Did you know that everyone learns things differently?
Some learn by doing, some by seeing, some not at all no matter what.
Just kidding, we all learn, just at a different pace. So why is it important to know about learning styles? Well, to make the process of studying and acquiring information easier and effective. The “VARK Model” is the most widely accepted model of learning styles. VARK stands for Visual, Aural or Auditory, Reading and Writing, and Kinesthetic.
Styles overview:
- Visual learners learn best by seeing it done.
- Aural, or auditory, learners learn best by listening to the process.
- There are also those that learn best by reading material and writing things out.
- Kinesthetic learners learn best in the physical realm, i.e., by moving and doing.
Styles in Details:
Visual learners
- Need less clutter in their learning environment. Too much going on can overwhelm these learners and make it harder to stay focused.
- They work best when things are color-coded or drawn out in front of them instead of just a verbal explanation.
- They benefit from gestures made by the teacher as they go over a lesson and charts and graphs that give them a visual of the material to remember.
- For school projects, they benefit from creating posters to illustrate key concepts.
Auditory learners
- Much like visual, may be easily distracted by the world around them, but they may very well be listening to and absorbing every word you say, even if they don’t appear to be paying any attention at all.
- These learners benefit from audiobooks and speeches. It may be best to record lectures in class so they can go back and listen to them over again.
Reading and writing learners
- May not be the best at listening to lectures, but if they have the chance to read the transcript or read from the textbook will get the materials. This way they can take notes in their own way.
- These students don’t benefit as much from class discussions because they may need time to process the information on paper before sharing it out loud.
- They do benefit from handouts, essays, and reading assignments.
Kinesthetic learners
- Need to get up and move or need to use their hands in order to better understand the material.
- These students benefit from labs, experiments, and field trips.
- They need physical props when counting or maybe they need to get up and physically act out the story in order to understand it.
It is possible to have several learning styles. Some people, depending on the material, may learn best one way when it comes to math and another when it comes to history. Of course, it is best not to think of these learning styles as a box to be placed into because everyone learns differently in different situations. Knowing these learning styles is just one piece of the bigger picture. With each learning style comes a different understanding of your capabilities.
Discover your style and learn more at https://www.educationcorner.com/learning-styles.html
Best wishes.