What kind of LEARNER are you? Self-Assessment Included

This blog was originally published on my former site, The Indy Parent Coach, it’s been updated for this year

With four kids of my own, I can't remember how many times I pulled some item out of the mouth of a babe.

By baby number four, I was less likely to freak out, knowing that kids learn by using all their senses and that the mouth is often one of their favorite. Through pre-school, the education experience includes tons of multi-modality approaches to learning. But for most children, by first grade, we expect that children will somehow transition into mostly visual or auditory learning styles.

But for some kids, that means they will struggle. Did you know that there are multiple styles of learning?

Okay, let’s start at the beginning. Maybe you didn't know that there are multiple ways that people best receive and process information. But for most of us we have a primary and secondary way of taking in information and when we use methods of acquisition that are compatible with that learning style we do much better in terms of understanding.

Now back to my point. Research has shown that there are three main learning styles. Auditory(hearing), visual, and kinesthetic(touch). When I ran study skills groups for middle school students one of the first things I would do is offer them a learning style assessment. Having them answer questions about whether they remember things better by hearing or seeing them and how easily they can remember dance steps.

Sounds silly, huh?

These questions give you a score that corresponds with the learning style that is most likely to be the way you learn best. To take the quiz for yourself, take the Learning Style Assessment. When I first wrote this blog it was years before the COVID-19 crisis, so I never would’ve dreamed that we would have extended e-learning with millions of students plugged in front of a computer screen each day. For many parents, this plus the emotional toll of living during a global pandemic is presenting as quite the challenge. Keeping a balanced perspective about expectations during this time will help everyone, but hopefully some of these ideas might also give you some ideas about how to help.

After you’ve taken the learning style assessment, check out a few of the tips below.

Auditory Learners

Record lectures or listen to books on tape.

Engage in discussions about key concepts.

Read notes out loud.

Visual Learners

Draw diagrams of concepts.

Take notes; study by rewriting or highlighting notes.

Review written notes often.

Kinesthetic Learners

Read or review notes while walking or riding a bike.

Use hands on study tools or computer programs to reinforce concepts.

What kind of learner are you? Sound off in the comments and let me know.

Want ideas for lessons and tools to make the most of your learning style? Check out the School Based Session Planner for more ideas you can use.