There are benefits of knowing your child’s learning style. Their learning style isn’t just for school purposes. In early childhood development, it’s important to carry the learning beyond the classroom and into the home. Chances are, you can figure out which learning style your child prefers by the different activities and interactions they do at home.
To help you further, here are the seven learning styles defined:
- Visual (spatial): Your child prefers using pictures, images, and visual understanding.
- Aural (auditory-musical): Your child prefers using sound and music.
- Verbal (linguistic): Your child prefers using words, both in speech and writing.
- Physical (kinesthetic): Your child prefers using their body, hands, and sense of touch.
- Logical (mathematical): Your child prefers using logic, reasoning, and systems.
- Social (interpersonal): Your child prefers to learn in groups or with other people.
- Solitary (intrapersonal): Your child prefers to work alone and uses self-study.
Going over this list, you might realize that your child has more than one learning style. While a child may have a natural strength in one, they can also have secondary strengths. It takes engagement and application of the styles to reap the benefits of extended learning at home.
Here are five benefits of knowing your child’s learning style! You will:
1. Find Ideas for Activities
All it takes is a simple internet search for a particular learning style and you’ll come up with several ideas you can do at home to supplement your child’s education. For example, you could plug in the search terms “kinesthetic learning activities” into your search engine. Set aside some time to browse because there will be thousands of options!
2. Make Learning Fun
When you do more activities in your child’s strongest learning style, it makes learning fun for them. This will open your child up to the other learning styles and embolden them to take on more difficult subject areas. Your child will be able to have a diverse, deeper education experience as they grow older into grade school and beyond.
3. Strengthen Other Learning Styles
Now that your child is more open to other styles of learning, take advantage! Do just as you did for the strongest learning style but, this time, do an internet search on a weaker learning style to begin to expose your child to it at home. Improving more difficult learning styles will allow for a well-rounded education.
4. Understand Your Own Learning Style
Often a child becomes frustrated because they may be forced to consistently learn from a style they aren’t strong at. At home, you might tend to “teach” from the style where you are strongest. Being aware of your own learning style will help prevent frustration as you walk with your child in their education journey.
5. Improve Interaction with Your Child
Understanding your own and your child’s strongest learning styles will strengthen your bond with your child and help create more influential learning interactions. That strong bond will build communication and give your child a stronger sense of support at home. This will set them up for success.