Montessori for Everyone - Montessori Blog » Learning Styles http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com High Quality Montessori Materials Mon, 30 Aug 2010 01:49:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v= en hourly 1 Learning Styles of Children – Summary http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/learning-styles-of-children-summary.html http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/learning-styles-of-children-summary.html#comments Thu, 16 Nov 2006 20:12:00 +0000 Lori Bourne http://montessoriforeveryone.dreamhosters.com/learning-styles-of-children-summary.html Whew! There were more learning styles to cover than I initially thought. The more research I did, the more styles I uncovered. But, along the way I was able to combine many of them together – they are the same style, just called by a different name depending on which study you are looking at. Here is a list of the styles I covered:

Auditory/Verbal
Visual/Spatial (or Reading)
Tactile/Kinesthetic (or Active)
Analytic/Sequential
Global/Intuitive
Reflective/Sensing

So, what can we do with this info as teachers, parents, or both? First of all, it’s helpful to know how to define a learning style. A learning style is the consistent way that someone responds to information in the context of learning. Knowing more about learning styles is like having another tool in your toolbox to help your child(ren) process information more efficiently.

Most children show a preference for one of the styles mentioned above, but it is not uncommon for children to have more than one, or to have one that is dominant and another one or two that are secondary.

You, as an adult, will also have a learning style preference. It’s common for parents and children to have different styles, so it’s helpful to know where you fit in here. If you know what your style is, and what your children’s (or student’s) styles are, you will be able to help them learn more effectively.

For adults, there are several online quizzes you can take that will show you what your learning style is. Perhaps as you read through my posts, one style didn’t jump out at you as sounding just like you. This site has a list (and definition) of each major style, and links at the bottom for two different online quizzes you can take to identify your style.

For children, they may not be able to answer the questions in these quizzes. It’s up to us (using lots and lots of observation) to figure it out. Click here to see a site that talks about identifying learning styles as early as toddlerhood.

It can be tempting to want to just “label” a child with a style and then try to fit everything into that mold. But kids are growing and changing, and with different seasons of life, different learning methods may work better than others. No one style is better or worse than another; just different. All kids love to learn, regardless of the way they prefer to learn.

Especially in the early years, the Montessori concept of “following the child” is extremely helpful. A child will be drawn to the materials that “speak” to them. A Montessori or homeschool environment has a definite advantage here, as children usually have the freedom to choose the work that they do. If we notice that a child is particularly attracted to one type of material, we can build off of that by introducing new work that uses the same teaching modality in a different way.

We can also encourage a child to “branch out” and try a new way of learning that they may not choose on their own – a great way to do this is to have one child help another with a task or material. Thanks for sticking with me on this journey – I learned a lot about myself and my own kids while I was researching!

]]> http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/learning-styles-of-children-summary.html/feed 0 Learning Styles of Children 6 – Sensing/Reflective Learners http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/learning-styles-of-children-6-sensingreflective-learners.html http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/learning-styles-of-children-6-sensingreflective-learners.html#comments Mon, 13 Nov 2006 02:16:00 +0000 Lori Bourne http://montessoriforeveryone.dreamhosters.com/learning-styles-of-children-6-sensingreflective-learners.html Sensing learners like to solve problems using well-established methods rather than thinking up unusual solutions. They enjoy hands-on activities and experiments and are practical and careful about their work.

Sensing/reflective learners like to know that the information they are receiving has a connection to the real world. They aren’t overly interested in abstract theories and ideas.

They need limits and controls to do their best work. A sensing/reflective child will often ask for very specific directions to complete work or assignments. They can be encouraged to set their own limits rather than always relying on others to set those limits for them.

Skills:

  • thinking through their work before acting on it
  • setting goals that they’d like to reach
  • excellent at mastering details and memorizing facts
  • good at writing about themselves and their thoughts and feelings
  • awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses

A sensing/reflective learner is always reflecting on their own lives – what have they done, what are they doing, and what will they do in the future? This kind of child will greatly enjoy keeping a journal and recording their observations about themselves and the world around them.

Students who are not sensing/reflective as their primary learning style can benefit from beginning their own journals and being more reflective about their skills, achievements, and progress. This can and should be done without much input from a parent or teacher; the idea is to encourage self-knowledge rather than to reflect someone else’s ideas.

This is my last post on types of learning styles – next time, I will wrap everything up and give some overall ideas and guidelines for using this information!

]]> http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/learning-styles-of-children-6-sensingreflective-learners.html/feed 0 Learning Styles of Children 5 – Global/Intuitive Learners http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/learning-styles-of-children-5-globalintuitive-learners.html http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/learning-styles-of-children-5-globalintuitive-learners.html#comments Thu, 09 Nov 2006 03:40:00 +0000 Lori Bourne http://montessoriforeveryone.dreamhosters.com/learning-styles-of-children-5-globalintuitive-learners.html A global/intuitive learner is always waiting to hear the big picture. They wait through the whole lesson to hear this phrase: “In other words…” Suddenly the sun comes out and they understand what you are saying. Or as my dad (a preacher) says at the end of his sermons: “Folks, here’s the bottom line…” Global learners listen for that.

Sometimes the global learner looks like they aren’t paying attention (especially at the beginning of the story or lesson), but as soon as the action starts and the lesson or story begins to take shape, they are all ears. They prefer an overview of information first, and then spend time getting details later.

Global/intuitive learners like to discover relationships and possibilities. They dislike hearing the same thing over and over again – they like fresh, new, interesting ideas. They often are better at learning abstract concepts than they are at mastering concrete facts.

Skills:

  • problem solving in an innovative way
  • understanding abstract mathematical and scientific concepts
  • finding the underlying meaning in the work they are doing
  • quickly processing new information
  • thinking of original theories that explain events or ideas

A child with this learning style may miss important details; they’d rather focus on the big picture. This can affect decision making and problem solving. Encourage an intuitive learner to create their own learning tools – they will learn more if they make their own flashcards, graphs, tables, summaries, and practice questions rather than relying on the ones that are provided.

This style of learner appreciates being noticed for their innovation. They like to be praised for being imaginative and creative. This learning style can really benefit if you move them away from traditional learning and into a more student-driven approach; then they can work at their own pace, which is typically faster than other students.

Global/intuitive learners do best when they understand the underlying theme to any given lesson or story. The temptation can be to present the lesson first, and then tell the children what it means. A global learner will have gotten lost along the way without a structure to fit the information into. If too many details are given without one overarching theme, they may flounder around unable to process any of the information.

It’s good to get into the habit of giving a simple summary of the lesson, story, or activity both before and after you do it. A global learner will often be able to give a really good summary of the story or lesson because that is what they were listening for. You may want to let the global learners in your class summarize the lesson for the other children.

]]> http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/learning-styles-of-children-5-globalintuitive-learners.html/feed 2 Learning Styles of Children 4 – Analytic/Sequential Learners http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/learning-styles-of-children-4-analyticsequential-learners.html http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/learning-styles-of-children-4-analyticsequential-learners.html#comments Mon, 06 Nov 2006 20:59:00 +0000 Lori Bourne http://montessoriforeveryone.dreamhosters.com/learning-styles-of-children-4-analyticsequential-learners.html Children who are analytic learners always have more questions. “How do you know that?” “Where did that happen?” “Why are we doing it this way?” Analytic children learn best when they are given lots of details. They focus on specifics, sequence, rather than the “big picture”. This can be especially challenging to parents and teachers when you yourself are not an analytic learner, or when children want more details than you can provide.

Skills include:

  • problem solving
  • classifying
  • categorizing and organizing information
  • working with abstract concepts to figure out relationships
  • questioning and wondering about natural events
  • ability to work independently
  • good critical thinking skills

How do analytic learners learn? –

Analytic learners are driven to always find out more. Children with this learning style love maps, charts, and detailed pictures. When they ask for more info, give them as much as possible and then challenge them to figure or find out answers for themselves. They will become lifelong friends with books of all kinds, using them to answer questions that they have about the world around them.

They will enjoy puzzles and activities that challenge them to solve problems in a creative way. They will often surprise you by coming up with creative links between seemingly unrelated things. They prefer to be given information in a sequence, rather than getting “the big idea” first the way global/intuitive learners do.

Children with this learning style, especially, appreciate being given the freedom to explore the world and be creative. They may sometimes come up with off-the-wall ideas, or ideas that you may disagree with. That’s okay! They need plenty of intellectual freedom, as long as it’s not bringing harm to themselves or others.

The downside can be that this type of child is afraid of making mistakes, and holds themselves to an impossibly high standard of perfection. It’s important that they be able to work at their own pace without being graded or judged (as much as possible).

]]> http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/learning-styles-of-children-4-analyticsequential-learners.html/feed 2 Learning Styles of Children 3 – Tactile/Kinesthetic http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/learning-styles-of-children-3-tactilekinesthetic.html http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/learning-styles-of-children-3-tactilekinesthetic.html#comments Sat, 04 Nov 2006 04:05:00 +0000 Lori Bourne http://montessoriforeveryone.dreamhosters.com/learning-styles-of-children-3-tactilekinesthetic.html Children with this learning style are movers and grabbers. They are active to the point of being restless and fidgety if you try to get them to sit still. They like to interact with their world. They learn best when they are moving; not just random movement, but movement that relates to the subject they are studying. They are very good at performing, and enjoy acting out songs and stories.

Skills include:

  • dancing
  • physical coordination
  • athletic ability
  • hands on experimentation
  • using body language
  • crafts
  • acting and miming
  • using their hands to create or build
  • expressing emotions through the body

Both Montessori and homeschooling environments can work well for this type of learner. “Purposeful movement” can be encouraged; the child has the freedom to move around as needed during the day. Children with this learning style will be delighted to touch, feel, and experience the world as much as possible. They love to dance, climb, run, and generally move as much as possible.

I remember vividly one little boy in a 3-6 preschool Montessori class where I was an assistant. He was very bright but very active and found it difficult to concentrate. Our directress told him that anytime he wanted, he could go outside and run around the playground. (The windows of our classroom overlooked the playground, which was completely fenced in).

Once or twice a morning, he would go over to her and tell her that he wanted to run. He would go outside and we would watch him run joyfully around a few times. When he came back to the room, he was ready to work. It was really interesting to observe.

It should almost go without saying that when you see a very active child deep in concentration, nothing should happen to break that concentration. Let them work as long as possible with no interruptions. It might not happen very often, but it should be nurtured when it does!

]]> http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/learning-styles-of-children-3-tactilekinesthetic.html/feed 4 Learning Styles of Children 2 – Visual/Spatial Learners http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/learning-styles-of-children-2-visualspatial-learners.html http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/learning-styles-of-children-2-visualspatial-learners.html#comments Wed, 01 Nov 2006 20:39:00 +0000 Lori Bourne http://montessoriforeveryone.dreamhosters.com/learning-styles-of-children-2-visualspatial-learners.html Children with this learning style react to visual images. They like to see pictures of what they are learning. Often, it’s not enough just to see a picture – they need to draw their own picture to really internalize concepts.

Visual/spatial learners may score poorly on tests. Most standardized tests cater to children with auditory/verbal learning styles. If testing is mandatory, this kind of student can benefit greatly from learning to visualize test questions and equations in their head.

Children with this learning style see the big picture quickly. They do not need repetition and drill to learn. They find it easy to do complex, multi-step tasks and difficult to do easy tasks. They are often creative, dramatic, and artistic.

Skills include:

  • good at puzzles and manipulatives (Legos)
  • understanding charts and graphs
  • good sense of direction (map skills)
  • sketching & painting
  • creating visual metaphors and analogies (through the visual arts)
  • manipulating images
  • designing practical objects
  • interpreting visual images

How Do Visual/Spatial Learners Learn?

They benefit from seeing lots of pictures during lessons and stories. As well, children with this strength can learn to produce their own images in their heads when listening and talking. They may find that spelling and reading come easier if they visualize words in their heads. Give more weight to the content of their work than the format. They may find it difficult to organize their work even when the work itself is quite good.

Sometimes, as a substitute for written work, you can let a visual/spatial learner make a diagram, picture, 3-D model, or diorama. If a bright student struggles with easy tasks, they may actually do better when given more difficult work. Accelerate rather than decelerate.

For more info on visual/spatial learners, click here.

]]> http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/learning-styles-of-children-2-visualspatial-learners.html/feed 2 Learning Styles of Children 1 – Auditory/Verbal Learners http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/learning-styles-of-children-1-auditoryverbal-learners.html http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/learning-styles-of-children-1-auditoryverbal-learners.html#comments Sun, 29 Oct 2006 22:16:00 +0000 Lori Bourne http://montessoriforeveryone.dreamhosters.com/learning-styles-of-children-1-auditoryverbal-learners.html Recently I prepared a talk for a church group about the learning styles of children. I learned quite a bit while researching this subject. In the next few posts, I’ll explain each common style and share a little bit about how they play out in everyday life.

One kind of style is auditory learning. Many people think that an auditory learning style means that a child learns best by hearing someone speak, but actually they often learn best by hearing themselves speak. We all know a few of these people – children and adults. They are talkative, chatty, and in children especially they repeat what they hear and also “hang around” adults to hear what they are saying.

Skills include:

  • listening
  • storytelling
  • speaking
  • explaining
  • writing
  • teaching
  • using humor
  • remembering information

In a classroom or learning situation, children with this learning style benefit from question and answer times, sharing ideas or stories with a group, and working with another child that they can help or instruct.

Challenge them to understand the syntax and meaning of words – encourage dictionary work, word study, and grammar study. Let them have a chance to express their point of view about something, especially in the context of a debate or critical thinking exercise. They may also benefit from reading books aloud rather than silently.

I am mostly an auditory/verbal learner, and I used to love reading through the dictionary. (My dad said it kept me interested because it changed subject so often!) So for auditory learners, studying language (etymology) can become a lifelong pursuit. To this day, reading or hearing information and then telling it to someone else is like breathing to me. I can’t not do it.

Coming soon – visual learners!

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