Knowledge
Beyond the One-Size-Fits-All Approach: Embracing Learning Styles in the Classroom
Every child is naturally motivated to learn. There is diversity in the way children learn.
Learning is a comprehensive, continuous, and life-long important process. A man starts learning after birth and keeps on learning something or the other throughout his life. Gradually he tries to adjust himself to the environment.
Learning helps us to make sense of the basic necessities of life. And teaches us the ways by which we can attain and master them. A person cannot be made to work by holding his hand for their whole life.
In school and college, you might have noticed that even though you and your classmates are in the same class and taught by the same teacher, there are some students who do better in exams than others. While much of it varies on an individual’s ability to learn and remember things, different learning styles play an important role here as well.
Every child is naturally motivated to learn. There is diversity in the way children learn. Through experiences like asking questions, listening, thinking, reflecting, expressing, doing activities in small and large groups, etc.
Learning is a very important topic of modern psychology. Learning requires practice and what a person learns through practice is permanent in nature. So learning depends a lot on practice or effort.
learning in practice
H. Gardner proposed the theory of 7 different learning styles. He emphasized that everyone has a different way of learning, and tried to cover a broad spectrum of learning in seven areas. He also said that students and people, in general, would be better at learning if they were presented with information through a variety of mediums. Here are the different learning styles practiced in the classroom:
- Visual
- Kinesthetic
- Logical
- Aural
- Oral
- Social
- Solitary
Visual learning is a type of learning style that we have been practicing since we were kids. We see something or someone and start forming an association with it. For example, when a small child sees their mother, they immediately know it is her because they have seen her taking care of them, feeding them, and cleaning them. The ability to recognize faces comes from visual learning. In terms of academics, visual learning is when a student prefers to learn through visual things.
Children who like to use their muscles to lift and build are known as kinetic learners. They learn things better when they are physically working towards it. For example, kinesthetic learners may find it easier to learn numbers when they are given blocks and have to build a tower of a certain number of blocks, or they may learn letters better when they are given other games or activities where they have to draw letters.
A logical, also known as a mathematical learner, is a child who learns better through logical reasoning and proper methodology. These are often children who like to ask questions about why some things are the way they are, and also like to receive a well-structured and meaningful answers to this. These kids like to have good logic behind everything, which helps them to learn and grow. It becomes difficult to teach them, as well if there is no proper explanation for the answer.
Children are very quick to absorb what they hear. However, there are some who are better than others at picking up on things and remembering them. These children are auditory learners. They learn better when the material is delivered to them through audio means, such as recorded lectures, podcasts, music, audiobooks, etc. They can remember what has been said better than what they have read or written down.
Verbal or linguistic learners are people who learn and remember more by speaking. Remember as children, most parents would constantly ask their children to say what they are reading, as it can help with memorization. This is true for many people because when talking out loud, you are also hearing them back. Children who do well in verbal learning are better at vocabulary games such as word puzzles, or crosswords, and also love to sing.
Social learning occurs when a child chooses to learn in a group of people. They love to grow their knowledge by talking to the people around them and learning from their experiences and stories. These children often do very well in a classroom setting, and may not do so if home-schooled. They are highly confident in their skills and are often good speakers and listeners. Learning with a group helps them to be open to different ideas and thoughts. interpersonal or social.
Solitary is the exact opposite of the social learning style. This is when the child feels comfortable and likes to learn when they are alone. Being alone helps their mind to focus more and better on the subject matter. They may get distracted or overwhelmed by studies in classes. These children will do very well if they are home-schooled. They may also be socially shy. Being alone gives them the comfort of being unnoticed; they can find their peace of mind and feel well.
The teacher’s role is to impart knowledge and the student’s job is to receive the knowledge. Teaching is teacher-centered. It is the duty of the students to remember the knowledge given by the teachers and present it in the examination.
Whatever a child learns, its impact on one hand is on his abstract powers, and on the other hand, his behavior also starts changing. His feelings, interests, and lifestyle change.
Apart from this, learning is also said to be a personal and social process of discovery based on discretion and activism, which is helpful in result-oriented and problem-solving. This process of learning can be both positive and negative.
How can a teacher promote meaningful learning in her primary classroom?
– Through training and practice
– By promoting competition
– Relating the content to the lives of the students
– Giving rewards for small achievements of learning
Conceptually, ‘learning’ in the traditional sense is the process of assimilation of knowledge, which results from an interaction between the teacher and the taught. The following are required for learning:
Self-experience – Experience is the foundation and motivation for learning.
Self-thought – it means forming one’s own opinion, and taking or not taking ready-made ideas from others.
Author – Preeti Sharma, Vice Principal, Rana International School, Uttar Pradesh
