She sat there, looking out of the window fascinated, watching the bird build its nest.
The bell broke her focus. Oh, the class just got over. That was my daughter and this was at school!
When she got home, she excitedly explained the whole process of how that bird built its nest. While I was worried about what she had missed in class. Perspectives.
I couldn’t resist asking her the teacher’s reaction. Her reply surprised me.
Her teacher had asked her to explain what she saw and then later helped her to identify the bird. Her assignment – to draw the bird and its nest.
It took me some time to process the whole thing. When I met the teacher I couldn’t resist asking about that incident. What transpired left me stunned.
The foundation of knowledge is curiosity, and it’s not restricted to the books. Her wise words echoed long after the meeting.
It’s this thinking that changed the way I began to see education.
Every child has their own way of looking at the world and learning about it. Why are we forcing them to confirm to rigid parameters?
As parents and educators, you should be open to adapting the learning styles to suit the child.
Understanding the Different Learning Styles in Children
There are 3 different learning styles based on the strengths of the child.
- Visual Learners
These children ‘see’ the world around them and soak in the knowledge. They’ve better spatial understanding.
I remember teaching addition using blocks of tens and ones in one of my classes. Most of the kids got it; some struggled with it.
It’s then I found a video online explaining the concept. The animations were cute and colourful.
Everyone in the class enjoyed watching it and learning together, especially those who were struggling earlier.
Children, especially the visual learners, grasp concepts faster with charts, diagrams, or colour coded notes. Try using mind maps to plan a story or visual flashcards for spelling.
It’s the final result that matters.
- Auditory Learners
Children’s learn well if it is explained to them. Isn’t it the method each one of us is exposed to since birth?
You listen to stories, lullabies and instructions. You learn by listening, and hearing the voices and sounds around you.
It’s also the conventional method of teaching.
For the young learners, what works are the songs, storytelling, read-alouds, and sing-alongs. It’s a fun way of learning. Parents, don’t forget to make good use of the bedtime story telling opportunities.
As long as they’re learning, every method is worth trying.
- Kinaesthetic Learners
This category of learners are the ‘doers’. They need hands-on experience to comprehend something.
They prefer the physical engagement to the theory.
Such children enjoy experiments, role plays, movements, and even crafts. They’re the enthusiastic volunteers during class experiments and activities.
They prefer to make origami birds and cats and what not. Their imagination gets a free rein when working with the clay or blocks or Lego.
They’re the ones who believe in applying their knowledge to practical uses.
How to Recognise Your Child’s Learning Preferences
Now that you’re familiar with the 3 broad categories of learning preferences, which one do you think applies to your child?
It’s important for parents and educators to recognise what kind of learner the child is so that they can use the best way of teaching them.
If you watch them carefully, you’ll see what excites them, what frustrates them, when are they most receptive to learning.
One of my friends who teaches pre-K uses images and numbers together to build association by sight. This is helpful for visual learners.
I’ve often experimented with using various methods in class. Some had great results, and some not so good. But unless I hadn’t tried, I wouldn’t have found out what worked best for my students.
It’s a constantly evolving process. Children keep moving from one style to another depending on what they’re learning. So, if you’re teaching something new, be prepared to use different styles to make the learning process engaging.
Read in the Journal of Educational Psychology that research shows that when teaching methods match a child’s learning style, their engagement and retention can improve by up to 30%.
Common Mistakes Or Misconceptions As Parents And Educators
The biggest, and most common, and damaging mistake is trying to teach all children the same way. It’s not the right way. It’s not just ineffective, it’s also unfair.
They don’t learn the same way. They shouldn’t have to. They each think differently, learn differently, grow differently. So, how can they run the same race?
It’s like saying apples and pears and bananas are all same because they’re all fruits. Even these fruits don’t taste or look the same.
And when the teaching style doesn’t match their requirement, the children often lose interest.
It’s not reflective of their capability or intelligence; it shows the inability to engage them or build interest. It’s not failure, its frustration.
And the bigger mistake is misreading and labelling their disinterest as laziness or low intelligence.
This interpretation supports the overemphasis on academic achievement, not learning engagement; it values performance over learning, marks over curiosity.
Parents and educators often equate the grades with knowledge or learning of the child. It’s false equivalence.
This leads to comparison between unequals, an unfair parameter for evaluating the capability of the child. Can you compare a fish with a bird or dinosaur?
Time to look beyond the grades. Instead ask how the grades are being given and what are they really measuring before you pull up your child for their performance.
Practical Tips to Support Every Learning Style at Home
- Mix and Match Strategies
I had a set of twins on my class once. While one was a diligent student, the other was a restless atom, all over the class.
So I worked out of strategy after a lot of trial and error.
I let one of them do the school work in the regular way. And then gave the restless one the responsibility to assist his brother to complete his written work in class.
As a kinaesthetic learner, this worked out better for him since he was not restricted to his seat. He could walk around, read out what’s written on the board, and repeat it to his brother, helping him to write faster.
It’s was a perfect teamwork with amazing results. (And don’t worry, I got him also to complete his classwork as well!)
Mixing two different styles to suit the two distinct personalities helped get the work done. Don’t hesitate to mix up and get creative with the styles.
2. Focus on Engagement, Not Perfection
The lesson learnt was that the focus must be on whether they’re enjoying the learning or not.
If the method is not suitable or causing them stress, then just drop it like a hot potato. Go back to the drawing board and rethink the approach.
A frequent instance is where many parents overwhelmed the children with lots of books and expect them to read them all and become Shakespeare or Einstein or whatever.
Wrong approach. One, have you set a reading habit where they’re encouraged to read regularly? Two, does your child actually enjoy reading?
If your objective is to improve reading skills, you’ve to plan the activities around it.
But if you want your child to be exposed to stories and tales, then be open to trying other ways. Like try audio books, or physical books with audio, or even watch some videos, or get big picture books with lots of colour, and read it out to them. There are so many different ways of going about it.
Build their curiosity because that will make learning a joy, not a dreary activity.
3. Don’t Label, Just Adapt
And most importantly, don’t put them in a box with a label. They’re not toys, they’re children.
Children are the most flexible learners and adapt easily to all forms of learning.
The more variety of learning methods you expose them to, the richer will be their learning experience.
They’ll be willing to try different formats, which is good for them. They incorporate something from each of these methods.
If they love to listen, then they’ll learn to appreciate sounds and maybe develop a keen ear for music.
Don’t restrict their learning to just the books. Let them experiment, try out things, make inventions, design creations.
Let them figure out what works for them best. And you, parents and educators, use the learning styles as tools.
A Personal Reflection: When I Stopped Fixing and Started Adapting
You can say that incident with my daughter was the turning point. That teacher was a life saver. She opened my eyes to a beautiful reality.
I stepped back from being a typical mother, expecting the world from my child. Instead I began to appreciate her for what she was – someone unique and talented (all her best creations were on the back of the exam question paper!) And with a distinct personality.
Confining her to the societal stereotypes was a disservice to her.
What changed everything was a mindset shift. I stopped asking why she wasn’t getting it; instead I began thinking how best she’d learn? That one change in thinking altered the entire learning journey.
The day I stopped doing what was ‘normal’, was the day she got the chance to spread her wings.
End result? Improved performance, better grades, increased confidence, and transformed personality.
It’s this experience which taught me that it doesn’t help to set expectations without appreciating their limitations. Can’t measure everyone with the same scale.
Let the foundations be strong. Before labelling them, let them have the freedom to grow.
Nurture them. Accept them. Try experimenting with visuals and rhythm and modified study routines to ensure that learning becomes a bonding experience, and not traumatic.
Conclusion: Every Child Deserves to Be Understood
Children are a source of joy. Let them grow up happy. By restricting their growth, their knowledge and their curiosity, you’re only moving backwards, not forward.
Let them learn in ways that ensures their minds expand and their passion for learning gets supported.
Expecting each one of them to follow the same path is a recipe for failure and disappointment.
And what you must remember is each moment is a learning experience. Be it taking them for a walk in the rains or spending a morning in the park or visiting the museum. They’ll learn everywhere.
All you need to do is tease that curiosity in them, step back and watch them soar.
If there’s one thing you take away from this, let it be this: children thrive when we teach them, and not just the curriculum.
So, pause. Observe. Adapt. You’ll be amazed at what unfolds.
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