Learning Curves

Because how little ones learn is just as important as what they are learning...

By Jenni Hanley

For years now psychologists have been studying theories of learning and multiple intelligence, and it’s made all the difference in our understanding of students’ different needs, both in the classroom and beyond.

“Different kids have different learning styles, and we see that all the time,” says Doug Newman, Executive Director of Greater Sacramento’s Huntington Learning Centers. “You might want to have more visual learners take notes as they read, even for pleasure reading,” says Newman. He explains that seeing thoughts and descriptions on paper often helps those students comprehend better. “If a kid’s an auditory learner, they can read aloud to you,” he suggests.  

Fe Thornton has witnessed this with her own three kids. Fe has noticed that her 5-year-old son, Nash, learns better by listening, unlike her eldest, Gene, who likes written instructions. Her middle son, Sean, showed a propensity toward visual learning when he was young. She recalls a time her husband came home with Lego toys for the boys. “Gene got frustrated since the instructions only had picture directions. Sean, on the other hand, had no problem looking at the picture on the box and putting the toy together.”
 

Several theories and models have been proposed to explain kids’ different learning styles. One of the most popular asserts that people fall into one of four learning categories: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and reading/writing. Which way of learning do you think your child favors?

The Visual Learner

This may not be what you wanted to hear, but it might just be in your little one’s best interest to hand her a marker. Visual learners like to see colors and shapes and be stimulated, well, visually. In fact, some visual learners actually discover that they have strong color preferences, so if your child favors pink, highlighting a word in that shade will draw the word off the page for her and into her memory.

EDUCATION:


• To help your visual learner excel at school, ask if your child’s teacher can help your son or daughter make notes into a visual chart.
• Help your child color-code his or her subject notes.

ENRICHMENT:
Stop by the Crocker Art Museum for a variety of visually stunning educational exhibits and programs for kids, including Homeschool Days. Each month, homeschool and family groups can enjoy thematic gallery adventures designed for kids 6 and up. This month: “A 3-D Experience” takes place Tuesday, July 12, 12-2pm. Advance registration is suggested. 808-1182; CrockerArtMuseum.org

Local kids 4 and older can feast their eyes on a 20-minute star show in Northern California’s only public planetarium, located at the Discovery Museum Science & Space Center in Sacramento. The Discovery's planetarium shows are Saturdays and Sundays, all year long, at 1pm and 3pm. 808-3942; TheDiscovery.org

Learning Styles: A Parent’s Cheat Sheet
Easier communication. Better school performance. More light bulb moments.

The Auditory Learner

Does your child listen attentively—and respond accurately? There’s a good chance he’s an auditory learner. Some auditory learners can hear an instruction and respond immediately. Others may take notes, but they will probably never need to look at them again. Someone who learns this way will probably do very well on verbally administered spelling tests, points out Dr. Ian Rule, an educational consultant, though “the more senses involved, the better,” he adds.

EDUCATION:

• Talk to your child’s teacher about allowing your son or daughter to sit up-close during story time or lessons. This helps children become more engaged in the story, according to Dr. Matthew Houssan, a psychologist in private practice.
• During reading time, encourage your child to read out loud rather than silently—hearing himself will allow him to process info more effectively.

ENRICHMENT:
Gather 'round for Campfire Fridays at the Maidu Indian Museum in Roseville. Native stories and songs will engage listeners, and the evening ends with a marshmallow roast. 7:30-8:30pm on the third Friday of each month through October. $5/person; $16/family of four; free for little ones under 2. 774-5934; Roseville.ca.us/IndianMuseum

Fairytale Town’s Children's Concert Series features popular local children’s artists. This month (July, 2011) Francie Dillon, The Hipwaders and Octopretzel will perform on the outdoor Mother Goose Stage, 2pm Sundays. 808-5233; FairytaleTown.org

The Kinesthetic Learner

If you have a child who won’t sit still, chances are he’s a kinesthetic learner. Dr. Rule remembers a student who excelled at math. When asked to work problems on the blackboard, he completed them quickly, but when he was told to remain at his desk and watch other students work, he “picked his fingernails.” This student, like other kinesthetic learners, needed to use his body to engage his mind. Instead of sitting at his desk to study, a kinesthetic learner might prefer to sit in a beanbag chair or roll on an exercise ball while reading.

EDUCATION:

• If your child loves to be in motion, find out if his teacher will let him run small errands throughout the day, like taking notes to the office, for example.
• Make alphabet- and number-learning more tactile and hands-on by encouraging kids to draw on sandpaper or with colored foam.

ENRICHMENT:

Visit the Discovery Museum Science & Space Center for Space Quest, an interactive exhibit about the stars and planets with plenty of hands-on activities, astronaut costumes (bring your camera!), and search-and-find activity sheets. It runs through mid-August. 808-3942; TheDiscovery.org
The Old Sacramento Scavenger Hunt requires clever thinking and keen eyes, but the walking tour is also well-suited to active learners. Download the free scavenger hunt and map, and check out more educational expeditions and hunts for kids, at OldSacramentoScavengerHunt.com and TrailMix.net. 498-9090

The Reading/Writing Learner

If your child falls into this lesser-known category, you’ll know. Maybe she writes down all her favorite foods or even has a list of toys she likes to play with. This learner displays a preference for information displayed as words, whether that comes from the Internet, dictionaries, quotations or books. Not surprisingly, many academics have a preference for this style, so you may have a future college professor on your hands.

EDUCATION:

• Make sure your child’s teacher allows your son or daughter ample time to rewrite notes and turn visual charts and graphs into written notes and words.
• If she already has a preferred way of studying, say through creating outlines or summarizing information through bulleted lists, encourage the teacher to occasionally provide info in this format if possible.

ENRICHMENT:
Sacramento Libraries put on free reading programs every summer. In keeping with this year’s theme, “One World, Many Stories,” libraries throughout the region will host all kinds of free events and activities, for every kind of learner—from map-making and cool art workshops to magic shows and karaoke parties—but young reader/writers will have extra fun filling out their Reading Bingo cards by completing mini missions like, “Read to a pet,” “Read a magazine,” and “Look up a word in the dictionary.” 264-2700; SacLibrary.org
Encourage your little scribe to jot down thoughts and write short stories, pen some poetry, or make up song lyrics. On family vacations and weekend trips, have your kiddo pack a journal and zip his favorite pencils, pens and markers into a pencil case. And you'll definitely want to add Mad Libs to your parental bag of tricks if you're a mom or dad with a reading/writing learner.