Have you ever considered how your child learns? If you have more than one child, do you notice differences in their favorite ways to take in new information? There continues to be a great deal of research into the ways humans absorb and process information.
It’s a huge area of study and one that cannot be summarized in this simple article. Gaining an awareness of some of the styles may be helpful for you as you head into parent-teacher conferences. Your child’s teachers will be focused on this in the classroom. It could be helpful for you to consider your child’s preferences and abilities for when you’re teaching expectations in the home.
Here are a few of the learning styles that are commonly referenced:
Simply reading through the styles does not provide the whole picture. Many people prefer a combination of these styles for their own learning. In addition, people’s learning styles can change over time, and even though a person’s brain may thrive on a certain learning style, they may enjoy another.
So how can this help us at home?
Instructions
Do you speak instructions to your children and find that one understands and follows them more clearly than another? An auditory learner may pick up on the information quickly and be able to follow it. A visual learner may benefit from the information being in a list or picture, even if they understand the words and are able to read them.
One child may be distracted by having others around when getting instructions, and may do better making a plan one-on-one about how to follow the instructions.
Perhaps you are reading this and thinking, “I don’t have time to give the instructions in two different ways!” At first glance, that seems true. However, if you end up having to follow up with the child who couldn’t get the information the first time, and you feel frustrated about it, you will be taking more time than you initially planned, and may even unintentionally bring judgment and shame into the mix.
Noticing how your child absorbs information will help you to prepare for the next time you give directions. It’s not too hard to make a list and then say it out loud so that verbal, auditory, and visual learners get the information in the way that suits them best.
Homework
Many families encourage homework to be done in a communal space. That way, families can be available for support and keep an eye on distractions from screens and toys. This can work very well for social learners. Solitary learners, however, may prefer to wear noise-canceling headphones and face away from the group. Music can be a distraction for some learners, while others benefit from the stimulation of music to help their brains focus on the work at hand.
Some kids just need to talk through the work that needs to be done. Others find it easier, and less overwhelming, to tackle the day’s work when each task is written or drawn on a separate sticky note and put in an order to be undertaken.
One child may be able to take in long passages of information by staying still, while another will benefit from walking around while reading or listening to the material.
Studying
We all know how a song sticks in the brain long after we are done with it. For many students, memorizing lists or systems works much better when that information is put to music or when they can move around while rehearsing the information.
Some kids need to read and rehearse content silently, others thrive by reading it aloud so that the information enters through the eyes and ears. Diagrams of information and sequences can also be very helpful to visual learners.
Ask your child what they think might help them to retain the information. Encourage them to practice different methods. This is a great task for teens on a day when they don’t have much homework and are reviewing information to condense it for studying in the future. Youngsters practicing for a spelling test may prefer to tell you how the word is spelled rather than writing it down.
Ultimately, you don’t have to be an expert in learning styles to begin to understand how the members of your family can benefit from self-awareness in learning. Naming it is less important than trying different methods and noticing the ones that bring ease and confidence.
Author, blogger, podcast host and parenting expert, Julie Freedman Smith has been supporting parents across North America for 20 years. Through her company JFS Parent Education, she helps parents find relief from their everyday parenting challenges. Want to know how she can help you? Email her today: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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