Learning Styles: Myth or Science?

[Lscj]

Here's just a question of the wall...


Many people recognize that each person prefers different learning styles learning techniques. From what I gather from the net, there are basically 4 styles: Aural, Visual, Kinesthetic.

I was wondering is there is actually real science behind this and if its really a big deal? What do you say? Is it really useful?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Vo6XcJR248][/youtube]

[zZneo]

Learning style is important but depending on the context, there are a few more important areas to take care of before spending time and resources on it.


If the context is improvement in exams (I assumed that that's the prime concern of parents who view this thread), i wouldn't worry about learning style for my child if I have not deal with these areas that I found are more important in improving a student's exam score:

CONSISTENCY in homework completion
I would rather my student spend 10 minutes a day for 5 days than to spend 50 minutes a day to complete a particular assignment.

Careful Selection of Practice Questions
Most important factor we found that help students improve in the shortest time possible. The key is to understand the scope of the school's assignments and find relevant questions within the scope. Most tutors and/or parents neglect this portion.

Efficient Feedback/Correction system
A student will need an efficient feedback system to tell him/her why he/she got a question wrong. It can be a tutor, parent or simply the answers at the back of an assessment book.

[TwinstarsMummy]

This is the 1st time I’ve been told about different learning style. In fact if my DS kindy teacher didn’t feedback that he is a kinesthetic learner, I’ll prob won’t ever know and will try to fit him into the usual style of teaching. However I’m now trying a new type of self teaching with him (more hands on) and I’m not sure if it is a fluke, but he did retain faster & had fun in the process.

[isabelcjj]

For many of my friends it makes a huge difference, but not so much for me. Usually I just go with whatever works at the moment. Like if I’m studying in a classroom and many people are around and being noisy, I do verbal or kinesthetic to focus better. If I’m in a quiet place, just visual is fine. I guess it’s a matter of what works for each individual. But having good note-taking techniques and formats, as well as consistent practice and reviewing always helps.

[zac's mum]

Lscj:

Here's just a question of the wall...


Many people recognize that each person prefers different learning styles learning techniques. From what I gather from the net, there are basically 4 styles: Aural, Visual, Kinesthetic.

I was wondering is there is actually real science behind this and if its really a big deal? What do you say? Is it really useful?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Vo6XcJR248][/youtube]

Hi I went to find the Wikipedia entry about learning styles: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_styles

You see, I don't like to watch YouTube or TED talks videos. Dunno why but I prefer to read text than watch videos. Different learning style? Maybe I'm not a visual-audio learner lol

[marmalade]

I am definitely more visual.

My boy is an obvious visual + kinesthetic while my girl lean towards aural (depending on situations she can adopt other styles too), but I am exposing them to all learning styles.

[zac's mum]

http://smartification.net/how-to-identify-a-kinesthetics-learner/


Some people (especially teachers!) do not like the theory, because for practical reasons it's hard to tailor their group lessons to suit individuals. Or as students, they may not have much preference for one over the other, so they use all the different study techniques to gain full mastery.

I am sharing from my own experience with my kid (and myself), because we both have a dominant learning style: kinesthetic. http://smartification.net/how-to-identify-a-kinesthetics-learner/

It was extremely obvious when he was a preschooler. Majority of the population are visual learners. You see so many preschoolers cannot walk past a tv screen in a mall without getting their eyes stuck and glued to the tv. Happy to be entertained by watching movies on long plane flights. NOT MY CHILD. Imagine the torture I had not having an easy outlet to entertain kiddo on the plane. And unable to bring him to watch kiddy movies until much older. But the plus side: he doesn't become addicted to long hours on tv and doesn't need spectacles. However, it is tough to prise the iPad away from his hands. He is busy playing the games (poke here and poke there), rather than watching YouTube.

Kinesthetic children are very suited to Montessori and experiential type of learning. I'm not saying they can't learn other ways, but let them touch things and you can see the light-up on their face. Favourite place for my preschooler since young: Singapore Science Centre. The exhibits there are all solidly built for touch and virtually indestructible by toddler hands.

The difficult part is transitioning to the primary 1 classroom. Let's face it, kinesthetic learners are the stark minority after all & the traditional form of classroom teaching is very catered to visual-audio learners. When I was a student I would fiddle with my pen or scribble down notes to satisfy the kinesthetic side of me. Boys however tend to need gross motor movement to absorb info. Needless to say, excursions and PE lessons are where he learns the most. He was thrilled to learn touch typing for computer lesson. But for lecture-style lessons, I had to train him to sit still & respect the rule of not walking around at inappropriate times. Gradually sat him down for longer periods at home while doing writing homework. I don't know what he does while teacher is merely talking and they are expected to look and listen, but so far no complaints from the school. Squeezy stress balls and fidget spinners? I find them unhelpful and such a distraction. For kinesthetics, having such thing in our hands directs our attention to the feel of it and away from the lesson.

Side note: he also has an auditory learning style (second preference) - sometimes when revising he will break out into song. Singing out the dictation sentence or math equations for fun. I suppose it helps him remember better!

[zac's mum]

An interesting story to illustrate the differences…


When I wanted my kid to memorize my HP number (in case he got lost, can borrow phone to call me), DH (visual learner) told kiddo: look at the 8 digits on this paper, just stare at them. Then close your eyes and visualize them appearing in front of you…no response.

Then I tried auditory technique: asked kiddo to repeat after me, again and again the same string of 8 digits. He kept getting one particular digit wrong.

Finally, resorted to what my kinesthetic self knew I should have done in the first place: got the kid to write down those 8 digits over and over again, ten times on a piece of paper. Tested him and Voila! Perfect recall. Even test verbally also can say out. Fixed in the brain already.

This experience comes in very handy when the kid has to learn English spelling. We both know he must write the words down in order to remember them. Some parents try to use car journeys to say out and memorize spelling words…works well only for auditory learners. Other kids (visual learners) can simply stare at a spelling list and get it all downloaded into the brain. Combinations probably need to have all methods. So dominant style helps sometimes to narrow down to 1 time-saving technique.