The right learning styles are essential: When you hear your child whining while learning and saying things like: "I can't do this," "I don't understand this," and the like, your first reaction is to help your child and try to explain the material to him "your way." Despite your best efforts, however, the child is not clear about what you are telling him.
Slowly but surely, you lose patience and eventually give up on helping your child (without finding an appropriate solution), causing dissatisfaction on both sides. Do you know this situation? And have you ever asked yourself what the problem actually is and why the way you explain something is not suitable for your child?
If so, then you've probably noticed that each of us has our own learning style, our own ways of absorbing and processing new information, and different ways of solving challenges. Children are no exception! If you don't know this yet, it's high time to end the misunderstandings between you and your child (and perhaps your wider environment) and find out what the best learning method is and how you can help your child master any material faster and easier to understand and manage.
How are learning styles divided according to the VAK method?
You may have heard of the division into visual, auditory and kinesthetic personality types, with visual types relying mainly on the sense of sight, auditory on the sense of hearing and kinesthetic on the sense of touch. The VAK method is based on this division, ie on the three learning styles to which each of us predominantly belongs, including our children.
Certainly when we learn we will combine different styles and adapt to different situations. Still, knowing your child's primary learning system will make things easier for both you and your child! When you recognize your child's dominant sense and take steps to help him learn faster and more easily, his knowledge, joy and confidence will be limitless!!
How do you know which learning method is best for your child?
Does your child learn best with their eyes, ears or hands? In other words – is it of the visual, auditory or kinesthetic type? In order for a child to achieve the best results, it is important to identify as early as possible which cognitive learning style suits them best. Even in infancy we can determine which sense is dominant. If a baby is constantly moving and primarily has to touch everything that comes before his eyes, he is a predominantly kinesthetic (tactile) type; if he listens carefully to your words and sounds, he is likely to become an auditory type, and if he is most attracted to the variety of colors - he will develop a visual learning style.
Each of the learning styles in children has its own characteristics, and accordingly there are different recommendations for overcoming possible difficulties in mastering the learning material. Therefore, read the description of the individual learning styles below and judge for yourself which learning method is the best for your child:
1.) Visual learning style – The child thinks in pictures and absorbs data with his eyes. You can recognize this style because the child transforms words into images, often blinks and gestures, and does not give details when speaking. Eye contact and non-verbal communication are important to him, and he looks for visual information with his eyes during conversation. The saying applies to this type: “A picture is worth a thousand words”. This child prefers to learn independently with the help of pictures and texts that he looks at while learning, while the involvement of other senses can disturb him.
How to help the visual child learn?
Provide a quiet learning environment, use photos, maps, graphics, sketches, diagrams, multimedia, colors to highlight text, etc. It is good if the child makes his own written notes, because the visual type likes written instructions and the illustration of ideas – this is the best way to remember information.
2.) Auditory learning style – The child thinks about sounds and becomes all ears, so his main method of learning happens through active listening and conversation. He easily memorizes lyrics of songs and stories, describes in detail in words, asks questions to get a verbal answer, participates in discussions, whereas, for example, interruptions during a presentation and noise can disturb him while studying.
What helps the auditory child absorb the material better?
This child absorbs everything he hears. Therefore, it can enhance learning through reading aloud, recording and listening to notes, or using video clips. It can also make sense to learn in pairs or in a group, to discuss a specific topic with others or to learn with rhymes and songs. It is also important to provide him with a quiet place where he can listen to everything he needs to learn in peace.
3.) Kinesthetic learning style – The child thinks about his feelings and likes to move, so he finds it difficult to sit for long periods of time and needs frequent breaks. This child remembers most easily things he has done himself. It processes information the slowest because it has to first see and hear it and then convert it into emotions with which it expresses its thoughts and ideas. That's why practical work and physical activity as well as learning through touch and movement are important to him.
Which learning styles should be used with a kinesthetic child?
It's good to create an atmosphere in which he can move around and in this way master the material more easily. Have them use their hands and draw pictures on paper that they place on the floor or hang on the wall. It should learn by moving, touching things or redesigning its “workstation” from time to time. It can be useful for this child to walk or stand while learning new things, acting out lessons, listening to music, and whenever possible, they should be able to try out activities related to the subject matter or use apps that support them Simulate activities.
Although one of these learning styles is dominant, it is certainly not the only one, and your child will probably combine at least two learning methods. In fact, it has been proven that combining multiple senses when learning allows the child to reach their maximum potential and adapt to any situation. Nevertheless, identifying the dominant learning style is the starting point, something our BrainOBrain tutors know only too well!
Based on communication with your child, we will quickly identify which type they belong to and create an individual plan for the development and improvement of their skills using the VAK method, which activates all three senses and both hemispheres of the brain and strengthens their intellectual and life skills! Every child has the same chance of success, but timing is an important factor, so book a free trial lesson now and see for yourself the numerous benefits that our program for children aged 4-14 offers.
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