Different people learn differently, and psychologists have
attempted through the years to spell out the traits of different types of
learners and categorize them into different “learning styles.”
Naturally, there are many models of different learning styles in
education. The most widely used is the VAK learning styles model, developed in
1987 by Neil Fleming, a high school and university teacher from New Zealand.
Its letters stand for the three learning styles: visual, auditory, and
kinesthetic. Fleming later added a fourth, read/write, changing the acronym to
VARK.
As a teacher, your best option is to use a variety of teaching
techniques to give all students the best chance to succeed. Read these teaching
tips for each of the four VARK learning styles.
Visual
Learning Style
People with a visual learning style absorb information by seeing
it in front of them and storing the images in their brains. They often enjoy
reading, have good handwriting, are very detail-oriented, are organized, and
have a keen awareness of colors and shapes.
They tend to struggle with verbal directions and are easily
distracted by noise. They remember people’s faces better than their names, and
they often need to maintain eye contact with a person to concentrate on a
conversation.
Here
are some tips for helping visual learners excel in the classroom:
·
Write out directions.
·
Use visuals when teaching lessons, such as pictures, charts,
diagrams, maps, and outlines.
·
Physically demonstrate tasks.
·
Use visual aids such as flashcards and blocks.
·
Show the visual patterns in language to teach spelling,
vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation.
·
Organize information using color codes.
·
Talk with the child face-to-face and make eye contact whenever
possible.
·
When directions are given verbally, encourage the child to ask
for clarification when she doesn’t understand fully.
·
Encourage the child to write plenty of notes and organize
information on paper and with objects.
·
Provide a quiet, neat place to study, and minimize distractions
as much as possible.
Auditory
Learning Style
Verbal language is the prime form for exchanging information for
those within the auditory learning style. They learn best by hearing and
speaking. They often talk more than the average person, are very social, enjoy
hearing stories and jokes, understand concepts by talking about them, and may
excel in music or the performing arts.
Some auditory learners read slowly and have trouble writing,
struggle to follow written directions, and have a tough time staying quiet for
long stretches of time. They remember names and recognize tone of voice well,
while not always remembering people’s faces. They often hum or sing, and they
may whisper to themselves while reading.
Try
these techniques when teaching auditory learners:
·
Play word games and use rhymes to practice language.
·
Have the child read aloud, even when alone, and follow the text
with her finger.
·
Allow the child to explain concepts verbally and give oral
reports.
·
Have the child memorize information by repeating it aloud.
·
Assign projects and study times to be done in small and large
groups.
·
Read aloud often to young children.
·
Provide a personal voice recorder the child can use to record
notes or questions.
·
Use beats, rhythms, and songs to reinforce educational
information.
Kinesthetic Learning Style
People with the kinesthetic learning style learn best by doing:
moving around and handling physical objects. They like to explore the outdoors,
are often very coordinated, may excel in athletics and performing arts, and
usually express their feelings physically, such as with hugging and hitting.
They prefer trying new skills for themselves rather than being given directions
or shown a demonstration.
They may find it hard to sit still for long periods of time and
struggle with reading and spelling. They are often considered “difficult” and
misdiagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). In recent
years, more educators have accepted that they simply learn differently and have
urged educators to consider more kinesthetic learning activities.
These
teaching tips can help you get the most out of kinesthetic learners:
·
Give breaks frequently.
·
Let the child try something first before you give detailed
instructions.
·
Provide plenty of hands-on learning tools, such as crayons,
blocks, puzzles, maps, modeling clay, science experiments, an abacus, and a
geoboard (a square board with pegs used to teach shapes and geometric
concepts).
·
Don’t limit the study space to the usual desk. Allow the child
to study while moving around, lying on the floor, or slouching in a couch.
·
Use the outdoors for learning opportunities.
·
Teach educational concepts through games and projects.
·
Assign presentations in which children demonstrate concepts or
skills.
·
Encourage physical movement while studying. For example, quiz
the child while taking a walk around the block.
·
Find a school with mandatory physical education. Kinesthetic
learners suffer most from the recent cutting of P.E. in many schools.
Read/Write
Learning Style
The read/write learning style was added to Fleming’s model after
the initial three. Read/write learners specifically learn best through the
written word. They absorb information by reading books and handouts, taking
lots of notes (sometimes word-for-word), and making lists. They prefer
lectures, diagrams, pictures, charts, and scientific concepts to be explained
using written language. They are often fast readers and skillful writers.
Similar to visual learners, read/write learners may struggle
with verbal directions and are easily distracted by noise. Some may be quiet
and struggle to detect body language and other social cues.
Here
are some ways to help read/write learners succeed:
·
Encourage the child to write plenty of notes, rewrite them in
her own words, and study from them.
·
Provide thorough, well-organized written material, and write key
points in full sentences on the board during lectures.
·
Assign plenty of writing exercises.
·
Explain diagrams, graphs, or any mathematical data using
language.
·
Set up a quiet study area with as few distractions as possible.
·
Provide a dictionary, thesaurus, and other resource material.
·
Allow the child to answer multiple-choice questions.
The
Complexities of Learning Styles
Many other models for learning styles exist, most notably David
Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model and Learning Style Inventory, which are used
to categorize adults more so than children.
Whichever model of learning styles is used, psychologists agree
that almost no one falls neatly into only one learning style. People may be
categorized into one, but their various traits can apply to others—or they may
have a secondary learning style that works for them significantly better than
another. For example, a student may be primarily a visual learner, have some
skills for auditory learning, and have no skill for learning kinesthetically.
Additionally, some psychologists have proposed that all children
are primarily kinesthetic learners until second or third grade, only developing
other learning styles when their education becomes more rigorous.
source : http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Teaching_Tips/?page=2
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