Understanding “Preferred Learning Styles” Can Easily Boost Grades

What are Preferred Learning Styles?

Many middle and high school students miss out on achieving higher grades simply because they haven't realized the power of personalizing their learning strategies to their preferred learning style. While many parents and students have heard the words “preferred learning styles” it is often unclear how students can use an understanding of their preferred learning style to their advantage. 

In fact, understanding one’s preferred learning style is often required in today’s educational environment. As a tutor and executive function coach, I have noticed that there is often a disparity between a teacher’s preferred teaching style and a student’s preferred learning style. This disparity arises because teachers can only utilize one teaching style, while their students are likely to prefer a range of learning styles (Zhou). While students can’t control the teaching styles of their teachers, it is important for them to understand their preferred learning style(s) so that they can learn and study efficiently outside of the classroom. 

If your middle or high school student doesn’t tailor their note-taking or study strategies to their preferred learning styles, then this article is for you. Below, I will share ways in which students can take advantage of their learning styles to maximize their studying efficiency, and I’ll provide a quick guide on how to discover your child’s preferred method of learning (at the bottom of the article).

The 4 Most Common Learning Styles  

A student’s preferred learning style identifies the way in which their brain most quickly learns new information. Utilizing one’s preferred learning style often results in less time studying, higher grades, and reduced stress. There are four predominant learning styles: Visual, Auditory, Read/Write, and Kinesthetic. 

Visual Learners

Visual learners learn best by consuming information that is visually appealing. They learn best through visual stimuli such as pictures, graphs, maps, images, and slides (Moussa). 

To help your visual learner excel in school, consider these tips:

1. Color Code Notes: Visual learners often benefit from color-coding their notes. Using colorful pens or highlighters is a great way to create visually engaging notes, and can help them differentiate and remember key information. 

2. Use Visuals for In-Class Notes: Another great note-taking tip is to encourage your child to ask their teacher for a copy of the lecture slides before class. This way they don’t have to worry about copying down any visuals the teacher uses, and can instead focus on highlighting important details during the lesson. 

3. Mind Mapping: Teach your child how to create mind maps or concept maps to organize and visualize complex ideas. Mind maps provide a clear overview of topics and their interconnections. Consider the following mind maps: Flowcharts, Bubble Maps, Tree Maps, Concept Maps, and Venn Diagrams. Hint: This technique is especially useful when relating multiple concepts in English and History classes. 

4. Reading Comprehension: Highlighting important information while reading can help young students differentiate between essential and non-essential information. To digest dense reading material (like textbooks) consider encouraging your child to read through the material twice. First with a focus only on highlighting the most important concepts, and second to go back and transfer the highlighted information to written notes. 

5. Visualize Problem-Solving: When solving problems or working through tasks, encourage your child to visualize the steps and outcomes. This mental imagery can enhance their problem-solving abilities. A great way to practice this is by having your child create a flowchart of the steps required to solve a problem. This way, they can begin to visualize the problem-solving process from start to finish and easily backtrack if they make an error. Hint: This technique is especially helpful for Math and Science classes. 

Auditory Learners

Auditory learners thrive through listening and verbal communication. To help your child excel in school, consider these tips: 

1. Use Mnemonics: Teach your child to create mnemonic devices, such as rhymes, songs, or acronyms, to remember key facts and concepts. These memory aids can make learning more enjoyable and effective. 

2. Verbalize Information: Have your child summarize what they've learned in their own words. Engaging in discussions and explaining concepts aloud can be incredibly beneficial for auditory learners. An easy way to practice this is to utilize the “Blurting Method.” Have your child pick a topic and then explain everything they know about the topic out loud. Then, compare their explanation to their notes and highlight any information that was missed. Repeat until they have a comprehensive understanding of the chosen topic. 

3. Record and Review: If your child prefers to study on their own, encourage them to use the blurting method and record their explanation with their phone. Then, they can easily listen to a playback of their explanation and identify any information they might have missed. 

Read/Write Learners

Read/Write learners are most comfortable with text-based information and written materials. Here are some strategies to support this learning style:

1. Effective Use of Headings and Sub-Headings: It is easy for read/write learners to become disorganized since they often don’t organize their notes with visual cues. To avoid disorganization, encourage your child to use headings and subheadings in their notes. For easy-to-follow headings, include the date and section number, and any key concepts covered. A great example is: 

[September 16, 2023 - Math Section 3.1: Graphing Functions]

This will help them to easily differentiate topics when they review their notes for a test. 

1. Highlight and Annotate: Encourage your child to highlight key points and annotate their textbooks or notes. Similar to visual learners, this is a great way for read/write learners to keep track of important information. 

2. Summarizing: Read/write learners may have difficulty quickly discerning important information from unimportant information during class lectures, often resulting in excessive notes. To solve this problem, read/write learners may benefit from reviewing and summarizing their class notes. For best results, encourage your child to spend 5-10 minutes summarizing their notes from each class on a daily basis. Not only will this help them organize their note-taking, it will act as a subconscious study technique called “spaced repetition.” This will improve their retention of the concepts and reduce the amount of time they need to spend studying prior to the exam. 

Kinesthetic Learners

Kinesthetic learners learn best by working with others and engaging physically with materials. These learning strategies allow them to learn by relating new information to prior knowledge. An example of this is using a student’s prior knowledge of hitting a baseball to help them learn about the physical forces that act on an object in midair. Here's how to support your child's kinesthetic learning style:

1. Hands-On Activities: Encourage your child to participate in hands-on activities related to their subjects. These include experiments, projects, or interactive apps that reinforce learning. One option that works well for students is creating physical flashcards. Hands-on learners may enjoy the ability to physically manipulate flashcards during their study sessions.

2. Group Study Sessions: Promote group study sessions where your child can discuss and explain concepts to others. Sharing ideas with peers can be particularly effective for kinesthetic learners. Zoom is a great option for kinesthetic learners who may not be able to meet in person. 

3. Creating Visuals: Encourage your child to create visual aids like diagrams, charts, and graphs during their study sessions. Like visual learners, this method can enhance their understanding and memory of complex topics.

4. Hands-On Projects: Encourage your child to create simple hands-on projects that relate to their coursework. Building models or conducting simple experiments can solidify their understanding of new concepts. Building legos, trying cultural cuisines, drawing pictures, and dioramas can be fun ways to keep young learners engaged. 

5. Active Breaks: Suggest incorporating short physical activities or movement breaks during study sessions. Kinesthetic learners often benefit from brief physical activity to refocus their minds. 

6. Analogizing: One of my favorite comprehension strategies is to have students relate the concepts they’re learning in school to one of their hobbies or extracurricular activities. The example above of relating physical forces to hitting a baseball is a great example. 

Identifying Your Child’s Learning Style

Now it is time to identify which type of learning style your child prefers. Below is a quick 10-question test that you can use to identify their preferred learning style.

Instructions: For each question, select the statement that best describes your child’s preferred way of learning. Choose the response that you feel most accurately reflects their typical learning tendencies. 

Scoring Instructions:

For every "a" response, assign 1 point to the "Visual Learner" category.

For every "b" response, assign 1 point to the "Auditory Learner" category.

For every "c" response, assign 1 point to the "Print (Reading/Writing) Learner" category.

For every "d" response, assign 1 point to the "Kinesthetic Learner" category.

At the end of the test, the category with the most points best reflects your child’s preferred learning style. 

1. When learning a new skill, I prefer:

     a. Watching someone demonstrate it.

     b. Listening to someone explain it.

     c. Reading about it in a book or manual.

     d. Trying it out myself through hands-on practice.

2. In a classroom or during a lecture, I find it most effective to:

     a. Pay attention to visual aids like slides or diagrams.

     b. Listen carefully to the speaker and take notes.

     c. Read the textbooks and written materials provided.

     d. Engage in activities, discussions, or experiments.

3. When I need to remember a phone number, I:

     a. Visualize the digits in my mind.

     b. Repeat it to myself several times.

     c. Write it down on a piece of paper.

     d. Enter it into my phone's contacts to feel it physically.

4. In my free time, I prefer:

     a. Watching movies, videos, or documentaries.

     b. Listening to music, podcasts, or audiobooks.

     c. Reading books, magazines, or articles.

     d. Engaging in physical activities or hobbies.

5. When studying for a test or exam, I tend to:

     a. Create visual aids like flashcards or diagrams.

     b. Explain the material aloud or to someone else.

     c. Read and rewrite my notes multiple times.

     d. Take breaks to physically practice or apply the concepts.

6. I remember people's names best when:

     a. I see their faces and connect them to their names.

     b. I hear their names pronounced and repeated.

     c. I read their names in written form.

     d. I associate their names with physical interactions or experiences.

7. When I need to follow directions, I prefer:

     a. Looking at a map or visual guide.

     b. Listening to spoken instructions or GPS directions.

     c. Reading written instructions step by step.

     d. Figuring it out by physically trying different routes.

8. During a conversation or discussion, I:

     a. Tend to make eye contact and use gestures.

     b. Listen carefully to the speaker's tone and words.

     c. Follow along by reading any written materials.

     d. Engage by asking questions or participating actively.

9. When solving a complex problem, I find it helpful to:

     a. Sketch out diagrams or flowcharts.

     b. Discuss the problem with others and brainstorm ideas.

     c. Read about similar problems and their solutions.

     d. Experiment and try different approaches physically.

10. When learning a new language, I:

     a. Prefer using visual aids like pictures or flashcards.

     b. Enjoy listening to native speakers and mimicking pronunciation.

     c. Learn best by reading and writing sentences and grammar rules.

     d. Find it useful to practice conversations and interact with others.

Stay Updated With Other Tips for Middle and High School Students

Understanding your child’s unique learning style is the first step toward helping them become a more effective learner. By tailoring their academic strategies to match their dominant style, they can optimize their learning experience and increase their academic success. Remember to experiment with these strategies to discover what works best for them, as not all learners are made equal. 

To stay updated with more strategies that are proven to help middle and high school students reach their full academic potential, I invite you to join our growing community on Facebook, where we share the latest tips, resources, and support to help your student become independent learners and prepare them to stand out as they enter secondary education and beyond! 

Join our Facebook page and learn more about maximizing your student’s potential here: Academic Tips for Students 

Bibliography

Learning Styles - Wilfrid Laurier University, Wilfrid Laurier University, web.wlu.ca/learning_resources/pdfs/Learning_Styles.pdf. Accessed 9 Oct. 2023. 

Moussa, Nahla. The Importance of Learning Styles in Education - Auburn University, Auburn University, www.auburn.edu/academic/cla/ilsrj/Journal%20Volumes/Fall%202014%20Vol%201%20PDFs/Learning%20Styles%20Nahla%20Moussa.pdf. Accessed 9 Oct. 2023. 

Zhou, Mai. “Learning Styles and Teaching Styles in College English Teaching - Ed.” International Education Studies, 2011, files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1066395.pdf.