Learning Style: Kinesthetic: => To memorise, pace or walk around while reciting to yourself or using flashcards or notes.
=> When reading a short story or chapter in a book, try a whole-to-part approach. This means you should first scan the pictures, then read headings, then read the first and last paragraphs and try to get a feel for the book. You could also try skim-reading the chapter or short story backwards, paragraph-by-paragraph.
=> If you need to fidget, try doing so in a way which will not disturb others of endager yourself or others. Try jiggling your legs or feet, try hand/finger exercises, or handle a koosh ball, tennis ball or something similar.
=> You might not study best while at a desk. Try lying on your stomach or back. Try studying while sitting in a comfortable lounge chair or on cushions or a bean bag.
=> Studying with music in the background might suit you (baroque music is best - as opposed to heavily rhythm-based music).
=> Use coloured contruction paper to cover your desk or even decorate your area. Choose your favourite colour as this will help you focus. This technique is called colour grounding.
=> Try reading through coloured transparencies to help focus your attention. Try a variety of colours to see which colours work best.
=> While studying, take frequent breaks, but be sure to settle back down to work quickly. A reasonable schedule would be 15-25 minutes of study, 3-5 minutes of break time.
=> When trying to memorise information, try closing your eyes and writing the information in the air or on a surface with your finger. Try to picture the words in your head as you are doing this. Try to hear the words in your head, too.
Later, when you try to remember this information, close your eyes and try to see it with your mind's eye and to hear it in your head.
=> When learning new information, make task cards, flashcards, electro-boards, card games, floor games, etc. This will help you process the information.
Kid's Self Assessment:
By giving the students the self assessment I was able to learn alot more about them than their learning style. Three of my students were auditory learners, three more were visual learners, and one student was a kinesthetic learner. Some students already had an idea of what kind of learner they were.While learning about their learning style, I also learned different things from each student. I learbed their nationallity, their personality, and their likes and dislikes.
Self Assessment
Self-Assessment: Determining Your Learning Style
People differ a great deal in how they learn. Some people learn better with hands-on activities. Others learn best when they work alone. Responding to the quiz below will help you identify your predominate learning style, which, in turn can help you learn more efficiently.
Directions: Each question below provides two choices. Select the choice that best describes you. (If neither describes you, chose the option that is closer to your preference.)
Part One:
_______1. I would prefer to follow a set of
a. oral directions b. written directions
_______2. I would prefer to
a. attend a lecture given by a famous psychologist b. read an article written by the psychologist
_______3. When I am introduced to someone, it is easier for me to remember a person’s
a. name b. face
_______4. I find it easier to learn new information using
a. language (words) b. pictures (pictures)
_______5. I prefer classes in which the instructor
a. lectures and answers questions b. uses films and videos
_______6. To follow current events, I prefer to
a. listen to the news or radio b. read the newspaper
_______7. To learn how to operate a fax machine I would prefer to
a. listen to a friend’s explanation b. watch a demonstration
Part Two:
_______8. I prefer to
a. work with facts and details b. construct theories and ideas
_______9. I would prefer a job that involved
a. following specific instructions b. reading, writing, analyzing
_______10. I prefer to
a. solve math problems using a formula b. discover why a formula works
_______11. I would prefer to write a term paper explaining
a. how a process works b. a theory
_______12. I prefer task that require me to
a. follow careful, detailed instructions b. use reasoning and critical analysis
_______13. For a criminal justice course, I would prefer to
a. discover how and when a law can be used b. learn how and why it became law
_______14. To learn more about the operation of a high-speed computer printer, I would prefer to
a. work with several types of printers b. understand the principles on which it operates
Part Three
_______ 15. To solve a math problem, I would prefer to
a. draw or visualize the problem b. study a sample problem and use it as a model
_______16. To remember something best, I
a. draw or visualize the problem b. study a sample problem and use it as a model
_______17. Assembling a bicycle from a diagram would be
a. easy b. challenging
_______18. I prefer classes in which I
a. handle equipment or work with models b. participate in class discussion
_______19. To understand and remember how a machine works, I would
a. draw a diagram b. write notes
_______20. I enjoy
a. drawing or working with my hands b. speaking, writing, and listening
_______21. If I were trying to locate an office on an unfamiliar university campus, I would prefer
a. a map b. a set of directions
Part Four
_______22. For a grade in biology lab, I would prefer to
a. work with a lab partner b. work alone
_______23. When faced with a difficult personal problem, I prefer to
a. discuss it with others b. resolve it myself
_______24. Many instructors could include their classes by
a. including more discussion and group activities b. allowing student to work on their own more frequently
_______25. When listening to a lecture or speaker, I respond more to
a. the person presenting the ideas b. the ideas themselves
_______26. When on a team project, I prefer to
a. work with several team members b. divide up tasks and complete those assigned to me
_______27. I prefer to shop and do errands
a. with friends b. by myself
_______28. A job in a busy office is
a. more appealing than working alone b. less appealing than working alone
Part Five
_______29. To make decisions, I rely on
a. my experiences and gut feelings b. facts and objective data
_______30. To complete a task, I
a. can use whatever is available to get the job done. b. must have everything I need at hand
_______31. I prefer to express my ideas and feelings through
a. music, song, or poetry b. direct, concise language
_______32. I prefer instructors who
a. allow students to be guided by their own interests b. make their expectations clear and explicitly
_______33. I tend to
a. challenge and question what I hear and read b. accept what I hear and read
_______34. I prefer
a. essay exams b. objective exams
_______35. In completing an assignment, I prefer to
a. figure out my own approach b. be told exactly what to do
Scoring:
To score your questionnaire, record the total number of times you selected choice “a” and the total number of times you selected choice “b” for each part of the questionnaire. Record your totals in the scoring grid below.
Scoring Grid
PartTotal # of Choice aTotal # of Choice b
Part One __________________ _________________
Auditory Visual
Part Two __________________ _________________
Applied Conceptual
Part Three __________________ _________________
Spatial Verbal
Part Four __________________ _________________
Social Independent
Part Five __________________ _________________
Creative Pragmatic
Interpreting Your Scores
This questionnaire was divided into five parts; each part identifies one aspect of your learning style. These fives aspects are explained below.
Part One: Auditory or Visual Learner
This score indicates the sensory mode you prefer when processing information. Auditory learners tend to learn more effectively through listening, whereas visual learners process information by seeing it in print or other visual mode including films, pictures, or diagrams. If you have a higher score in the auditory than visual, you tend to be an auditory learner. That is you tend to learning easily be hearing than by reading. A higher score in visual suggests strengths with visual modes of learning.
Part Two: Applied or Conceptual Learner
This score describes the types of learning tasks and learning situations you prefer and find easiest to handle. If you are an applied learner, you prefer tasks that involve real objects and situations. Practical, real-life learning situation are ideal for you. If you are a conceptual learner, you prefer to work with language and ideas; practical applications are not necessary for understanding.
Part Three: Spatial or Verbal Learners
This score reveals your ability to work with spatial relationships. Spatial learners are able to visualize, or mentally see, how things work or how they are positioned in space. Their strengths may include drawing, assembling things, or repairing. Verbal learner lacks skills in positioning things in space. Instead, they tend to rely on verbal or language skills.
Part Four: Social or Independent Learners
This score reveals your preferred level or interaction with other people in the learning process. If you are a social learner, you prefer to work with others—both peers and instructors—closely and directly. You tend to be people-oriented and to enjoy personal interaction. If you are an independent learner, you prefer to work and study alone. You tend to be self-directed or self-motivated and often are goal-oriented.
Part Five: Creative or Pragmatic Learners
This core describes the approach you prefer to take toward learning tasks. Creative learners are imaginative and innovative. They prefer to learn through discovery or experimentation. They are comfortable taking risks and following hunches. Pragmatic learners are practical, logical, and systematic. They seek order and are comfortable following rules.
Source: College Reading and Study Skills, Ninth Edition by Kathleen McWhorter. Longman Publishers, New York: 2004.