Identifying your child’s individual learning style, can really help to support their development and their progress at school. There are three common learning styles and each person has a central learning style or technique. By understanding the characteristics of each style, parents can identify the best learning activities and tools to aid their child’s academic progress.

To help you identify your child’s individual learning style and unlock their full potential, an independent school in Herefordshire have put together the following information.

What are the common learning styles?

Each learning style relates to the individual senses we use the most when we are learning. For example, seeing, feeling and listening. Schools aim to incorporate these learning styles into lessons using a number of practical hands-on tasks. Plus interactive whiteboards and roleplay activities.

Read through the characteristic of each learning style below. Then you can see if you can identify which one matches your child’s method of learning.

Visual learner

Visual learners like to see what they are learning. Pictures, diagrams and instructional videos are all incredibly beneficial to this type of learner. Visual learners often have a ‘photographic memory’. Which means these children are particularly good at remembering what they have seen in lots of detail.

When teaching visual learners it is a good idea to have pens and paper available, as they like to write things down and draw whilst listening. It is also beneficial to visit museums and art galleries with your child to enhance their learning experience.

Kinaesthetic Learner

Kinaesthetic learners process information best through hands-on activities. They want to touch and feel whilst they are learning and they often like to learn through movement.

You may notice that this type of leaner will move around whilst talking and often use hand movements to explain something. Kinaesthetic learners enjoy subjects such as Science, Art and PE, where there is a lot of physical activity to help keep them engaged.

Auditory Learner

Finally, auditory learners benefit most by having information explained to them verbally. They like to listen and then absorb the details. This type of learner is also more likely to remember key details by saying things out loud. You may notice that an auditory learner will easily remember verbal instructions, however they will require more time to process information during a reading exercise.