How to Determine Learning Style

Some students learn best when they use art to depict what they are studying.

Every student has a different learning style, and many students respond well to more than one style. Traditional teaching methods reward students who learn best when they read from a textbook and listen to their teachers lecture. Students who don't respond well to auditory or visual teaching methods typically do poorly in school. They may be kinesthetic learners, meaning that they require physical activity to learn. Knowing which learning styles work best for a student helps his teachers design lessons that he will successfully absorb.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Make a list of the ways in which the child seems to learn well and those in which she does not. If she can't concentrate or sit still during a lecture, write "auditory learning" on the "no" list and "kinesthetic learning" on the "yes" list. If she loves to paint or draw pictures of the events that she's learning about in history class, write that she is a visual learner on the "yes" list. If she can't solve addition problems when they are written on a paper but can calculate the correct answer if she can count physical objects, such as her fingers, she's a kinesthetic learner.

2. Interview the student to find out how she thinks she learns best and add her answers to your list. If she tells you that she hates timed tests because she can't finish all of the questions, put "pressure learner" on the no list. Conversely, if she loves timed tests because they push her to answer questions quickly and accurately, write that she learns well under pressure. If the student says that she makes up songs to memorize history dates or math equations, write that she is a musical learner.

3. Discuss your findings with the child's parents or a school counselor if necessary. Her parents may be able to provide additional information about their daughter's learning style based on their experience with her in past classes. The school counselor can administer learning-style and personality tests to the student that may help you understand her learning style.

Tips & Warnings

• If you or the school counselor suspect that the child has a learning disability, such as dyslexia, or a medical condition, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or an autism-spectrum disorder, notify her parents immediately and work together to determine how best to teach her.

References

• "SchoolFamily.com;" What is Your Child's Learning Style?; Emily Graham; June 2008

Resources

• LD Pride: What's Your Learning Style?