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Knowing a student's 'Learning Style' is one of the most valuable pieces of

information for educators. Just as each person is an individual, with their own voice, likes and dislikes; individual students actually learn in different ways. The preferred manner that a student best learns, retains, and expresses information, is known as their 'Learning Style'.

Identifying the individual student's Learning Style enables the educator to prepare appropriate curriculum, as well as more effective lesson plans, thus presenting information in the manner most beneficial for the student's understanding. For example: If a 1^st grade student is 'tactile' or 'kinesthetic', which means that they need to touch and move for learning, this student would most likely perform poorly in a traditional structured classroom setting. A tactile learner needs to 'touch' to 'see', and would benefit greatly by utilizing math manipulatives, such as dominos, or cubes for learning addition, subtraction, and even multiplication and division. Likewise, a kinetic learner must have a method of application involving action and/or physical movement, such as highlighting or coloring reading material, or playing counting games that involve jumping when learning math.

Below is a list of Learning Styles and their definitions:

Visual/Spatial:

Visual/Spatial intelligence is the ability to hold the world visually in your mind. A Visual/Spatial Learner has the ability to know where they are in space. This kind of student finds it easy to visualize things as though they were only observing or taking up different positions in a virtual reality realm in their own mind. This type of learning style is common to those in the arts and in sciences.

Are talented in art, drawing, painting or sculpture

Are usually good with understanding and giving directions or reading

maps

Visualize easily with a vivid imagination

Remember in pictures as in ‘photographic memory’

Appreciate colors

Use visual metaphors in speech and writing

May speak rapidly

Think with pictures

Mostly enjoy watching images, and my visualize when listening to music

May often say "I see what you mean" to express understanding

most usually are also a Global Processors, or they see the "big picture"

Verbal/Auditory dominant students understand information best when presented in an oral language format. They benefit from a traditional structured classroom setting where the instructor lectures and the class participates in discussion. They also can learn quite effectively with audio media such as auditory books on CDs. A Verbal/Auditory learner, can usually "hear" they way someone told the information when trying to remember something. These learners benefit greatly when they are interacting with others in a group discussion.

Remember what they hear

Talk while they write

May remember names, but will forget faces

Remember by listening, especially with music

Are easily distracted by noise

Don’t appreciate a lot of pictures and graphics in reading material

Tend to hold internal conversations with themselves, rather than actively

listening to others

A Tactile/ Kinesthetic Learner retains information more readily when physically engaged in a "hands on" activity. They do not usually benefit from a traditional structured classroom, where students stay seated most of the time. However, in a lab setting where they are allowed to touch and manipulate various learning materials, they will excel. Thusly, since the Tactile/Kinesthetic student learns learn best when they are physically active, sitting in a lecture course can feel like grueling work.

• Need to ‘touch’ something to ‘look at’ something,
• Are not good listeners
• Are not usually avid readers
• Enjoys talking about feelings
• Benefit from imitating and practicing
• Will remember what was done, not seen or heard
• Enjoy Games
• Are very impulsive
• Unconsciously touch others while communicating with them
• Are usually athletic, enjoying swimming, cooking, running, eating,

anything that involves ‘doing’

• Enjoy massages
• Rarely enjoy just ‘watching TV’ or ‘hanging out’

While evaluating a student’s Learning Style is beneficial, it is also important to acknowledge an individual student’s 'Processing Style'. A Processing Style refers to the method that a student’s brain perceives and evaluates problems, and forms conclusions and solutions.

Below is a list of Processing Styles and their definitions:

Global learners tend to learn in large jumps, absorbing material almost randomly without seeing connections, and then suddenly 'getting it.' As well, Global Learners are usually able to solve complex problems quickly, or put things together in random ways once they have visualized the big picture. However, they may have difficulty explaining how they solved the problem, or came to a conclusion.

Sequential learners tend to gain understanding in linear steps, with each step following logically from the previous one. Sequential learners tend to follow logical stepwise paths in finding solutions.

The fruits of extensive educational research, has surely enabled the modern day educator to be more effective and sensitive than in years previous. Eventually, we may well see classroom rosters being drawn up based on a student’s individual learning style, creating a more effective teaching environment as well as a more beneficial learning environment. Would it not be an innovative for educators to structure classrooms suited specifically for a particular Learning Style? Imagine a classroom consisting only of Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners. A new day may soon come, let’s hope for our children.