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Every parent of a school-aged child knows the desire to see them succeed without struggling. One way that we can help our kids meet their academic potential is by helping them to better understand the way that they learn.
Most people have a preferred way to learn. Some learn best by listening, some have to observe every step, while others have to do it to learn it. While most people are usually stronger in one area than another, individuals need all three modalities to truly commit information to memory: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.
Knowing your preferred learning style will help you to better understand how to integrate new information. The trick is figuring out your preferred modality and capitalizing on your strengths. Let’s look at each of the learning styles in a little more detail.
The Visual Learning Style
If you use the visual learning style, you prefer using images, pictures, colors, and maps to organize information and communicate with others. You can easily visualize objects, plans and outcomes in your mind, and you have a good spatial sense, which gives you a good sense of direction. You can easily find your way around using maps, and you rarely get lost. When you walk out of an elevator, you instinctively know which way to turn.
The whiteboard is a best friend, or would be if you had access to one. You love drawing, scribbling and doodling, especially with colors. You typically have a good fashion sense and color balance, but not always!
Some hobbies and careers that make the most use of the visual style are visual art, architecture, photography, video or film, design, planning (especially strategic), and navigation.
You may tend to use phrases like these:
Let's look at it differently.
See how this works for you.
I can't quite picture it.
Let's draw a diagram or map.
I'd like to get a different perspective.
I never forget a face.
As a visual learner, it will help you to use images, pictures, color and other visual media as you learn. Incorporate much imagery into your visualizations. Because visualizing things in your mind comes easily to you, you may have to make your visualizations of new information stand out more. This makes sure new material is obvious among all the other visual images you have floating around inside your head.
Use color, layout, and spatial organization when you create associations. Use mind maps. Use color and pictures in place of text, wherever possible. If you don't use the computer, make sure you have a few different colored pens.
Systems diagrams can help you visualize the links between parts of a system. This is especially helpful when studying biology or machines. Replace words with pictures, and use color to highlight major and minor links.
The visual journey or story technique helps you memorize content that isn't easy to 'see.' This method involves creating associations between the information to be learned and “peg words.” The peg words are then used to create a story or journey, such as walking through your town, or a simple story. This method makes it easier to visualize the information.
The Aural (Auditory-Musical-Rhythmic) Learning Style
If you use the aural style, you like to work with sound and music. You have a good sense of pitch and rhythm. You typically can sing, play a musical instrument, or identify the sounds of different instruments. Certain music invokes strong emotions in you. You notice the music playing in the background of movies, TV shows and other media. You often find yourself humming or tapping a song or jingle, or find that music tends to pop into your head without prompting.
Some hobbies and careers that use the aural style are playing, conducting, or composing music, and sound engineering (mixing and audiovisual work).
You may tend to use phrases like these:
That sounds about right.
That rings a bell.
It's coming through loud and clear.
Tune in to what I'm saying
Clear as a bell.
That's music to my ears.
If you are an aural learner, use sound, rhyme, and music in your learning. When creating mnemonics and other memory aids, make the most of rhythm and rhyme. Try setting the information into a jingle or part of a song.
Use the anchoring technique to recall various emotional states that cretain music creates in you. If you have some particular music or song that makes you want to 'take on the world,' play it back and anchor your emotions and state. With practice, you will find that when you need the boost, you can easily recall the state without needing the music.
The Physical (Bodily-Kinesthetic) Learning Style
If the physical style is more like you, it's likely that you use your body and sense of touch to learn about the world around you. You probably like sports and exercise and other physical activities such as gardening or woodworking. You like to think out issues, ideas and problems while you exercise. You would rather go for a run or walk if something is bothering you rather than sitting at home.
You are more sensitive to the physical world around you. You notice and appreciate textures in clothes or furniture. You like 'getting your hands dirty,' making models, or working on jigsaw puzzles.
When you are learning a new skill or topic, you prefer to 'jump in' and play with the physical parts as soon as possible. You would prefer to take an object apart and put it back together, rather than reading or looking at diagrams about how it works.
Sitting in a class or lecture can be difficult. You fidget or can't sit still for long. You want to get up and move around.
Hobbies and careers that involve the physical style include general physical labor, mechanical, construction and repair work, sports and athletics, and drama and dancing.
You may tend to use phrases like these:
That feels right to me.
I can't get a grip on this.
Stay in touch.
Get in touch with.
That doesn't sit right with me.
I have good feelings about this.
My gut is telling me.
I follow your drift.
If you use a physical style to learn new information, use touch, action, movement, and hands-on work in your learning activities. When visualizing, focus on the sensations you would expect in each scenario. For example, if you are visualizing giving an oral presentation, focus on physical sensations you will experience. Feel the pressure of your hands against the podium, notice the texture of the notes in your hand. Be aware of the temperature of the air in the room, and even the feeling of your feet in your shoes.
Use physical objects as much as possible. Touch objects as you learn about what they do. Flashcards can be very helpful as you memorize information because you can touch them and move them around. Also, keep in mind as well that writing and drawing diagrams are physical activities, so don't be afraid to use these as well. You may find that using big sheets of paper and large colored markers gives you a greater sense of action when drawing diagrams.⧫ Citing credit for information on learning styles goes to: www.learning-styles-online.com
Karen Gray is a registered nurse, a certified hypnotist, and the director of Green Mountain Hypnosis in Lebanon, New Hampshire. For more information on how to discover your learning style and improve your academic performance, contact Karen at info@greenmountainhypnosis.com, or call (802) 566-0464.