Understanding Learning Differences: The Key To The Best Education Possible
Posted on: 28 June 2017
Did you know that not all children or even people learn in the same ways? No, believe it or not, but different people have different learning styles. Thus, many educators believe that education should not be a "one size fits all" kind of process. Instead, they believe in tailoring their teaching and instructional methods to help meet the needs of the different learning styles in their classrooms. Thus, as a parent, you should look for educators who are familiar with the various learning styles and who strive to honor each and every learning difference that they encounter. It can also be helpful, as a parent, to know your child's learning type so that you can help him or her to find the right teacher and make sure that your child's needs are being met.
Auditory Learners
One common type of learning style is auditory learning. Auditory learners are the people you see who move their lips when they read or who choose to read out loud. They may also repeat instructions to themselves, and they may learn best by audibly answering note cards or flash cards.
These types of learners fare well with clear explanations of the material covered, group activities that allow plenty of time for discussion, and talking about what they have learned with others.
Effective educators will be able to tell you the methods that they use to appeal to the auditory learners in their class.
Visual Learners
Visual learners are different from auditory learners in that, instead of having material and instructions told to them, they need to be able to see it written down in a clear form.
These are the learners who love to look at graphs or diagrams and pictures, who carefully follow written lists and who prefer online discussion boards to in-person discussion. They also do best when they can physically write down their notes.
Again, appealing to all learning styles, including visual learning, is an important quality for good educators to have.
Kinesthetic Learners
One final popular learning style is kinesthetic learning. These are the type of learners who are good with their hands. They like to move around as they learn, when possible, and they benefit from physical actions, like note taking, highlighting, and doodling. Uninformed educators may mistake such behaviors for distraction, when they are actually quite conducive to the kinesthetic learners.
Having small "stretch breaks," listening to music when working, and incorporating technology can all be useful for these types of learners.
Whichever category your child falls into—some fall into multiple categories—find an educator who understands and encourages the way your child naturally learns for the best possible educational experience.
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