‘Identify your child’s learning style early on’
Dr Joseph Phetla says it is important for parents, teachers and learners alike to be cognisant of personal learning styles in order to improve learner academic performance.
POLOKWANE – Polokwane-based educational psychologist Dr Joseph Phetla says it is important for parents, teachers and learners alike to be cognisant of personal learning styles in order to improve learner academic performance.
In commemoration of International Day of Education, he discusses the four common types of learners who should all be accommodated according to academic researchers, namely:
1. Visual learners prefer to take in their information with, for example, maps, graphs, diagrams, charts, and others. However, they don’t necessarily respond well to photos or videos, rather needing their information using different visual aids such as patterns and shapes. The best way to present to visual learners is by showing them the relationship between different ideas visually. For instance, when explaining a scientific process, it can be done by using a flow chart.
2. Auditory learners learn better when they take in information when it is heard or spoken. They learn best when information is presented to them via strategies that involve talking, such as lectures and group discussions. They can benefit from repeating back the lessons, having recordings of the lectures, group activities that require classmates explaining ideas, and the like. Phetla said it should be noted that certain learners depend more on some senses than others, for example, some children depend more on visual perception while others may rely more on auditory perception.
3. Kinesthetic learners prefer to learn by doing. They are usually more in touch with reality and more connected to it, which is why they require using tactile experience to understand something better. For instance, they can remember an experiment by recreating it themselves.
4. Reading or writing learners consume information best when it is in words, whether that is by writing it down or reading it. To them, text is more powerful than any kind of visual or auditory representation of an idea. These individuals usually perform very well on written assignments. There are different ways to get a reading or writing learner to engage and understand a certain lesson. For instance, it would be best to have them describe charts and diagrams by written statements, take written quizzes on the topics, or give them written assignments.
