HOW TO discover your child's learning style

Each child is unique.  It's something that parents know by heart.  Sometimes, however, we assume that "one size fits all" when it comes to how we educate children.  Fairmont Private Schools works to identify children's academic talents and aptitudes during the admissions process so we can place them appropriately and ensure their success.  Beyond the initial assessment, Fairmont's teachers are trained to individualize and differentiate classroom learning so lessons appeal to a wide variety of learners.

Is your child an auditory, visual or kinesthetic learner? There's probably no clear-cut answer   since most kids are an ever-evolving mixture of the three (with wild cards added in just for fun). For example, I'd call my active oldest son a kinesthetic/visual learner who hates sitting still, yet he'll read well into the night about dry topics such as ancient Rome--go figure!  Once again, children defy definition, but it does help to understand their leanings when it comes to learning.  Here's a breakdown of the different learning styles and their definitions provided by schoolfamily.com:

Auditory learners prefer listening to explanations over reading them and may like to study by reciting information aloud. This type of learner may want to have background music while studying, or they may be distracted by noises and need a quiet space to study.

Kinesthetic learners learn by doing and touching. They may have trouble sitting still while studying, and they are better able to understand information by writing it down or doing hands-on activities.

Visual learners process new information by reading, looking at graphics, or watching a demonstration. Children with this learning style can grasp information presented in a chart or graph, but they may grow impatient listening to an explanation.

Think you have your child's learning style pinpointed?  Just for fun, here's a quiz to see if you're right.

Image by Blue Mango provided by edudemic.com

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools