Everyone learns differently. With four main types of learners, students tend to excel at one type of learning more than others and each comes with its advantages and disadvantages. To support positive learning outcomes, different styles of teaching can be utilised with different types of learners.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, educators were forced to deliver classes online, where they were less likely to identify what type of learners their students are. As a result, some students have not been learning as well as they were before the pandemic. Failure rates have been higher across the country over the past two years which means students are less likely to achieve high marks or the credits they need to graduate on time. Although school boards and teachers are making heroic efforts to adapt to the new normal as best as possible, students’ needs are not fully being met and the situation will take time to improve.
So, how can you help support your child’s learning? Taking the time to determine your child’s learning type can help inform a learning plan and approach that will allow your child to flourish.
The Four Types of Learners
Each student has their own unique way of engaging with and mastering a subject. For instance, one student may be more likely to memorize a poem by turning it into song while another is better off writing out the poem multiple times. Generally, there are four main types of learners:
Auditory learners
Visual (or spatial) learners
Kinesthetic (or hands-on) learners
Writing and reading learners
Auditory learners learn most about a subject by hearing someone speaking about it, and by speaking about it themselves (especially in groups). Visual learners, by contrast, prefer diagrams, graphs, and other visual aids. Kinesthetic learners learn by doing. And writing and reading learners learn by writing and reading (typically on their own).
There’s more to the story, of course; learning isn’t that simple. Auditory learners, for instance, don’t only learn about a subject through speech. Auditory learners also tend to be linear thinkers and sociable people. Group projects and presentations are especially helpful, as is reading aloud. In contrast, writing and reading learners tend to be more introverted and better suited to individual projects. This makes them particularly well-suited to traditional pedagogical approaches. A book, some paper, a dictionary, and a quiet room constitute a writing and reading learner’s basic learning needs.
Identifying a Learning Type
If you’re not sure what type of learner your child is, we suggest considering how they prefer to receive instruction to adjust the method for optimal learning outcomes. Understanding your child’s learning type(s) can increase your child’s learning potential, improve the ways your child studies, help them better understand who they are, and raise their confidence and grades.
Learning types can play a role in a student deciding what subject or field of study to pursue, as each learning style has its advantages and disadvantages. Writing and reading learners are often better off pursuing English literature or law, while kinesthetic learners are drawn more toward hands-on fields of study such as engineering, biology, trades or any subject that involves lab work or exercise. Does your child excel at some subjects more than others? If so, this may indicate what type of learner your child is.
Understanding what type of learner your child is can also help him or her improve at a subject they struggle with by understanding the best ways for them to study it and providing the education support they need to approach the material. For example, if your child is a visual learner, they may be better able to commit information to memory by highlighting their notes in different colours. Visual learners also tend to learn more in class when they sit near the front, where they can see their teacher better and not be distracted by other students in the room.
If your child is a kinesthetic learner, an uncomfortable chair can interfere with their studying more so than loud noises or people walking in and out of the room. Kinesthetic learners, unlike visual learners, are often better off sitting in the back of the class, where it’s more acceptable for them to move around.
A student’s learning type also depends to some degree on the subject they’re engaging with. Reading and writing learners may learn more about a piece of music by listening to it than they would by reading and writing about it. Auditory learners may learn more about the location of a country by seeing it on a map than by listening to a lecture about its geographical coordinates.
Certified Tutors Can Help Identify Your Child’s Learning Type
Every student can learn with the right approach. At Prep Academy Tutors, we provide a personalized touch wherein our certified tutors help each pupil engage with schoolwork according to their highly individual learning needs rather than the one-size-fits-all curriculums taught through school boards – which benefits some types of learners more than others.
Our local math and English tutors understand how important it is to employ a customized style of tutoring. Some of our English tutors employ Wilson Reading System, while others teach the Direct Instruction Reading Masters program, to improve reading comprehension for children of different ages. Some of our math tutors are schooled in JUMP Math, while others are trained in the Singapore Math philosophy. Our tutoring services offer the educational support your child needs.
If you want to learn about how our tutoring service helps different types of learners excel, get in touch with Prep Academy Tutors of Interior BC to find out more.
