Different Kinds of Learners

When it comes to learning, we all know that there are differences. Some seem to learn easily in school (straight “A” students), while others tend to fail. Some seem naturally “bookish,” while others prefer to be doing an activity. Some enjoy a quiet environment for study, while others thrive in an environment of noise and people. Some are slow starters, while others are chomping at the bit.

Because there are so many kinds of differences, we are going to look at specific categories of differences as part of this weekly mentoring email. In coming months, we will consider topics such as the 8 Kinds of Smart (multiple intelligences) and Learning Styles. To begin this process, though, we will be looking all month at Learning “Modalities”—visual, auditory, and kinesthetic—which are different ways our brains receive new information.

My own lesson of Lazy, Rebellious. . .Or, Just Different Than Me?

When I was a young homeschool mom, I would tell my six-year old to clean his room.

“Make your bed, pick up your toys, put away your clothes, throw out the trash. . .” (or some related version of specific things that needed doing).

He would always respond with a smile, “Okay, Mommy.”

And, about thirty minutes later, I would hear him call out, “I’m done!”

Walking into the room at that point, though was always a frustration. Why?

Because ALL he would ever have done was to make his bed. . .and maybe put away a book or two. The rest of his bedroom was an utter mess. And, yet, he would stand there, smiling at me because he had done what he was told!

I was clueless to understand WHY he didn’t do all that I had said.

Sound familiar?

About that time, my public-school-teaching husband took an education seminar on different ways people learn. He came home with information on how some learn more easily when information is presented visually, others when it is presented orally, and still others when they can move or touch things (kinesthetically) as information is presented.

As he was describing this in more detail, a lightbulb went off in my head! Could it be possible that our oldest needed to see things in order to understand, but I was continually saying things I wanted him to know? Like, for instance, what to do to clean his room??

The next morning, I tried an experiment to test my new theory. Instead of saying the specific details of what needed to be done in his room, I gave him a piece of paper with the items written out for him.

“Honey, here’s a list of things you need to do to clean your room. Let me know when you’re done.“

He responded with that same smile and said, “Okay, Mommy.”

Thirty minutes later, he called out, “I’m done!”

When I walked into his room on that day, I almost fell over in shock. Every single thing on the list has been done. Every one of them!

That experience began to revolutionize my approach to homeschooling.

It may revolutionize yours, too. So, over the next several weeks, we will look in detail at each of these different “routes” to the brain—seeing it, hearing it, and moving or touching it.

The Jaw-Dropping, Epic Challenge of Learning Something New

Finally, in order to gain an appreciation of what a big deal it is for a child to learn something new, I encourage you to take 3 minutes to watch this video-clip from the BBC. It will astound you at how much is required for the 100 billion neurons in your brain to build a new pathway—which must happen in order to learn something new.

Be patient with your kids as their brains work hard to learn something new today!