Nowadays in schools they demand learning that children must learn but they forget something very important: teaching how to learn. To learn, one must know how to study and internalize the knowledge acquired. It does not matter what pedagogy is taught, It is very important to understand that in order to learn, you have to know what your learning style is.
It is not the same to learn by listening when it is easier to learn by looking, nor is it the same to learn by manipulating when it is better to learn by studying. Not all children learn the same and that is why it is inappropriate to think that all learning methodologies are the same for all children. Regardless of whether it is a traditional or alternative pedagogy.
Learning styles
Most of us have a preferred way of learning, that is, a way of learning that we are most comfortable with. It is very important that your child learns what his learning style is and the form of study that best suits him so that they learn more and better in the shortest possible time. The most common learning styles are:
- Auditory style. Children who learn best by studying will have an auditory learning style. This means that they will learn better if they study aloud or if they talk about what they have learned with other people. A good strategy may also be to record the lessons as you read them aloud and then play them back.
- Visual style. With the visual style, children learn best with colors, with notes, and by drawing schemes and diagrams to help represent key points. Ideas are best remembered with colorful schemes or pictures.
- Kinesthetic style. The kinesthetic style is based on children learning more by manipulating and doing things. Hands are needed to learn so role-playing or building is more effective for learning with this learning style.
It is important that both parents and educators take into account that learning styles allow children to have different methods or strategies to learn a specific content but that they do not know which is the dominant one, so they must try different ways of learning until they find out. yours.
There may be different preferences or combination of styles, but what matters is to be clear about which ones are the dominant ones in yourself. Not all people learn the same or at the same rate. This is a reality that we all know, since the differences between children in terms of study is something that has always been present ... They learn differently. Despite having had the same explanations, the same examples, activities or exercises.
Why are there different learning styles
Learning styles or differences are the result of many factors that involve the boy or girl. Genetics may be one of them, since children who come from intelligent and applied parents are more likely to follow in their footsteps.
But there are also other factors that should be taken into account, such as:
- The culture
- The social environment
- The family environment
- The motivation
- Age
It is very important that learning styles are taken into account both on the part of educational professionals, such as parents or even the students themselves. Because taking this into account, academic actions and more effective results can be achieved.
Variable didactics for good learning
A common mistake made by teachers, educators, parents and mothers is that they try to teach content to boys and girls without taking into account their learning style. In fact, in the classrooms, teachers try to teach academic content equally to everyone, that is, in the same way.
This is a mistake because not all students learn in the same way, and only taking into account the different learning styles can it be taught correctly. But how to adapt the content to all the learning styles of the students? It is as simple as using different educational resources so that everyone can have facilities.
This means that the topics of a subject, for example, must be approached (both at home and at school) with a variable didactics. Treat academic content in different ways so that all students are able to identify themselves in any of them and learn in this way, the contents in a meaningful way.
Self concept
The concept of oneself and also the learning style are closely linked. Because to have a good motivation in the study it is also necessary to take into account that one is able to achieve it, and for this it is necessary to have a good concept of oneself.
If it is, then the active process improves, if you have a bad concept of yourself, the student will think that he is not capable of doing it well or to learn it or if he does, it has been luck and not his own ability that has allowed the good results.
In addition, active learning is much more motivating and effective than passive learning. Children and adolescents must feel involved in learning so that it is active and so that they better retain all the information. Passivity in the study will only make students feel bored, not motivated, and what is worse, they do not feel capable of achieving their own goals.
The students together is better
It's necessary that learning stimuli are not used as a tool to divide studentsIn fact, a combination of styles is necessary to enhance diversity and tolerance among students. Each one has its own rhythm and style and all are equally respectable and admirable.
Intelligence is a set of abilities that allows us to solve problems and according to Howard Gardner there is neither one, nor two nor three learning styles, but there are nothing less than 8 great types of abilities or intelligences depending on the context in which it occurs. The intelligence:
- Linguistics
- Mathematical logician
- Corporal-kinesthetic
- Musical
- Space
- Naturalistic
- Interpersonal
- Intrapersonal
By understanding the importance of learning styles and how our children and adolescents learn, it will be easier to teach them the ways that exist to achieve not only a good academic result but also, to achieve that intrinsic love for learning.