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Step 1
Educate yourself about the various learning styles. The more you understand the similarities and differences between the styles, the better you will be able to pinpoint how your child learns. Generally speaking, listeners prefer to learn by hearing, visual learners by watching, and kinesthetic learners by physically doing. Although most people will fall into one of these categories, there may be some overlap between two different styles.
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Step 2
Observe your child. Watch him as he plays and when he tries to explain how to do something to another child. Auditory learners may explain how to do it, visual learners may show how to do it, while kinesthetic learners may try to get the child involved. Likewise, a visual learner may be quiet and notice small details; an auditory learner may talk to herself; and a kinesthetic learner may always be fidgeting or moving around. All of these are clues to their preferred learning style.
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Step 3
Ask for feedback. If you are having a difficult time pinpointing which learning style best fits your child, ask other family members or friends what they think. If you child is in school, teachers can be an enormous resource.
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Step 4
Go online. There are many online quizzes available that may assist you in discovering your child's learning style, such as the quiz found on Petersons.com or the questionnaire at VARK-learn.com.
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Step 5
Try different styles. Although it is best to teach your child in his preferred learning style, it is not always possible. Schools often cater toward visual and auditory learners. Therefore, it is important to have your child practice learning in various ways. A good way to do this would be to introduce difficult lessons in their preferred learning style, then reinforce the material using approaches from other styles.
