STUDY SKILLS FOR EVERY LEARNING STYLE Does your child doodle in the margins of every notebook, or insist on doing homework on the floor instead of at the brand new desk you bought. Does your child hate to read, but loves to be read to? Relax. Your child is normal. He or she is probably expressing a unique learning style. Since the 1970s, developmental psychologists have investigated different ways in which people learn, disregarding older theories that everyone absorbs information the same way. The two most popular theories that have made their way into many classrooms are Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences and the Learning Styles Model. Both ideas suggest that everybody has certain experiences and heredity-determined preferences, to an environment and a medium in which they best learn and function. For example, Gardner’s theory suggests that each person’s intellectual strengths lie in one of or a combination of eight areas which he calls “intelligences.” They include: bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences, logical-mathematical, linguistic, musical, spatial and naturalistic. That explains why a person who may appear to have a learning disability in reading comprehension can be “smart math.” Since each person develops stronger talents in certain “intelligences,” everyone learns in a way that compliments his or her dominant intelligences. The Learning Styles Model says there are four kinds of learners: auditory, experiential or logical, kinesthetic and visual. Here are some tips you can use to determine what kind of learner your child is and help him or her at home and at school: Visual learners tend to prefer pictures, charts, graphs and maps. They may recall the way information looks on a page and retain what they see, rather than what they hear. These students should take notes during lectures, illustrate ideas whenever possible, create mental images and use colored pens to code information. For more tips on visual learners see “Picture This.” Auditory learners capture information they hear. These students should use a tape recorder whenever possible and recite lessons immediately after studying. Ask your child to recap out loud what he or she has just studied. Jingles, analogies and anecdotes can help clarify information. Kinesthetic learners need movement and hands on experience to learn best. They take frequent breaks and may have trouble sitting still. These students need some flexibility in their environment such as walking while reading. Props or tangible learning tools also keep them interested. Hands-on projects of any kind will help the kinesthetic child. Experiential, or logical, learners want to discover how something works. These students are also hands-on learners, but they prefer experiments, puzzles or charts. They enjoy building, uncovering patterns and using strategy. Since they are able to think abstractly from a young age, parents should help these children see the relationship between what they learn and real life experiences. Comparing characters in a book to a friend or relative will help them retain information, as will finding clues to possible solutions in everything from reading to math and art. Dr. Richard Bavaria, vice president of education for Sylvan Learning Center, explains three ways parents can help distinguish their child’s learning style: Observe your child at an early age. Notice which ones of the intelligences your child favors the most. Does your child like to have things explained or does she like to learn on her own? Does she need silence when she is working or are distractions actually helpful to her. Keep in contact with your child’s teacher. Be sure to keep the channels of communication open. Talk with your child’s teacher regarding your child’s learning style. Be sure that you tell your child’s teacher what you have noticed about your child’s learning style so the teacher can be aware of it in class as well. Teachers appreciate this kind of information from parents, and it makes them more successful with their students. Remember that every child has more than one learning style. Once you have figured out which one is your child’s primary learning style, of these are your child’s strengths, try to fashion his learning experiences around those intelligences. You may identify your child right away from the previous descriptions. If not, there are some tests available on the Internet to pinpoint learning styles (www.learnhow2learn.com, www.learningstyles.net). By Diana A. Terry-Azíos