6 Reasons Why You Should Know Your Child's Learning Style

How can we teach children to think for themselves if we don’t know how they think?  How can children learn to think for themselves if they don’t know they learn?  The way a child learns affects his/her entire personality and development. Having a full understanding of his/her learning style means that a child has an understanding of how they function as an individual.

n  A learning style is…

•         a way to take in and process information

•         different approaches or ways of learning

•         a preference that gets stronger the more it is used

•         the way the mind operates

•         the way we learn!

There are 3 main types of learning styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.  Visual learners process and learn new information by seeing things, auditory by listening and kinesthetic by movement and a hands-on approach. Most people share some characteristics of more than one learning style but have a strong preference usually for one style.  It is important that you learn your children’s learning style as well as your own. The reasons below explain why.

Reasons why knowing your child’s learning style is important:

1. You now know and understand how they think

• Knowing their learning style helps you to figure out how they process information and their style of thinking.  If you know how they think, you’re better able to break information down in a way that they understand it.

2. It helps to explain their personality

• Once you discover their learning styles, their personalities make much more sense. For instance, auditory learners talk a lot and like to debate.  Because they learn by hearing, it’s no wonder they like to hear themselves talk. Kinesthetic learners are busy-bodies.  They simply cannot sit still; moving helps them process information.

3. It helps you to communicate with them better

• Once you know how your child learns, it’s easier to determine how to communicate with them.  Giving verbal directions works well for auditory learners but not for visual learners. Visual learners need their directions written down for reinforcement. The more you know about your child’s learning style, the better your relationship can become due to better communication.

4. It helps you to help them study

• Understanding your child’s way of learning helps you to determine what methods of learning best fit their needs.  Once you figure that out, it’s easier to implement effective study strategies. An example for visual learners is to utilize videos to demonstrate concepts or ideas.  They will benefit more from seeing the video than you simply describing what to do.

5. It helps you understand their behavior

• Some of your child’s behavior may be explained by their learning styles.  Familiarizing yourself with the characteristics of your child’s learning style will help you to understand why they act a certain way and aid you in addressing them appropriately and with more patience.  For example, parents of kinesthetic learners find it difficult to get them to sit still while doing their work.  Instead of becoming frustrated and forcing them to sit still, allow for structured movements such as bouncing on an exercise ball or doing a celebratory dance when they are done reading or have completed a math problem correctly.

6. It makes for a better relationship

• Once you understand your child’s learning style (and your own), the communication between the two of you gets better, your are able to apply effective strategies to manage their behavior, you know how they think and begin to use that to help them study effectively and even apply it to non-academic areas, your relationship with your child should improve.  The best relationships are those in which each one understands one another and can communicate better.

Take a quick learning style assessment and have your child to take an age-appropriate learning style inventory. Check out more information about learning style personalties and resources for study skills.

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