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Let's Learn About Learning Styles! by Peg Flint |
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Basic Ways People Receive Information
There are 4 basic ways people receive information. You will want to choose materials based on how your student is best able to receive and process information. Visual This type of student receives information best through their eyes and what they see and read. Many times this student will teach themselves to read. They often prefer color illustrations and materials that have charts and graphs inside them. Auditory This type of student learns best by hearing things - either on tape or in a discussion. Kinesthetic This type of student reminds us of the term 'energy in motion'. They NEED to make physical contact with things that they are learning about. (Ellyn Davis from The Elijah Company says 'Most children are this to about age 8'. ) Social This student learns by interaction with other people. They need one on one attention. How can you tell which of these your child is? 1. Does your child go around singing all of the time? Humming? Perhaps they are an auditory learner and could use tapes to master new concepts. 2. Does your child need to talk to you about everything they are studying? Perhaps they’re a social learner. 3. Is your child attracted to books with bright pictures? They might be a visual learner. 4. Does your child need to move around a lot? They might be an kinesthetic learner. The 7 Intelligences Dr. Thomas Armstrong has written books dealing with the belief that people have certain "strengths" in one of the 7 areas listed below. How do you understand? There are other learning styles which are described in Learning Styles and Tools and Cathy Duffy's Christian Home Educator's Curriculum Manual. They are based on the Myers-Briggs Inventory Test. The four categories are: Thinker, Feeler, Intuitor & Sensor. The Gregoric model is based on two parts - how we take in information (perception) and how we process the information (ordering). Each of these two parts is split into two qualities. Perception: Concrete You register information mainly through your five senses. You deal with the here and now. 'It is what it is.' (sometimes called a Left-brained approach) Abstract You visualize ideas using your intuition, intellect and imagination - looking beyond the obvious to the more subtle implications. 'It is not always as it seems.' (sometimes called a Right-brained approach). Ordering: Sequential Follows a logical train of thought - 'Follow the steps.' Random Deals with chunks of information (not necessarily in order) - 'Just get it done.' When you put the two methods of perceiving information and the two methods of ordering information together, you wind up with four learning 'styles'. They are: (The information on this page is taken from the book The Way They Learn by Cynthia Tobias) Concrete Sequential These people like to apply ideas in a practical way and focus on facts. They work well within time limits and produce concrete products from abstract ideas. They like to work systematically (step by step) and pay close attention to details. Having a schedule to follow makes perfect sense to them - and they want to know what is expected of them. They like established routines and ways of doing things. They don’t like working in groups or participating in discussions that have no specific point. They also dislike questions where there is no right or wrong answer. The key questions they ask when learning are: What facts do I need? How do I do it? What should it look like? When is it due? Abstract Sequential Always looking for the underlying principles, these people like to analyze ideas, research, and provide logical sequence. They want to use exact, well-researched information and logical reasoning and learn more by watching than doing. They dislike not having time to deal with a subject thoroughly, and repeating the same tasks over and over. They also have a hard time being diplomatic. It is hard for them to not monopolize a conversation. They want to know: How do I know this is true? Have we considered all the possibilities? Abstract Random This person is always looking for personal relevance as they listen sincerely to others and seek to understand feelings and emotions. They recognize the emotional needs of others and seek to bring harmony to group situations. They try to personalize their learning and focus on broad, general principles. It is important to them to maintain friendly relationships with everyone if possible. They tend to decide with their heart and not their head. It is hard for this type of person to explain or justify their feelings. They often struggle to give exact details or accept even positive criticism. Focusing on one thing at a time is also difficult for them. They tend to ask: What does this have to do with me? How can I make a difference? Concrete Random This person often thinks fast on their feet as they see many options and solutions to things. They seek out the compelling reason for doing what they do - and often find different ways to do things. They do well at using insight and instinct to solve problems and do better with general time frames than specific deadlines. They dislike restrictions and limitations, formal reports, routines, redoing anything once it is done, keeping detailed records, and showing how they got an answer. They frequently ask: How much is really necessary? How Analytic Are You? Analytic Strengths What you should know about the analytic style! What frustrates an analytic person? How Global Are You? Global Strengths What you should know about the global style! What frustrates a global person? © 2002 Peg Flint. All rights reserved. Re-printed with permission. |
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