Understanding Our Children's Learning Style

I am horrible on the telephone.  I cannot stay focused unless I begin drawing flowers, faces and graphs on paper during a long conversation. But if I'm working on a project or on the computer, I will not hear you at all if you talk to me.  And if I try to do mathmatics in my head, I usually come up with the wrong number.

I am a visual learner first and foremost.  I focus on what I see in front of me.  I am single-focused which makes me wonderful at accomplishing tasks and offensive if you're trying to talk to me while I'm doing it.  If I can do the math on paper, I can get it right.  I learn best by seeing. 

My second strength in learning is tactile - if I can touch it, put my hands on it, I will remember how to do it.  I have to actually drive the directions to remember them.  The worst way for me to learn is auditory - I can get distracted too easily by what I see unless I'm taking notes (which I can see!).

We often label children with disabilities when their real issues is difference - they have a learning style that is different than the parents or teachers trying to teach them; different than most of the children in their family or class.  This doesn't mean they are less intelligent or gifted.  They simply have a different way of learning.  A wise parent or teacher will learn their child's style and teach them in a way they understand and grasp the lesson. 

I encourage you to follow this link and first take this test for yourself.  What kind of learner are YOU?  Then let the children take it.  If you are frustrated because a child seems to fight learning or seems unable to learn when you are explaining or lecturing, perhaps you need to add some visuals or hands-on projects to your lesson.  Every child CAN learn.  Your task is to learn how.

http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=vak-quiz-visual-auditory-kinesthetic&id=121633

Carla Ives
HCI Founder

An Encouraging Blog for Those Raising or Working with Wounded Children...

http://thehomanites.wordpress.com/2014/01/19/the-power-of-prayer/

Nicole Homan is the daughter of HCI Founder, Carla Ives.  She is the worship director at The Potter's House Family Worship Center in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, a gifted writer and psalmist.  She is also a wife and the mother of 10 children!  Her first son was adopted from Liberia, followed by four children who were born here in the USA.  She and her husband, Pastor Matthew Homan, have five new foster children living with them who will soon be adopted as well.  No one understands the special challenges of being the mother of wounded childen like a foster parent. 

As teachers and pastors, we too must learn how to relate to and train the broken children in our churches, cities and nations.  We must have God's perspective and His heart to bring His salvation to them.  This blog is linked to our own.  Don't miss these flowing articles of encouragement and hope!