Reflections on the Remote Control: The Learn Button
2007-05-07
By D. E. Herrod, B.Ed.E, M.Div
The other day I was looking at my remote control and noticed that a learn button. This got my brain to going. Thinking wouldn’t it be easier if we just had a learn button to learn new things or even better children had a learn button. How easy would teaching be if you could just put a button and impart knowledge? Of course my husband chimed in that they also need a mute and rewind buttons as well but that is for another article. All of this got me thinking about how children actually learn. Discovering your child’s learning style is one of the best ways to improve academic success.
Learning Styles
So what is the big deal about learning styles? Simply put a learning style is channel or mode through which some best acquires a skill or knowledge. If a teaching method worked for me it should work my child. Most parents or teachers believe that what works for them is the best way to learn. Unfortunately not everyone learns the same way. Do you have to see something done before you can grasp a new skill or maybe you prefer to be told step my step instructions. Learning styles include: auditory, visual and tactical/kinesthetic.
Visual learners learn best by reading or seeing. About 65% of people are visual learners (1). They prefer instructions with illustrations and graphical organizers. Visual learners “see” how things are done rather than remembering words or steps.
Auditory learners process information by listening and speaking. To best learn something they need to repeat it even if it is silently. Auditory learners make up about 30% of the population (2).
Kinestic learners process information by being moving and doing things. Tactile learners learn by touch and using their hands and fingers. Young children are naturally kinestic. Only about 5% of the population maintains this style of learning through adulthood (3)
Processing Styles
Processing style is another factor in the way your child learns. There are two processing styles: analytical and global. Analytical learners are systematic and sequential. They tend to be organized and like lists. They also prefer rules and structure because it makes things predictable. Global learners see the big picture. They group information in clusters and appear disorganized.
Environment
A third and equally important factor in learning is the environmental preference. This is includes the setting, time of day and lighting. The learning environment may either be formal or informal. An example of an formal setting a table or desk in brightly light quite place. A bean bag on the floor with indirect lighting and mReflections on the Remote Control: The Learn Button
The other day I was looking at my remote control and noticed that a learn button. This got my brain to going. Thinking wouldn’t it be easier if we just had a learn button to learn new things or even better children had a learn button. How easy would teaching be if you could just put a button and impart knowledge? Of course my husband chimed in that they also need a mute and rewind buttons as well but that is for another article. All of this got me thinking about how children actually learn. Discovering your child’s learning style is one of the best ways to improve academic success.
Learning Styles
So what is the big deal about learning styles? Simply put a learning style is channel or mode through which some best acquires a skill or knowledge. If a teaching method worked for me it should work my child. Most parents or teachers believe that what works for them is the best way to learn. Unfortunately not everyone learns the same way. Do you have to see something done before you can grasp a new skill or maybe you prefer to be told step my step instructions. Learning styles include: auditory, visual and tactical/kinesthetic.
Visual learners learn best by reading or seeing. About 65% of people are visual learners (1). They prefer instructions with illustrations and graphical organizers. Visual learners “see” how things are done rather than remembering words or steps.
Auditory learners process information by listening and speaking. To best learn something they need to repeat it even if it is silently. Auditory learners make up about 30% of the population (2).
Kinestic learners process information by being moving and doing things. Tactile learners learn by touch and using their hands and fingers. Young children are naturally kinestic. Only about 5% of the population maintains this style of learning through adulthood (3)
Processing Styles
Processing style is another factor in the way your child learns. There are two processing styles: analytical and global. Analytical learners are systematic and sequential. They tend to be organized and like lists. They also prefer rules and structure because it makes things predictable. Global learners see the big picture. They group information in clusters and appear disorganized.
Environment
A third and equally important factor in learning is the environmental preference. This is includes the setting, time of day and lighting. The learning environment may either be formal or informal. An example of an formal setting a table or desk in brightly light quite place. A bean bag on the floor with indirect lighting and music in the background is an example of an informal setting.
Some Final Thoughts
Learning styles and preferences have the greatest impact in a traditional school setting. Homeschooling as the advantage of being flexible and able to adapt to an individual child’s needs easier. A traditional school setting has tables and desks in neatly arranged rows in brightly light room. School starts bright and early in the morning and most tests are given early in the day. Material is presented in a sequential manner and through visual and auditory channels particularly in the upper grades. Most educators are visual or auditory learners and prefer a formal setting. Math, science and art teachers tend to be analytical thinkers. Music, art, and English teachers are more likely to be global thinkers. It is natural for someone to teach in the ways that they learn best and not understand the needs of other learning styles. As an educator part of my job including accessing the learning styles of students and proving support for the teachers and students especially those students who were tactile/kinestic and preferred informal settings. One comment I often heard from my colleges was that the surveys were wrong because any child would prefer to sit in a soft chair on the floor but that was not conducive to learning. It is important to know your learning style as well as your child’s learning style and be aware of conflicts that may be arise due to learning preferences and styles. Knowing how your child learns best can help you choose best methods and curriculum to facilitate learning.
For More Information about Learning and Learning Styles:
1. The School Gate. “How
Children Learn”
2. 4therapy.com. “How
do Kids Learn”
3. Judy Lyden. “How
Do Children Learn?”
4. Center for
Success in Learning
5. Dr. Mary Ann Smialek, “How
Do Children Learn?”
Notes:
(1). 4therapy.com [How
do Kids Learn]
(2). Ibid.
(3). Ibid.
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