With Covid-19, we are all doing a lot more teaching and learning at home. Parents divide their time between working and helping their children with school. Knowing your child’s preferences for learning can make the task at hand a little easier.
Learning Style Preferences Explained:
Twenty-five years ago, I attended a year’s worth of training on the Dunn and Dunn Learning Styles Inventory model. It explains that students have 22 personal preferences that can affect learning. These preferences fall into five main categories: environmental, emotional, sociological, physiological, and psychological.
Not all preferences affect everyone, but if you have a strong partiality to certain ones, it can really influence your ability to learn.
In the following video, my friend Jill and I got together with our children to help better define Learning Style Preferences. A Special thank you goes to N^2 Productions for editing!
Take the Test
Each of the children in this video self-analyzed, and you can too. Knowing your child’s learning preferences can help you be a better teacher. Students learn more quickly and easily when they understand their preferences. They are less frustrated. This may even help solve some behavioral issues.
Click here to get your own copy of the Learning Style Checklist.
Elements are listed on the left side of the page in bold. Opposite ends of the spectrum are listed on the right and left sides of the page. Read through the list and mark strong preferences. Remember that not all the elements will apply to each person. If it doesn’t matter, then check the box in the middle.
Keep in mind that not all 22 elements affect everyone. Pick out the ones that influence the most. Remember, a few quick teaks can make a world of difference.
Change it up
As you make adjustments based on your child’s preferences, you should see improvements in learning. When implementing changes, there are three rules I make for students:
1. The preferences must help you get your work done.
2. They must not distract anyone else.
3. When I need your attention, you must give it to me immediately
For a more detailed understanding of each of these classifications, click on the following links:
Perceptual Preferences: Teach with Learning Styles in Mind: Tips for teaching students with auditory, visual, tactile, and/or kinesthetic preferences.
Environmental Preferences for Learning: Where do you like to study? Consider the factors of sound, light, temperature, and seating design.
Emotional Preferences for Learning: Addresses the factors of motivation, responsibility, persistence, and structure.
Psychological Preferences: Global vs Analytical Learning Style Preferences
Sociological Preferences: Who do you Want to Study With? (Coming Soon)
