Every child approaches learning differently, and understanding their preferences can help parents find activities that keep them interested and engaged. The four commonly discussed learning styles—visual, auditory, reading/writing and kinesthetic—offer parents a useful starting point for experimenting with different ways of teaching.
Rather than deciding that a child is permanently a “visual learner” or “kinesthetic learner,” parents can observe which approaches seem to help their child understand and remember information. A child who struggles with a worksheet, for example, might respond much better when the same concept is demonstrated, discussed or turned into a hands-on activity.
The Teaching Channel notes that “every student learns differently” and that learning styles describe preferred ways of absorbing, processing and retaining information. It also recommends incorporating multiple approaches because students typically use a combination of learning styles.
Parents can experiment during homework, reading and everyday activities. Pay attention to whether your child naturally draws pictures, talks through problems, writes notes, builds things or wants to physically practice a new skill.
What Are the Four Learning Styles?
Visual learners tend to respond well to charts, diagrams, maps, patterns and other visual representations. Parents can try graphic organizers, drawings, colour coding and diagrams when helping these children understand a difficult concept.
Auditory learners often benefit from hearing information and talking through ideas. Reading instructions aloud, discussing homework or asking a child to explain a concept out loud can make learning more interactive.
Reading/writing learners prefer information presented through words and often enjoy reading, taking notes and writing explanations. Asking children to summarize what they have learned or create their own study notes can give them another way to process information.
Kinesthetic learners tend to benefit from movement, practical examples and hands-on experiences. Building a model, conducting an experiment or acting out a process can make an abstract idea easier to understand.
Where Did the Four Learning Styles Come From?
The modern learning-styles movement has a surprisingly complicated history. The APA reports that dozens of learning-style theories emerged during the 20th century, while the visual-auditory-kinesthetic, or VAK, model became particularly popular beginning in the 1980s.
The idea became widespread in schools and popular culture. One study cited by the APA found that more than 90% of teachers believed in learning styles, while another found that 80% of introductory education and educational-psychology textbooks presented the concept to teacher candidates.
However, parents should be careful about treating learning styles as scientific categories. The APA notes that numerous psychologists have criticized the theory because it has “little empirical support,” and research has not demonstrated that matching instruction to a child’s preferred style necessarily improves learning.
For parents, the most useful takeaway is to stay flexible. Learning preferences can help you discover engaging ways to practice a skill, but exposing children to different ways of learning may ultimately give them a broader and more effective educational toolkit.
