Recently in Learning Styles Category

What is the genius of the Relating/Inspiring person? This student is sensitive to others' feelings and often has a knack for showing empathy and for "taking care of" others. This student is tuned in to fairness and does best in situations that promote warm atmospheres and emotional support.

These students thrive on working with others in cooperation and harmony. Their sense of team working or "class spirit" is high. They often become involved in causes--from helping the homeless to saving the environment.

These students are often very interested in subjects that have to do with people. For example, history comes alive for them if they can learn it through stories or biographies. Science can become more interesting if they can learn about the inventors and scientists. In general, these students learn best when involved in activities that allow them to discuss, talk things out, and work on projects together.

When planning a school program for the Relating/Inspiring student, you can integrate the learning style needs with the various subjects. Try books, videos, or books-on-tape that offer stories about people related to a particular subject. For reports or projects, the student could act out a character, tell a story, become involved in community service, do interviews, work on a group project, and have discussions. If the student is in a traditional school setting, you can help at homework time by being available if the student needs to discuss or talk something out. Studying together with one or two other people can be helpful for this student.

copyright 2009 Reflective Educational Perspectives

What is the genius of the Thinking/Creating person? This student brings creativity, openness, and a new way of looking at things to the learning situation. Often this student's comments seem to be coming out of nowhere, or out of "left field" - in other words, completely unrelated to the topic at hand. It is then assumed that the student can't focus, doesn't pay attention, etc. What is actually happening is that this student hears or reads something...which triggers other thoughts...which triggers this imaginative and creative brain to come up with something imaginative and creative! This is how this student learns best.

These students tend to lose track of time because they can get so focused on the project at hand that they forget about everything else.

This is the disposition of great philosophers, mathematicians, scientists, poets, writers, artists, musicians, designers, etc.

This student is often passionate about (and talented in) theoretical math and science, music, art, cooking, building, or a combination of these. In general, this student learns best when involved in activities that allow him/her to be freely creative. The most important thing to this student is ideas: getting ideas, trying out new ideas, contributing new ideas. While Inventing people are going for an end product that will usually solve some problem, Thinking/Creating people are happy to just come up with the ideas. They don't necessarily follow through to completion, because they move on to another new idea!

When planning a school program for the Thinking/Creating student, you can integrate the learning style needs with the various subjects. These students learn best when the teaching materials and techniques allow for time alone and involve the arts and/or the creative process. They thrive in atmospheres that allow for unscheduled time to think and create. If the student is in a traditional school setting, you can ask the teachers to encourage hands-on assignments, drawing and doodling during study and "listening" times, experiential projects, and creative expression in the classroom. If the student is homeschooling, give plenty of opportunity to wonder, think, and express himself/herself imaginatively.

Copyright 2009 Reflective Educational Perspectives, LLC

What is the genius of the Performing person? This student is a mover, a risk-taker, an adventurer. This student craves hands-on, experiential activities. This student is often passionate about (and talented in) sports, acting, comedy, dance, building, outdoor activities, or a combination of these. In general, this student learns best when involved in activities that allow him/her to be active: do, experience, and keep things moving so as not to get bored.

This is one of the Dispositions that often gets labeled ADD (or if combined with Performing the label is ADHD). This is also the Disposition that is sometimes referred to as the "absentminded professor."

What is the genius of the Inventing person? This student is an explorer, a collector, an experimenter. This student asks a lot of questions, often to the annoyance of parent or instructor, and often seems to be asking questions that are unrelated to the topic at hand. It is then assumed that the student can't focus, doesn't pay attention, etc. What is actually happening is that this student hears or reads something...which triggers other thoughts...which triggers questions. All the while the student is making connections: this is how this student learns best.

These students also tend to lose track of time because they can get so focused on the project at hand that they forget about everything else.

This student is often passionate about (and talented in) electronics, technology, archeology, any of the sciences, cooking, engineering, building, problem solving, or a combination of these. In general, this student learns best when involved in activities that allow him/her to be inquisitive and inventive: take apart, put together, tinker, try out, make something out of nothing.

When planning a school program for the Inventing student, you can integrate the learning style needs with the various subjects. The student can make models, build replicas, work on a collection, design a system, develop a project...  If the student is in a traditional school setting, you can help at homework time by making sure that the student is allowed to ask questions, and by encouraging the student to use his natural problem solving strategies. You can also ask the teachers if the student can do more hands-on assignments rather than always being required to do written reports.

Copyright 2009 Reflective Educational Perspectives, LLC

Would you force a child to wear shoes that don't fit? Then why force an education that doesn't fit!

Well, that's what is happening to hundreds of thousands of school children every day. Those in private schools or homeschooling programs are not automatically better off. As long as children are forced to use a traditional textbook/workbook curriculum without any concern for their learning styles, they might as well be wearing shoes that are too tight, or so loose that they trip over them.

An education that doesn't fit is as painful, or perhaps even more painful, than ill-fitting shoes--after all, an ill-fitting education can scar a child for life.

As long as we force all kids to start reading at 4 or 5 years old, force everyone to use textbooks and workbooks, and force all students to learn and be tested in the same way, No Child Left Behind will never come to be. Many, many children will continue to be left behind, along with countless adults who are not able to reverse the damage done to them as students.

The key to learning success is simple: find out how each student learns best! A person's learning styles are made up of their Dispositions, Modalities, Interests, Talents, and best Environment. The very best learning occurs when we coach students to discover their own unique styles of learning and encourage them to apply this information.

copyright 2009 Reflective Educational Perspectives, LLC