Learning Styles Simplified
- Friday Jun 18,2010 11:32 AM
- By article king
- In Uncategorized
Therefore abundant is created regarding the importance of learning designs and teaching methods. Here may be a simplified breakdown of four basic learning designs and three basic modalities and my personal experience in using them.
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“Work smarter, not harder.”
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Various authors and researchers have come back up with different names for the fundamental learning styles. In my view, this may cause more confusion for the layperson than it solves as a result of terminology lacks standardization. The same basic learning style will have four or 5 different names, depending on how many completely different books you read.
The bottom line is there seems to be four basic designs and three basic modalities. The designs themselves read similar to personality traits and also the modalities are the ways that that info is transported to the brain. Whereas other designs and modalities appear in books and research, they’re, more usually than not, mixtures of the basic designs and modalities listed below.
Usually someone will have some, but not necessarily all, of the traits from a learning style. In fact, it’s not unusual for an individual to show traits from a lot of than one style. It’s conjointly not unusual for an individual to process data by more than one modality.
As oldsters or educators, all we really would like is to comprehend that learning styles and modalities are tools; tools that we tend to will use to help our kids method info more efficiently. Have you ever heard the statement “work smarter, not tougher”? This can be how we tend to can use an understanding of learning styles.
To create things easy, I’m visiting variety every style. The number has no significance beyond separating each definition.
Style One: learns by doing, doesn’t necessarily like deep thinking, is spontaneous; often artistic; does not like sitting still trying at books; prefers games, competitions, short presentations.
Style Two: likes clear, structured, well organized tasks; needs everything done in order; wants “just the facts not opinions, thank you.” Enjoys textbooks and works well with traditionally styled curriculum; has to work at being artistic, but it’s not necessarily a chore; not naturally spontaneous, and tends to be cautious.
Style Three: could be a problem-solver, self-motivated, analyzes things, usually prefers logical subjects like math and science; works well independently; enjoys long-term projects. Appears to figure well with organized lectures as part of their curriculum.
Vogue Four: is very social, perhaps even a “social butterfly” kind thriving on personal interaction with many completely different people. Curious about folks, ideas and principles of a subject, not necessarily the events themselves. Has to figure at organization. They’re usually liable to conflict and criticism. “Why” is a terribly important query to them.
Those are the four basic learning styles, and I will tell you from expertise with my own kids, making an attempt to pigeon-hole or tag a kid with only one label or vogue simply doesn’t work. But, looking for that vogue is most dominant will facilitate us to tailor activities thus that the kid will create the foremost of their learning opportunities.
The modalities come into play when we strive and determine a way to method the knowledge for the learning style. The three commonest are:
Visual: receives data best through visual stimulation (i.e., footage, diagrams, reading)
Kinesthetic: receives data best through bit and hands-on activities (i.e., craft projects, cuisenaire rods, science labs)
Auditory: receives info best via “sound bytes” (i.e., lectures, songs, books on tape)
Take each of your kids and find out that vogue and that modality is the most dominant. After you have decided which learning vogue description seems to suit them best, and by that modality they method information best, you can go explore for a curriculum or learning opportunities that will suit their individual needs.
But don’t be stunned that what once worked “best” eventually now not does. Youngsters evolve and change as they grow. It’s a smart plan to re-evaluate their style ever therefore usually, particularly if you begin to determine that they’re having difficulties or begin to dislike a curriculum, resource, or activity that worked well previously.
On a private level, I dislike labeling people. I’ve got found that it can cause confusion and usually lacks constructive results. However, understanding learning styles and modalities, though at first look a reasonably label, has truly helped me deliver learning opportunities to my kids additional efficiently with more constructive and long run results. While I could focus our efforts on one style or modality, I strive and include activities that may suit other styles and modalities to assist my youngsters expand their areas of interest and abilities and to assist them exercise areas where they need a lot of development to balance out their skills.
For more information about learning styles and all the tips and guide you’ll ever need about learning styles can be found at learning styles.