This is a collaborative post.
If you’re unfamiliar with the learning styles, it’s the idea that we all have preferred ways of learning. For some, that’s being told what to do with a lecture-style approach, whereas for others it’s getting hands-on and applying what they have learned.
While there is a broad variety of learning styles, in this post we shall focus on the three most common – the visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic learning styles. Below is some guidance that we’ve collated from a private school in London on each and how you can support your child with their learning.
Working Out Which Your Child Has
To work out which learning style your child has, you can simply observe how they respond and pick up on information. If they have a hard time taking instructions on board, it may be that they are not auditory and one of the other two.
A short personality-based test can also be done to determine this, known as a VARK test. It’s an objective way to tell which learning style your child has. All they will need to do is answer the questions truthfully.
Visual Learners
Visual learners, as you would imagine, prefer visual means of learning. Graphs, charts, and anything that illustrates key pieces of information are helpful to them.
They can also benefit from colour and means to annotate their notes as it allows them to highlight important information and make it more memorable.
Auditory Learners
Those that are auditory learners on the other hand prefer being given verbal instructions. For this type of learner, you may need to repeat points made and use emphasis by changing your tone of voice.
If your child fits into this group, they may benefit from sitting at the front of the class as they will be able to hear their teacher and peers clearly.
Kinaesthetic Learners
This type of learner requires practical learning opportunities and ways to implement what they have learned, like practicals, field trips and experiments.
This can make it a harder learning style to accommodate, however, there are various options when it comes to supporting your child’s learning at home, like real-life examples and interactive educational games.
I hope that this post taught you something new and provided ideas on how you can support your child’s learning. More parenting guidance can be found on my blog – feel free to read whilst you’re here!
