As human beings, we all consume information and pick up skills a bit differently. That’s because we are all unique in how our brains perceive the world around us.
Learning is particularly important for young children whose minds are often going a mile a minute, absorbing everything they sense. But what are the most common types of learning among children? Let’s explore.
Visual Learners
Research has shown that the most common types of young learners are those who most effectively consume and retain information visually. This could mean anything from visually reading text on the page of a book or screen to watching a video on how to complete a certain task.
Visual learners are also very attuned to observing others. For example, some children pay close attention to the facial expressions of their teachers and can even sense their mood by watching their body language.
Keep in mind that while visual learners rely heavily on what they see, sometimes children can be overstimulated by too many visuals in their environment. Flashing lights may be an example of this.
In general, visual learners typically recall information they have learned through visual images in their mind. This doesn’t necessarily mean remembering what happened in a certain instance, but rather what they were taught in class or watched their teacher do to demonstrate something visually.
Auditory Learners
Children who learn best by listening are considered auditory learners. Their ears are very sensitive to the sounds of their environment. In addition, they tend to be more conversive and verbally interactive with their teachers and peers.
Auditory learners are also known to pick up instructions more effectively by having someone tell them how to perform a task. For instance, rather than having a teacher show a student how to use scissors to cut construction paper in a certain way, the student would prefer hearing the teacher describe how to pick up the scissors, where to place them on the paper, and where to make such a cut.
As with overstimulation for visual learners, the same can be said for auditory learners. Environments with too much noise in them, such as loud music playing and people talking at the same time, can be quite distracting to those who prioritize their hearing skills.
Tactile Learners
The sense of touch is a critical one for tactile learners. Many children find hands-on activities to be far more impactful than any others when processing and later retaining information. Fun activities like arts and crafts often involve some type of tactile experience. However, even in the classroom, a tactile learner might prefer writing down or typing notes to experience a hands-on activity in class. Or, they might prefer doing math problems on paper with a pencil rather than trying to do them in their head.
Doodling is another common activity for tactile learners. Some kids – and even adults – find comfort in drawing on paper when listening to information being presented to them. While this might seem like more of a distraction for the learner, it’s not always a bad thing if such an activity can actually keep someone more focused.
Kinesthetic Learners
Similar to tactile learners, kinesthetic learners like being physically active as well. This could mean preferring to talk with their hands when having a conversation with someone or using one’s hands to feel a certain type of material in an art class instead of simply having someone describe its texture to them. Another example could be constructing a model of a building to understand its shape and structure by feel instead of simply looking at a picture of it in a book.
One challenge some kinesthetic learners face is that they can fidget or have trouble sitting still. Fidget spinners could be a good option for a child in this situation, as long as it does not take their attention away from the learning process.
The Importance of Determining a Child’s Learning Style
Whether you are a parent or teacher, it can be quite helpful to determine how a child learns best. This can be done by allowing a child to explore a variety of activities that incorporate some type of learning. If you observe your child tending to learn in a certain way, or if the child even communicates this preference, this information can be valuable in projecting the child’s future learning abilities to ensure he or she is put in the most beneficial learning environment.