How to Identify and Support Your Child's Learning Style

You want your child to succeed, but it can be challenging to know how to help if you don’t understand their learning style. At College for Kids, we curate lesson plans that accommodate each of the different learning styles in the classroom. Here’s what you need to know to facilitate the same holistic approach at home.

Understanding Different Learning Styles

Effective communication with children starts with knowing the different types of learning styles:

Visual: These children learn best through seeing and benefit from visual aids like charts and pictures. Mind maps, colorful notes, and flashcards can be helpful.
Auditory: Auditory learners understand concepts best when hearing the ideas out loud through verbal instructions and class discussions. Integrate plenty of audio cues into your child’s at-home learning through rhymes, songs, and read-alongs.
Kinesthetic: If your child thrives in a hands-on environment, they may be a kinesthetic learner. These children benefit from movement and physical experiences, so be sure to incorporate regular homework breaks for stretching. Consider adding role-playing activities and physical projects to help them grasp new concepts.
Reading/writing: Children who are reading- and writing-focused find it helpful to take notes and create lists. Make sure they have clear, written instructions. They may also benefit from learning how to create strong outlines and take better notes before exploring more difficult topics.

How to Identify and Support Your Child’s Learning Style

Write down examples of your child’s strengths to start identifying their learning style. Note the hobbies they love and which chores or activities they excel at. Ask them to explain their learning preferences in their own words. You can also reach out to their teacher for more insight.

Once you’ve identified your child’s main style or combination of styles, you can support them at home through these strategies.

Create a Learning-Friendly Environment

The first step in creating a learning-friendly home is to create a quiet, organized study space where your child can do their homework and complete projects. The area should be free of distractions, so choose a room where toys, TV, and video games aren’t easily accessible. Enhance the space with comfortable, supportive seating and style-specific accessories like:

Visual learners: A dry-erase board or chalkboard, index cards, colorful highlighters, and sticky notes
Auditory learners: An audio player, headphones, speakers
Kinesthetic learners: A large surface for hands-on projects, a standing desk, a balance ball
Reading/writing learners: Extra notebooks, a printer, a variety of writing utensils

Adapt Your Teaching Methods

Knowing your child’s primary learning style is a helpful first step, but most children don’t fit neatly into a single category. For example, your kid might be a reading/writing learner in most subjects but find hands-on experiments more helpful for science. Be patient and open to experimenting with different approaches until you find what works for your child’s pace and interests.

Learning styles can also change over time as topics become more challenging and your child develops new passions. Have periodic check-ins at the end of every quarter to assess progress. Ask your child what they have enjoyed the most and which strategies were and weren’t helpful. Use that information to make changes before the new quarter so they can finish the school year strong.

Encourage Exploration and Discovery

The best thing you can do to foster a love of learning in your child is to demonstrate one yourself. Let them see you trying new things and asking questions. Fill weekends and school breaks with real-world experiences and new pursuits you can try together. You can base some activities on learning styles, but encourage your child to embrace their curiosity and explore beyond their comfort zone.

Some ideas include:

Cooking a new recipe together.
Learning a new skill like coding, photography, or drawing.
Taking a workshop or class.
Starting and caring for a garden.
Engineering and building with Legos.
Going on nature walks and keeping a nature journal.
Participating in local citizen science projects.
Painting a sidewalk mural.
Taking a martial arts or dance class.
Going on a camping trip.
Traveling somewhere new and documenting the experience.
Designing an obstacle course.
Conducting science experiments.

Local museums, libraries, and nature centers are great places to find new events for children of all ages.

College for Kids Supports All Learning Styles

We believe children learn best through holistic education that starts with nutritious, fresh foods that fuel the brain and incorporates a variety of stimulating activities to encourage curiosity. That’s why College for Kids focuses on:

Hands-on learning: Hands-on activities engage young learners’ senses while helping them develop their visual and auditory learning skills. We design classroom projects that make your child excited to learn.
Montessori approach: As a Montessori school, we encourage self-directed learning. We curate an environment that prompts discovery and provides individualized instruction as your child explores new concepts at their own pace and in their own way.
Individualized attention: We keep our class sizes small so that every child gets personalized lesson plans and one-on-one care that works with their unique learning needs.

Enroll Your Child Today

Knowing your child’s learning style is the best way to support their education at home. For an individualized approach and enriching learning environment in the classroom, turn to College for Kids. Each of our immersive child care and school-age programs has been intentionally designed to accommodate all types of learners at a pace that works for your child. Request more information about our approach, find a location near you, or start the enrollment process today.