In order to learn really well and easily, it makes sense for parents to first know which learning type their child actually is. From experience we know that not every child learns the same way. Some learn easily when they simply read through the material, others learn better when they hear it. Still others learn while writing and the fourth type learns best when they can discuss the content. So it has nothing to do with intelligence when children learn slowly. It simply has to do with the different learning types. Especially at the beginning of the learning period this is the case. As with everything, the sensory organs are used to learn. Here, of course, the eyes and ears belong to it, but also the sense of smell, the sense of taste and the sense of muscle.
The learning material thus reaches the memory via the sensory organs. And these senses are pronounced differently in each person. Accordingly, there are different learning types:
- The auditory learning type
- The visual learning type
- The communicative learning type
- The motor learning type
If you now know which learning type your child is, you can support it accordingly. The determination of the learning type is only about tendencies. For really effective learning, it is of course best if all senses are used optimally. Nevertheless, if children learn little from hearing alone, you should take the visual into account or let them write. In any case, it makes sense to train all sensory channels over a long period of time in order to establish optimal connections. In this way, both attention and motivation can be greatly increased. By the way, there are hardly any pure learning types. So not only visual or auditory types. There are people who work best under pressure, others need a small source of noise in the background, and still others need absolute silence. No two people are the same, and this is true here as well. Nevertheless, if one knows which learning type one is, or which main type of it, one can be individually supported. This is important especially at the beginning of school.
By the way, you can test this quite easily: Take one of your child’s school books to hand, where you know that this subject is particularly difficult. First read the material aloud, that is the auditory method. Talk about the material and have your child explain the material, this is the communicative method. Draw a picture about the material, this is the visual way and finally celebrate the whole thing in motion with explanations, this is then the motor way. At the end of this experiment, compare: Which method did your child understand best? Ask it calmly, it likes to talk with you!
If you have now determined this main type, you can work with this learning type method in the future and prepare the exercises accordingly. However, as already mentioned, make sure to establish more and more connections between the senses. Test in between whether the learning method that did not work so well at the beginning – for example, auditory learning – now works better. The goal, as I said, is to link everything. Because, for example, later in the big exams there is also no possibility to run around. But, learning at home for the exams, you can always do according to your main type. Nothing needs to change about that!
The auditory type
As the name suggests, this type learns best by hearing. For this type, the learning material is best memorized by reading aloud. It is advisable to record vocabulary and learning material such as formulas, for example, and to learn by playing them back repeatedly. Community learning, for example in the family, is therefore best achieved here through interrogation.
The Communicative Type
This type communicates best, as the name also says here. They are able to memorize the learning material best by talking. He likes to discuss the material and to exchange ideas in groups. He questions the material until he has understood it completely.
The visual type
For this type it is important to be able to visualize everything. All processes, which are in connection with the learning material, are brought with pictures in connection and understood so permanently. It helps this type if he marks important passages in textbooks or booklets in color and thus practically stands out. It helps the visual type if he can sit right at the front in school so that he can concentrate fully on the lesson. He is simply too easily distracted. If he has a hard time learning formulas or vocabulary, it helps if he memorizes small pictures, which he can then relate to the subject matter. By the way, the visual type does not like to learn in a group, but rather alone.
The motor type
This type of learner is the most difficult. It is important for him to try out everything himself, to feel everything. Experimental lessons would be best for him. Unfortunately, this rarely takes place. When learning, it helps him if he has a lot of space to concentrate on the subject matter. He needs many breaks. He will be noticed by the fact that he likes to run around the room gesticulating wildly while learning. Almost theatrically. This is how he memorizes the material, always in action. He also prefers to learn on his own because of his own action.
Our conclusion: There is really no one who learns with only one purpose. People experience their world with all their senses. Therefore, it makes little sense if now, for example, lessons would only take place for single types. It simply helps the children to know which types they are mainly. In this way, they simply make their learning time easier for themselves. This can and may also be taken into account by you at home. In the long run, as already mentioned in part 1, it is already useful to link all senses, all types together. Because, it would look very strange if your child runs across the room and gesticulates wildly with his arms while doing his schoolwork. It won’t. He may learn at home, according to his type, how he wants, how it is easiest for him. But, it must also learn that it is important to learn in every way to train this. Since it is already important to use all the senses to achieve good results in the long term and to increase intelligence to the maximum.