When my son was learning his letters in preschool, he enjoyed putting together an alphabet puzzle with me. After completing the puzzle, we would often play a game with wooden alphabet blocks. Fast forward three years to the present day where my preschool daughter is now learning her letters. She prefers to listen to alphabet books and trace the letters while I read. She loves grabbing a piece of construction paper and writing random letters until they fill the whole sheet.
Is one style of teaching letters better than the other? Not if the end result is the same, in that both kids ultimately learned the alphabet. Identifying the preferred learning style can be helpful in building confidence and success in your child.
But how do you determine your child’s learning style? Howard Gardner, professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, identified nine multiple intelligences in individuals. As you read through the list, begin thinking about what learning style(s) your child most identifies with.
|
Intelligence |
Learning Style |
Preferred Activities |
|
Spatial |
Prefers to use pictures, images, and visual understanding |
Drawing, art, visualizing, playing with Legos, designing |
|
Musical |
Prefers to use sound, music and rhythm |
Singing, listening, playing instruments |
|
Linguistic |
Prefers to use words, both in speech and writing |
Reading, writing, telling stories, word play |
|
Bodily-Kinesthetic |
Prefers to use body, hands, and sense of touch |
Drama, movement, sports, building, hands-on learning |
|
Logical-Mathematical |
Prefers to use logic, reasoning and systems |
Puzzles, experiments, science lessons |
|
Interpersonal |
Prefers to learn in groups or with other people |
Friends, group projects, social activities, clubs |
|
Intrapersonal |
Prefers to work alone and use self-study |
Working independently, choices, quiet time |
|
Naturalist |
Prefers the natural elements |
Plants, animals, weather |
|
Existential |
Prefers to question human existence |
Deep questions, reflecting on meaning of life |
After reviewing the list, it is easy to see that your child most likely identifies with more than one intelligence. Perhaps there is a predominant trait along with a few smaller attributes. Gardner noted that just as no two fingerprints are the same, no two individuals have the same learning modalities.
How to identify learning styles and what to do with the results
1. Take a survey
Educator Laura Candler offers a free Multiple Intelligence Survey for Kids (and directions) on her blog. https://www.lauracandler.com/mi-theory-growth-mindset/
2. Share information with teachers
A current trend in education these days is schools sending parents a learning style questionnaire to fill out at the beginning of the year. These letters encourage parents to write down what type of learning style their child best adheres with. If you do not receive something like this, write a note based on the survey results and send it to your child’s teacher. Teachers must meet the needs of 20-plus students, and helping the teacher identify the learning style of your child can help your student be successful from the beginning of the school year.
3. Incorporate learning styles at home
At home, be sure to incorporate preferred learning styles into activities. Games are a great way to incorporate learning (and fun) as a family while meeting a learning style need. Have a child who leans more towards the spatial intelligence? Jenga would be a great choice. Another child enjoys more linguistic learning? Scrabble and Boggle would fit that child’s needs.
