At our independent school in Devon, we’re always looking for intuitive ways to give our pupils the very best start in life. Part of this involves ensuring all our subjects cater to every pupil, no matter how they prefer to learn.
Many parents would have heard people talk about learning styles and types, as these are popular topics. However, our knowledge of how best to provide for children who learn in different ways continues to develop, and that changes how many people view the different learning types.
What are the Learning Styles?
What counts as a learning style is constantly being debated and revised by academics, with some contemporary models having upwards of ten different styles. However, when most people refer to learning styles or types, they usually mean these three traditional categories:
- Visual – Learning through looking at things.
- Auditory – Learning through listening and talking.
- Kinaesthetic – Learning through physical action.
The Importance of Experiencing Multiple Learning Styles
Supporters of learning styles suggest that certain people will learn more efficiently when taught in a certain style. Of course, it’s not quite as simple as that.
Research from groups such as the Education Endowment Foundation highlights that there is little evidence that identifying a child’s preferred learning style and focusing on it is beneficial. Young pupils, in particular, are constantly developing and, while they may show strengths and weaknesses in certain styles in one subject, they could just as easily show the opposite in another.
Generally, the best approach is to continuously experiment with and explore multiple ways of learning with young children. Instead of worrying about learning styles you think don’t suit your child, focus, instead, on encouraging their growth and improvement with support across all the learning types.
Visual Learning
Visual learners often have a preference for their teaching to be seen or observed. Examples of this include:
- Looking at pictures, diagrams and flip charts.
- Watching films, videos or demonstrations.
- Reading instructions or displays.
Visual learners are often the best at being able to watch someone demonstrate or explain something, and then repeat that demonstration or explanation themselves.
Tips for Visual Learners
Here are some ways visual learners can be supported when learning or revising a subject:
- Create Handouts – Visual learners can take a lot of information from things like posters, flow charts and maps.
- Use Colours – Creating colourful revision notes or highlighting key information can help visual learners recognise details.
- Explore Through Drawing – Put theories into practice through drawing diagrams or cartoons.
Auditory Learning
An auditory learner prefers to hear things being explained or discussed. This is somewhere between the visual learner, who happily receives information through pictures or text, and the kinaesthetic learner, who learns best when doing stuff themselves.
Examples of auditory learning include:
- Reading aloud.
- Group discussions.
- Learning through song.
While a visual learner is skilled at repeating what they see, an auditory learner is skilled at remembering through sound, and will often create things like patterns or songs to store and recite information.
Tips for Auditory Learners
Here are some ways auditory learners can be supported when learning or revising a subject:
- Discussions – Auditory learners reinforce topics through discussion and debate.
- Rhymes & Songs – Putting information into a rhyming or rhythmic pattern can make it easier to repeat and memorise.
Kinaesthetic Learning
A kinaesthetic learner prefers to learn through doing and creating. While they may still receive information in visual or auditory ways, they use physical movements and touch as a way of putting that information into memory.
Examples of kinaesthetic learning include:
- Creating things such as models or study cards.
- Counting on hands or using items to figure out sums.
- Training or trialling theories for themselves.
A common trait of kinaesthetic learning is trial and error; kinaesthetic learners are often happy to jump straight into a topic where they may not know everything and learn as they go.
Tips for Kinaesthetic Learners
Here are some ways kinaesthetic learners can be supported when learning or revising a subject:
- Hands-on Revision – Kinaesthetic learners often benefit from creating their own study materials, such as cutting and designing revision cards.
- Roleplay – Acting out a topic can help kinaesthetic learners take information on board.
- Games – Incorporating games that get you moving (such as a treasure hunt where the clues are information to be learned) can help reinforce topics.
As mentioned at the beginning, the best approach to learning will often include two or all of these different learning styles. That’s why, at St Peter’s, our varied and engaging curriculum and lesson plans cater for all learning types, providing a range of tasks and projects that allow each pupil to discover their strengths.
