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| Learning and Teaching Style for teaching children |
- What is a learning style?
- Where do learning styles come from?
- Why should teachers know about learning styles?
- What types of learning styles are there?
- What teaching methods and activities suit different learning styles?
What is a learning style?
- A learning style is more or less the way in which a person consistently perceives, conceptualizes, organizes and recalls information.
Where do learning styles come from?
- Your students' learning styles will be influenced by their genetic make-up, their previous learning experiences, their culture and the society they live in.
Why should teachers know about learning styles?
- Students learn better and more quickly if the teaching methods used match their preferred learning styles. As learning improves, so does self-esteem. This has a further positive effect on learning. Students who have become bored with learning may become interested once again. The student-teacher relationship can improve because the student is more successful and is more interested in learning.
What types of learning styles are there?
- There are many ways of looking at learning styles. Here are some of the classification systems, that researchers have developed.
There are four main types of learning styles:
- Students may prefer a visual (seeing), auditory (hearing and speaking), kinesthetic (moving) or tactile (touching) way of learning.
Those who prefer a visual learning style...
- look at the teacher’s face intently
- like looking at wall displays, reading books, etc.
- often recognize words by sight
- use lists to organize their thoughts
- recall information by remembering how it was set out on a page
Those who prefer an auditory learning style...
- like the teacher to provide verbal instructions
- like dialogues, discussions and play
- solve problems by talking about them
- use rhythm and sound as memory aids
Those who prefer a kinesthetic learning style...
- learn best when they are involved or active
- find it difficult to sit still for long periods
- use movement as a memory aid
Those who prefer a tactile way of learning...
- use writing and drawing as memory aids
- learn well in hands-on activities like projects and demonstrations