“My child is a visual learner.”
“You need hands-on activities for a kinesthetic learner.”
“Auditory learners learn best by listening.”
You’ve probably heard statements like these, especially if you’ve spent time researching homeschool curriculum.
Understanding how your child prefers to learn can certainly be useful.
However, students are often more adaptable than a single label suggests.
Instead of trying to place your child into one category, it can be more helpful to pay attention to which learning methods help them understand different types of information.
Visual Learning
Some students benefit greatly from seeing information.
Charts, diagrams, illustrations, maps, timelines, videos, and demonstrations can make complicated concepts easier to understand.
For example, reading about the water cycle may be helpful, but seeing an animation showing evaporation, condensation, and precipitation can make the process much clearer.
Online curriculum can be particularly useful for providing these kinds of visual learning experiences.
Learning Through Listening
Other students remember information particularly well when they hear it explained.
They may enjoy lectures, audiobooks, educational videos, discussions, or simply talking through a concept with someone else.
If your student struggles to understand something they’ve read, try discussing it aloud.
Sometimes hearing an explanation can make the difference.
Hands-On Learning
Some concepts become much easier to understand when students can actually do something.
Science experiments are an obvious example, but hands-on learning can happen in almost every subject.
Students can use objects to understand mathematical concepts, cook recipes to practice fractions, build historical models, create artwork inspired by literature, or conduct experiments related to science lessons.
Reading and Writing
Some students genuinely enjoy traditional reading and writing.
They like textbooks, written instructions, taking notes, making lists, and organizing information on paper.
For these students, reading a detailed explanation may be more useful than watching a video.
Students Don’t Have to Fit Into One Box
Here’s the important part: your student doesn’t necessarily have one permanent learning style.
A student may prefer videos for science but learn mathematics best by working through practice problems.
They might enjoy listening to literature but need diagrams to understand geography.
Different subjects require different types of learning.
That’s why variety can be so valuable.
Pay Attention to What Works
Homeschooling gives parents a unique opportunity to observe their children closely.
When does your student seem most engaged?
Which types of lessons cause frustration?
Can they explain what they’ve learned after completing a lesson?
Do they need to see more examples?
Would a video help?
Do they need additional practice?
These observations can help you make better decisions about curriculum and supplemental learning activities.
Online Learning Can Offer Variety
One advantage of digital curriculum is the ability to present information in multiple ways.
Depending on the program, students may encounter text, images, videos, animations, interactive activities, quizzes, and other resources.
This variety can help keep learning engaging while giving students different ways to interact with information.
Focus on Learning, Not Labels
Understanding your student’s preferences is valuable, but don’t worry about finding the perfect label.
The goal isn’t to determine whether your child is officially a “visual learner” or “auditory learner.”
The goal is to discover what helps your student understand, remember, and apply what they’re learning.
Global Student Network offers families access to a variety of online curriculum options, giving parents greater flexibility to find educational solutions that fit their students.
Explore online curriculum options through Global Student Network and find learning solutions designed to support your student’s educational needs.