorize
Visual
Visual learners express themselves through their expressions. They love observing and staring at objects. When you do too much talking with little visual, they will start feeling impatient. They have fantastic visual memory. To them, “seeing is hearing”.
How to identify:
Visual learners are good at taking notes, and they love it. They love reading and perform well in spelling. They prefer to see than to hear. Planning ahead and being well organized are what make them stand out.
Tools to help them learn:
– mind pictures
– notes and presentation slides
– using note cards, flashcards
– watching DVDs, TV
– using highlighters to color code text/words
Kinesthetic
Kinesthetic learners love trying out things through their sense of touch and feel. They learn best by doing it themselves rather than listening or watching. In other words, they have to be involved in order to learn.
How to identify:
They are poor listeners and find it difficult to learn through visual presentations. They prefer to move around while learning and are unable to sit still. They love touching objects and talk with lots of hands gestures.
Tools to help them learn:
– allow them to do as you say as they need to move around while learning
– needs a lot of hands-on activities
– make use of flashcards
– make study tools that allow them to hold or move around
Some kids fall into more than 1 category and you could say is easier or harder to manage. As for me, I love teaching by combining audio, visual and movements as it reinforces the lessons well and it makes learning more engaging but not all kids prefer that way. Observe and understand your kid’s learning style and teach according to their styles so that you can maximize their learning potential.
While they are learning according to their styles, they are more motivated and aiming to improve their learning. On top of that, you don’t get frustrated that easily while teaching your own kid because you know how to tackle the situation better. Engage more with your kid and understand their styles, not yours.
What’s your kid’s learning styles and how do you implement these learning styles into their study techniques? We would love to hear from you. Happy learning!