Do you know your child’s learning style?

By AWL

As we always said: each child has their own way of learning and interacting with the world around them. However, most of the preschool is using the same lesson plan to teach all the children which only worked successfully for some children didn’t work as well for others.

Since different children learn different way, it’s important that parents or educators could identify what’s the learning style of a particular child. Whenever we detect their learning style; we can maximize the children learning potential.

Learning style is an individual's natural or habitual pattern of acquiring and processing information in learning situations. A core concept is that individuals differ in how they learn. There are 3 modalities: auditory learning , visual learning, and kinaesthetic learning. Let’s take a look on how to recognize the learning style and what are the techniques to guide the children to learn.

A) Auditory Learning

A learning style in which a person learns through listening. An auditory learner depends on hearing and speaking as a main way of learning

How to recognize:

• - Love music

• - Can remember the songs they remember

• - Follow spoken directions

• - Like to read out loud

• - Like someone to read to them

• - Like to say “Can you tell me again?”

What are the techniques?

• - Group discussions

• - Group activities

• - Podcast

• - Putting information into poem or songs

• - Verbal direction instead of written

• - Encourage the child to say thing out loud eg: spelling

B) Visual Learning

A learning style in which ideas, concepts, data and other information are associated with images and techniques

How to recognize:

• - Always sit at the front of the classroom

• - Fascinated by bright colors and motion

• - Like to draw and paint

• - Can retell the story in very detail

• - Like to see someone perform the task before try it

• - Like to say “Show me”

What are the techniques?

• - Use Graphic organizer method to teach them the knowledge

• - Surround them with books

• - Using flash card

• - They get distracted easily ; their learning environment has to be quiet and less sights and colors

• - Let them use drawing to help them remember the facts

C) Kinesthetic Learning

A learning style in which learning takes place by the student carrying out a physical activity, rather than listening to a lecture or watching a demonstration.

How to recognize:

• - Can focus on two different things at the same time

• - Remember things in relation to what they were doing

• - Like to building sets, model kits and interactive display

• - Often tear things apart

• - Like to say “Let me hold that” ; “ Let me see that”

What are the techniques?

• - Need hands on learning eg: learn math thru pattern blocks and base ten blocks ; learn language thru letter-shaped magnet

• - Provide texture paper and variety of different sized pencils

• - Sit on bouncy chair

• - Role play

• - Encourage them to use rhythm to help them remember things

Every child likes to learn new things but they don’t know that which style is suitable for them. As a parent or educator, we need to always observe the problem and find solution to help the child to grasp the learning concept.

Children learn in the way that is best for them.