Learning Styles Analysis
Learning Styles Inventory Data
Data Analysis
Interconnection of Learning Styles and Development
There is an interconnection between learning styles and cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical development because they are all domains of child development, and one often impacts other areas and highlights each area’s importance (National Association for the Education of Young Children, n.d.). Learning styles impact student learning, which in turn impact these developmental domains in different ways. For example, instructional approaches that lean towards the visual learning style can impact cognitive development, linguistic, social, and emotional development can be promoted through a more auditory learning style, and a kinesthetic learning style can impact physical development. Although students do have preferences of learning styles, they utilize all of them at different points leading to all-around development.
Learning styles are not synonymous with abilities, instead they are viewed as a venue for processing and a way of thinking that an individual favors (Willingham, 2018). When it comes to the learning styles of students and how it affects teacher planning, they should be working hand in hand since the planning is for the students and their learning. Once teachers know their students’ learning style preferences, they could be sure to include components in their lessons to promote them, whether it be whole-class, or they could separate students into groups based on learning style to target their preferences in different ways (Willingham, 2018). I think the grouping approach is one that students would appreciate and thrive with since they would be with students who learn like them and it would possibly enhance their shared learning experience.
- Visual- Some instructional strategies for my visual learners that I would implement are the use of videos, images, manipulatives, and choice in products such as diagrams, digital portfolios, or illustrations. These strategies are highly visual and ones that Student A and Student C would prefer.
- Auditory- Some instructional strategies for my auditory learners would be the use of songs and definitely collaboration. Having the opportunity to speak with and listen to learn from their peers will be very beneficial for these students and songs can be a very powerful tool to help retain information.
- Kinesthetic- Instructional strategies for kinesthetic learners can include the use of hand gestures and activities like read the room and charades. Hand gestures or body movements creates a bodily connection to the information that can foster and mental connection as well. Activities like read the room and charades provide an opportunity for students to get up out of their seats and get moving while they are learning, and all of these are things Student B would appreciate.
There are so many factors that go into teaching and learning, but getting to know your students is at the center of it all. Teachers need to understand the strengths, interests, and needs of their students so they know how to differentiate for them in the most effective ways. I would use the knowledge of a student’s strengths and needs for growth to determine their readiness of a particular skill and a formative assessment would be a helpful tool to accomplish this (McCarthy, 2018). Once we understand student strengths, needs, and readiness we can know how best to address the lesson. Student interests can be a daunting task to implement into instruction since there are so many different interests amongst them, but including them gives valuable context for them to connect abstract concepts and skills to their world (McCarthy, 2018). Including student interests also promotes student engagement and motivation so that they buy-in to the lesson.
The wonderful thing about assessments is that they can be flexible and versatile in their purpose of assessing student knowledge. Teachers can offer choice in assessments that are tailored to different learning styles or combine different strategies into the assessment to cater to individual needs and preferences (Taghive, 2024). For visual learners, examples such as mind maps, interactive diagrams, or visual presentations would be suitable; for auditory learners, examples include creating videos, debates, or recorded presentations; for kinesthetic learners, examples such as role-playing, interactive games, or hands-on experiences would be ideal (Taghive, 2024). By tailoring our instruction and assessments to students’ learning styles and needs, we can fully create a learning experience and environment that enables students to feel empowered and successful.
Resources:
McCarthy, J. (2018). Student-centered planning. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/student-centered-planning
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.). Principles of child development and learning and implications that inform practice. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/position-statements/dap/principles
Taghive. (2024). Assessment strategies for different learning styles. https://tag-hive.com/assessment-strategies-for-different-learning-styles/
Willingham, D. T. (2018). Ask the cognitive scientist: does tailoring instruction to “learning styles” help students learn? AFT. https://www.aft.org/ae/summer2018/willingham
Comments
Post a Comment