Most education systems treat students as if their brains are wired the same way. Written and oral exams test the children’s abilities to memorize and cramp instead of actually valuing their learning experience. These tests stress students out, leading to troubling conditions such as anxiety disorder and depression. This further pushes them away from school, causing disinterest in learning in general and lowering their motivation and self-confidence. The fact that most teachers aren’t equipped to value the mental wellbeing of their students over their exam marks diminished the trust bond between teacher and student which is crucial for the development of children and gaining of skills that have benefits lasting for an entire lifetime. The most important step to take toward bettering the educational experiences of children is to understand that each student has a different area of talent, learns better under different conditions, and shows their best performance in varied testing methods. Since accommodating each of these needs might be difficult in the current school environments, the help and empathy of teachers and parents are extremely important in improving children’s view of school and learning.
So, what are these styles of learning? In 1984, a psychologist named David Kolb voiced his theory that people have different learning styles determined by genetics, life experiences, and demands of the current environment. The different categories of learners are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. The theory of the different learning styles was discussed and improved by many other psychologists over the years. The consensus was that consideration and accommodation of individual learning needs benefit the learner and make way for a more pleasing experience. Additionally, students learn at different paces. Insulting or belittling a student for having a hard time with a certain topic or taking longer to finish a task should be out of the question in a classroom. Especially at young ages, that kind of experience can have lasting negative effects on students. I will now go on to detail these learning styles and add some examples of ways in which each type of learner can be aided in the classroom.
Visual Learning
Visual learners mostly process or retain information through visual cues.
They tend to learn best while reading or seeing pictures. Visual learners may have trouble with purely verbal instructions but thrive in mentally visualizing ideas, information, and concepts while also having a strong ability to remember images.
They will most likely prefer;
slideshows, videos, charts, and diagrams accompanying lectures and explanations
mind and concept maps
color-coding or highlighting (different colorful pens and crayons can help a ton)
flashcards with images
using a whiteboard
educational games and puzzles
projects such as making posters, infographics, comics, and multimedia presentations
field trips to museums, art galleries, and science centers with lots of visual material
writing down or drawing new instructions, concepts, or vocab words
Auditory Learning
Auditory learning relies on the processing of information through sound and verbal communication. Information retained orally as opposed to written or visual forms tends to be more easily understood and absorbed by auditory learners. Auditory learning can be better induced by;
recorded lectures to go over afterward instead of written notes
group discussions
reading aloud while studying
audiobooks and podcasts
creating rhymes, songs of words that need memorizing
explaining a concept to someone else
recording their own voice
verbal instructions
audio flashcards
videos with informative narrations
choosing to study in especially quiet environments due to being easily distracted by even the smallest noises
playing background music that induces focus
Kinesthetic Learning
Also referred to as tactical learning, is the style of learning that involves hands-on activities, body movement, touch, and physical manipulation to process and retain knowledge effectively. Kinesthetic learners benefit from practice rather than relying solely on theoretical information.
Kinesthetic learners might learn better with;
experiments, interactive simulations
role plays and dramatization
constructing models or assembling structures
field trips
counting blocks or beads while learning mathematics instead of just doing the equations on paper
art and crafts activities
flashcards or Post-it notes
puzzles and other games that require physical manipulation for problem-solving
movement based learning
being able to move around while learning for longer durations
learning for multiple short lessons instead of fewer long ones
having a comfortable learning environment with limited distractions
Each of these learning styles comes with its own strengths and weaknesses. It's important to be patient with the learners and help them understand that what is different about them does not make them any less worthy of attention and quality education. Being mindful of the different learning styles and treating kids accordingly might help improve the education experience of both the student and teacher/parent. These sorts of accommodating qualities can raise their motivation and confidence. However, it should not be forgotten that grades are not everything and each student is unique in their own ways. Knowledge of the different learning styles is valuable outside the classroom as well. Being aware of the styles that allow you to learn most efficiently can help individuals have a better understanding of their habits and utilize it to become the best version of themselves, especially in academic environments.
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