OPTIMIZE YOUR CHILD’S LEARNING STYLE (GRADES 4-8) If flashcards only help to frustrate your child and talking through an addition or subtraction problem just confuses him, perhaps the usual study techniques contradict his personal learning style. “There are multiple channels in the brain for learning,” says Brandi Roth, PhD., a Beverly Hills psychologist and author of Secrets to School Success: Guiding Your Child Through a Joyous Learning Experience. “It is particularly important to understand how a child processes information.” Roth says there are three main pathways to learning: auditory, visual and kinesthetic. To determine how your teen processes information, ask him what comes to mind when he hears the word “saxophone.” Children who see a picture of a saxophone or see the word “saxophone” in their mind are probably visual learners. Auditory learners will first hear the sound of a saxophone’s blast, for example, and kinesthetic learners will feel a saxophone’s sleek metal. Once you know your child’s learning style, you can tailor his study habits accordingly. “It is very important to ‘study smart’,” Roth says, “Meaning you use your best strengths, whether it’s visual or auditory or kinesthetic, to learn the best way.” Visual learners learn by watching. Visual learners can incorporate two different learning strategies. They can use the written form of the language—the left-brain technique—or pictures—the right-brain technique—and drawings to help in language learning. Visually oriented students prefer to use pictures, handouts, outlines, overhead transparencies, graphs and maps. These students will value to-do lists, assignment logs and written notes, and they tend to study by themselves in a quiet room rather than in a group. When preparing for a math exam, visual learners often benefit from visualizing the problem in their mind and writing it out on paper. Other helpful study methods for visual learners include: Use color highlighters to code different types of information Outline or prioritize data Read books that incorporate maps, graphs and charts Draw “webs” that connect ideas on paper Auditory learners learn by hearing. They learn most from group discussions, videos, lectures and music. They learn better when they read a text aloud or can discuss what they think. Auditory learners take cues from their teacher’s tone, pitch and speed and find underlying meanings in what is said. Because of their “fine-tuned ear,” auditory learners also tend to find foreign languages easy to pick up. Roth recommends parents ask their child to repeat what they’ve learned in their own words and then help the child prioritize the information. Parents can also use musical cues to help their audio-oriented learners. Associate spelling words with different notes or lyrics in a song. Auditory learners also can: Compose or listen to speeches Create jingles or poems to help memorize information Use a tape recorder instead of paper notes Read instructions aloud or ask someone to read them aloud Talk through a problem or explain it to others Kinesthetic learners learn by doing. “Kinesthetic learners always want to touch everything and be involved physically with the learning material they’re learning,” Roth says. “As much as possible we want to provide something that they can hold or manipulate.” Kinesthetic learners learn best when their muscles or senses are actively engaged. They focus best when movement is involved in the learning process. They acquire information fastest when participating in a science lab, skit, field trip or a dance, for example. Kinesthetic learners take a hands-on approach, by learning from imitation and touch. Roth says these students sometimes have difficulty because visual and auditory teaching methods are used most in schools, and abstract concepts are a more difficult to hold or manipulate. “Kinetic learners sometimes find science concepts difficult so I ask them to act them out. It helps them to better conceptualize a cell or an atom,” she says. To avoid frustration with abstract concepts, kinesthetic learners can bounce a ball as they recite their times tables or write a spelling word in the air to help them study. Sometimes even tapping their foot while they read will help them connect better to what they are studying. Other helpful study methods for kinesthetic learners include: Manipulating models Chewing gum Taking study breaks to move around Reading on an exercise bike Playing charades or role playing Writing lessons or problems on a chalkboard Learning styles are not absolute, however. Children can use all three modes when they learn. “Everybody learns a combination of ways, learning areas are not separate functions, the brain is not made up of segments but works together as a whole,” Roth says. “You can learn a lot by observing a child and watching their success, but there are many times when an evaluation by a professional trained in learning difficulties and who can provide strategies may be warranted. “The primary role of parents is to stand by and know their child and observe their child and to help them to succeed by helping the child to understand themselves. If they do that, they become the best parent because they’ll understand the uniqueness of their child.” QUIZ: Is your child a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner? Ask him the following questions to find out. 1. On a spelling test, how does your find a correct answer? a. He writes it down to see if it feels right. b. He sounds it out. c. He tries to see the word in his mind. 2. How does your child learn multiplication tables? a. By bouncing a ball and calling out answers on each bounce. b. By reciting answers out loud. c. By using flashcards. 3. What helps your child most in science class? a. Playing with models, water, leaves, weights and pulleys. b. Listening to the teacher talk about it in front of the class. c. Looking at pictures and graphs. 4. What distracts your child the most in class? a. People standing up and moving around the classroom. b. Noise from other classrooms our outside. c. An untidy classroom. 5. What types of books does your child prefer? a. When he has to read, he chooses an action story. b. Books with lots of dialogue between the characters. c. Books with vivid descriptions of people or places. If you answered: Mostly As: your child is a kinesthetic learner Mostly Bs: your child is an auditory learner Mostly Cs: your child is a visual learner