Styles of Learning: Building Blocks to Your Child's Development

Everyone has a distinct learning style. Most commonly there have been three highly recognized styles of learning. Some people are hands on learners meaning they actually need to do something in order to understand it better. There are also the listeners who can pretty much hear something and understand it clearly. Finally, we have the visual learners who are responsive to various kinds of visual stimuli. None of these three learning styles are necessarily better than another, it just shows that not all people learn things the same way.

Think of a child who acts out in class because he is bored with his teacher's lecture. Some may say he has behavioral problems or even go so far as to say he has attention deficit disorder. The actual case may be that he is not "the listener" type of learner. This child is probably more of a hands on learner who needs to be involved in some sort of activity that stimulates him and helps him absorb the information being presented to him.

Noticing the type of learner a person is can start at a very young age. When a baby learns to walk and is able to be a little more independent, take notice to the type of things he or she does. Does this child like to touch everything and seem to want to explore the entire house? Always on the move, full of energy, loves to run, jump, and climb? This can be signs of the hands on learner. Or perhaps you have a visual little learner on your hands who is into turning the pages of the books to see the pictures, puzzles, shapes, and colors. And what about our little listener type Einstein? This child most likely can speak well, enjoys reading and reciting things aloud, loves music, acting things out, and they can have increased vocabularies for their age.

As a child develops, their learning style is key to helping them adjust. Learning styles are not only pertinent to how well a child does in school, they can help kids to make friends, influence their ability to perform athletically as well as academically, help them become well rounded, and influence them to get involved in a variety of things. Parents, teachers, and childcare providers should encourage children and help them to develop their learning style without hindering them from exploring other options.

Just because one of the learning styles is more dominant and therefore the most recognized, doesn't mean that an individual can't possess traits of the other learning styles. We all have our natural strengths which stand out and are easily identifiable to others. But there are also some traits we possess which aren't always recognized by others. Our less developed skills shouldn't be ignored. Instead they should be developed just as our strengths should be reinforced through various activities and experiences.

Children are naturally inquisitive. They like to learn new things, they like to explore, and they don't always want to feel like they are learning when in fact they are. Children like to have fun and there are several ways they can have fun and learn at the same time. Trips to museums, aquariums, restaurants, or different cities and countries are all great ways children can learn and have fun at the same time. Getting them involved in art, dance, music, sports, martial arts, or volunteering are all ways to develop a child's strengths and enhance their less dominant characteristics.

If your child is unsure of what it is that interest them the most, encourage them to try new things. Be positive and try to keep them surrounded by positive influences and experiences. Help them to socialize and adjust to their surroundings. By introducing a child to a variety of activities and experiences, they learn to develop and capitalize on their strengths and find things that interest them. As these children grow into adults, they won't have so much confusion as to what they like or don't like to do and they will know many of the things they are good at.

As we all know, learning is a lifelong process. However, key stages of learning occur long before we reach adulthood. Learning starts in infancy, develops in childhood, and expands throughout our adult life. We will see as we get older that we learn differently as adults than we did as children. Perhaps as a child you weren't exposed to a variety of activities and experiences that helped you to develop your strengths and as a result you might still be searching for your niche. Now that you're older it is a lot harder because you feel pressured to get out into the world and be a success.

Learning in childhood is a bit more carefree and less stressful. However, there is no time limit on learning and no matter your age, you can always try new things to discover what you like. In fact, some people don't even discover certain hobbies or activities they enjoy until much later in life. So keep your eyes and ear open at all times, and more importantly, make sure you open your mind.

Source:
Afrique Volume 16, No 8, August 2007