We
all have a unique way of learning that works for us.
As a parent you may have a very different style to
your child. Your child may find it extremely difficult
to learn 'your'way. Learn how to help your child find
their personal style of learning .You can give your
child a great foundation for life long successful
learning, and lessen their frustration from an early
age.
Just
as every snowflake is unique, so is every child. The
way that your child learns depends a number of different
factors, which combined together, create his unique
learning style. By helping your child discover how
he learns the best, you will set him up for life time
success in learning, and reduce the frustrations that
come through trying to learn in a way that does not
use his particular strengths and to him seems uncomfortable.
Every
parent has been through the school system and hopefully
discovered ways that facilitated a style of learning
that worked for them. However it is a fallacy to presume
that a parent’s style is necessarily going to be the
best way for their child, in fact it could have a
detrimental effect to insist that they learn in that
way.
For
example the traditionally accepted environment to
do homework is to sit at a desk in a quiet spot to
help concentration. However this is only likely to
help learning for a percentage of students. If this
is not a comfortable way of learning for a child it
can actually inhibit the flow of ideas and create
a learning vacuum where the mind becomes a blank.
Some may need to spread out on the floor, sit cross-legged
on the bed or even in front of the TV to find an environment
where their best learning can take place. Some students
need music or background noise, food or drink and
to feel comfortable before real learning can take
place. Some remember best when they can move about
or learn by doing, some need to visualize or see pictures,
write or read the information for themselves, and
others need to hear the information and speak it back
in order to remember it. Using a combination of two
of these modalities may work best for some students.
Another
important factor that comes in play is the way a child
perceives and orders information in their mind. The
conventional method is for information to be structured
in a logical step by step process, which leads in
a linear form from the beginning to its logical end.
This method works for many students, however some
may have learning styles which in take information
and put it into meaningful bits or chunks, which are
stored in the mind in a random way. Such a student
will reach the desired result, but will not use a
sequential logical format in the learning process.
There
are two main ways the brain makes sense of the information
it receives, and although we all use both ways there
will be a leaning towards one way or the other. The
first way can be termed the ‘analytic’. An analytic
has a tendency to focus on the details, and fit them
together to make sense of information. The ‘global’
however needs to see the bigger picture and fit in
the information so it makes sense in the wider scope
of things. A global sees all the parts are related
to each other to make up the big picture, but may
have difficulty in separating the parts outside of
the bigger picture. An analytic has no problem focusing
in on the parts, but may have difficulty seeing the
bigger picture and how the details fit together in
the wider sense. An example of this can be seen in
the approach to doing a jigsaw. The analytic will
focus in the jigsaw pieces and how they fit together.
He may fit together several sections before looking
at the picture to see where they go. The global, on
the other hand will probably do the edges pieces first,
and frequently refer to the picture to see where a
piece would go.
By
observing your child in natural normal situations
you will be able to pick up clues as to the innate
strategies he/she uses to understand the world, to
concentrate, and remember. By giving your child opportunities
to try a variety of methods of learning you can help
them discover and encourage their unique style of
learning. The earlier a child discovers what works
best for themFree Reprint Articles, the more success
and self confidence will be attached to their learning
experiences in life. As a parent you are in the best
position to help them in the process of discovery.
About
The Author: Barbara White, of Beyond Better Development,
has many years teaching experience in both Canada
and the UK. As a parent, teacher and principal, Barbara
has a wealth of experience in both parenting and student
learning. Barbara gives presentations to teachers
and parents on personality and learning styles. For
more information, up for her visit her website www.livingbeyondbetter.com
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