Learn Your Child's Learning Style
Leona Bratz is a mother of three and knows for a fact that even kids from the same family don't learn the same way. "My two oldest boys had very similar learning styles," Bratz tells KOMO News. "Our youngest son had a different learning style."
That discovery has improved grades, and self-esteem.
"If the child really understands how they're learning, then they have a better idea how to attack any assignment that's given to them," says teacher Linda Johnson. She says there are three learning styles. The first is a "Visual" learner.
"These are boys and girls that are particularly excited about things that they're seeing," Johnson says.
There's also an "Audio" learner, who learns through sound and song. Finally, there are those of us who learn by movement or touch.
"Kinesthetic learners are the most active learners, and they're remembering if they're jumping up and down or playing sports," Johnson adds.
Each of us leans on one of those styles to learn, and while it's important to figure out one's strong suit, it's also good to be exposed to the other two styles.
"There's a lot of overlap, says David Locke, principal of Brighton School in Lynnwood. But he emphasizes that knowing your child's most effective learning style opens the door to future success.
"They found their mode of learning," Locke tells KOMO News, "and now they can also learn better in the other modes as well because the confidence is there and they've got the basis for learning."
And it's never too late; parents of middle and high school students can ask teachers about these learning styles, and how to incorporate them better into your child's curriculum.