Learning Styles

Three Basic Learning Styles

• Your child may distinctly fit into one of these categories, or may be a combination of more than one.
• Teach your child according to his/her PRIMARY learning style. Know what your style of learning is, so as to AVOID gravitating towards curriculum that would appeal to YOU, unless of course your child’s learning style is similar to yours.
• Review in other ways to strengthen weak learning patterns.

Visual Learners

Usually quiet, copycats, not risk takers, notice details, organized, holds things inside, good spellers, easily distracted by visual stimuli especially if it is annoying to him/her, loves charts, stickers, loves to self-check, memorizes everything, loves security, needs order, feels very satisfied finishing an assignment/worksheet. THESE LEARNERS DO WELL WITH TASK ORIENTED, WORKSHEET/TEXTBOOK TYPE CURRICULUMS (i.e. SAXON MATH, ABEKA, BOB JONES, CALVERT, A.C.E.)

Auditory Learners

Love to communicate or make noise, remember jingles, poems etc…mimics naturally, express themselves easily, tend to read out loud (sub-vocalize), often sounds older, needs to “talk it” out loud, sounds out words, repeats what’s heard, phonetic spellers, poor test takers (but can easily tell us the answers back orally), loves to listen to radio/TV, easily distracted with background noises, loves verbal praise, always looking for something new to do. Flourishes when h/she repeats what is taught, follows reading with finger, loves field trips. Struggles with reading technical non-fiction writing, editing work, paying attention to details. THESE LEARNERS DO WELL WHEN LEARNING WITH AUDIOCASSETTES, SONG TYPE CURRICULUMS (i.e. SING, SPELL, READ & WRITE, WINSTON GRAMMAR, LISTEN AND LEARN WITH PHONICS).

Kinesthetic Learners (Hands On)

Relates to others in action/bodily, perpetual motion (perhaps called hyperactive by others), touches all they pass, messy rooms, cluttered desk, needs to have a job defined thoroughly, shows anger physically (fists before mouth), prefers to touch things, very athletic (particularly whole body sports) can stay well balanced while being blindfolded, when things are quiet they are distracted, dislikes complicated or long-term projects, can take gadgets apart and put them back together, finds listening a challenge (will usually listen about a minute per year of age, i.e. 8 minutes/8yr. Old), responds to edible/tangible rewards that are visually presented, wants to control any project, highly competitive, loves prizes. Flourishes when they can model others by, touching, pointing, constructing finger plays, in the dirt, Jello, painting, needs math manipulatives. Struggles with research writing, text/workbook style curriculums, reading for information, analytical work, proofreading, concentration on phonics, grammar and math, pen/paper work, understanding the relevance of work-to-life goals. THESE LEARNERS DO WELL WITH ANY TYPE OF LEARNING THAT CAN KEEP THEM MOVING/DOING (i.e. MATH U SEE, MIQUON MATH, PLAY ‘N TALK, SING SPELL READ AND WRITE, KONOS, EDUCATION PLUS+, WEAVER CURRICULUM).

(TAKEN FROM KEYNOTE SPEAKER INGE CANNON'S TALK AT THE 1998 JOHNSON COUNTY HOMESCHOOL CONFERENCE)