Understanding your students’ learning styles

Every student’s voice should be heard — yet sometimes we simply don’t understand their particular learning style, and their potential isn’t fully tapped. When students are able to stand out and be heard in the classroom, they’re able to achieve more than you might ever have imagined.

Your student might not know their learning style (most don’t), but there are some clues that can help identify it, such as how they like to do homework or remember details. Try reading a book to your student: do they want to see pictures (visual), touch the book/pictures (kinesthetic) or close their eyes to hear the words (auditory)? Review game rules: do they want to see the directions (visual), repeat them after you (auditory) or do what you just said (kinesthetic)? Once you understand their learning style, you can tailor lessons and studying methods accordingly.

This group needs to hear and repeat the information to recall it. Use Post-it® Super Sticky Notes 3 in. x 3 in. and jot down a key fact on each about the topic of focus, and stick them to a wall or another surface. Help your student use the Post-it® Super Sticky Notes as flash cards, reading out loud alone or with a study buddy to remember the words in their head. The notes are super sticky, so they can be moved and re-stuck as needed — handy if your student wants to move them to a notebook or on their desk, for instance.

The visual learner loves graphs, drawing images with colorful pens, mnemonic devices, picture cues and other graphics. Visual learners need to see the information to learn. Post-it® Super Sticky Dry Erase Surface is great for drawing diagrams, charts and pictures to help students better understand and digest information — it can be cut to size and fixed to almost any smooth surface to instantly create collaborative writing and drawing space. Write down or draw directions and to-do lists for reference.

The kinesthetic student needs to touch, write or move to learn. Create an interactive activity for this group — they benefit from being doers. Use a Post-it® Super Sticky Big Note to map out problems or outline main topics — they’re big and bold, stay stuck to many surfaces, and provide a large canvas for lots of thinking out loud. For organizing solutions, jot down ideas on Post-it® Super Sticky Notes 3 in. x 3 in. and stick them on the big note, re-arranging as needed (they’ll keep sticking, over and over). Writing down the directions or information by hand helps them remember the information.

Student learning styles can be vastly different, and it pays to understand them on an individual basis. Being able to customize your teaching methods will help students achieve more, and maximize their potential. Remember, there are three general student learning styles:
 

1. Visual
2. Auditory
3. Kinesthetic

Understanding a student’s learning style and using key Post-it® Products will go a long way toward helping them make their own unique mark on the world.