Learning Styles

In my current college class, we are learning about different types of learning styles.  How student's learn and how to address each learning style so that a larger group of student's can benefit from each lesson.  I have often been intrigued with learning styles, as well as love languages(but that's for another post sometime).  Learning styles are so important, especially being a homeschooling mother I find myself drawn to what I would think is the easier and more exciting way to learn, yet it isn't that way for most of my kiddos.  You see Buckwheat has more energy than TIGGER!  

Yes TIGGER the "bouncy trouncy....full of fun fun fun!" Tigger! And I was pretty certain I was more of a visual learner.  Therefore the constant need for movement from my son, (oh and my husband and my oldest daughter) was about enough to make me  NUTSO question my sanity!  I like still, quiet and calm, and they like bouncy,wiggly, and LOUD!  (Well most of the time anyway) So in my class we took a little quiz to see what our learning styles really are, I was right visual was up there at 75% tied with linguistic, but a step above that was intrapersonal at 88%.  Here is what it says about an intrapersonal learning style:

You Are an Intrapersonal Learner

Your mantra: To thy own self be true.

Intrapersonal intelligence has been said to be the road to achievement, learning, and personal satisfaction. You are connected to who you are and how you feel, and you know your own limits and abilities. You often set goals for yourself, self-manage, and reflect on results.

Those with intrapersonal intelligence do well in careers where self-management is important, such as being a writer, a teacher, a counselor, a police officer, or a pilot.

Tips for the way you learn:

• Study alone in a comfortable yet quiet environment. Yes I STUDY ALONE! :)
• Set goals for yourself, and monitor your progress regularly. Yep always monitoring progress and I have oodles of goals everywhere lol!
• Reflect on what you have learned, and think through new material. I think I should stop reflecting it takes up so much time. 
• Create a connection between new material and subjects you already know, and gain understanding by finding their similarities. I think this explains why I take information and put it in a rhyme or to a familiar song.  I am constantly connecting stuff (but I didn't know it). 

Yeah that's like me in a nutshell :)!  I was pretty impressed with the results. And guess what? I was not even 1% a kinesthetic learner. The visual-spacial said:

You Are a Visual-Spatial Learner

Your mantra: What you see is what you get. Very much me!  I don't sugar coat....stuff! 

Visual-spatial intelligence allows you to see and modify things in your mind. With an understanding of the visual world and its relation to physical items, you are good at solving spatial problems, designing, and doing crafts. Interior designers have remarkable spatial abilities, as do painters.

Tips for the way you learn:

• Use art projects to create representations of the content you are learning.
• Draw related images next to your notes (along with arrows between ideas) to create connection and reference points.
• Organize with color. Use different-colored highlighters, paper, index cards, folders, or tabs to create a visual system for finding things and grouping topics. Love this! I do this a lot!
• Visualize your topic. When you are learning something new, imagine what it looks like. And this would explain why I pass out when people talk about surgery or anything medically related! I VISUALIZE EVERYTHING! 

And the linguistics is why I write a blog, or write to my kids, or my husband LOL! It explains why I read directions, why I like to express myself through words and why I have notebooks filled with lists, ideas, and things I just have to get out in writing.  If I write it down I generally remember it longer (not even having to look at it ever again I just remember it).  Some part of my brain works better if I take the time to write it down, it just clarifies it for me, I can see it and then Waaalaaa it's stuck in my brain.  

You Are a Verbal-Linguistic Learner

Your mantra: Tell me in words -- written or spoken -- and I will understand. I prefer written because sometimes spoken (from my own mouth) get's all jumbled, I can re-write what's been written, but I can't re-speak what's been spoken. 

Verbal-linguistic intelligence (along with logical-mathematical intelligence) is often associated with doing well in school. You have the ability to use words effectively for reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The poet has been described as the epitome of verbal-linguistic intelligence.

Tips for the way you learn:

• Use words to explain complicated subjects.
• Ask questions. Sometimes too many!
• Engage in the Socratic method, digesting information through a question-and-answer exchange.
• Hone your native ability to tell a story.

I plan on doing this with my little ones just to get a better idea of what will work when I plan my lessons or help them with their studying practices and such.  I think this is vital information to have as a parent!!! Our kids need our help to know how they learn best!  Not only will this help them, it can help us as parent's.  We can learn to recognize what our kids need from us, and what we need for ourselves to be better people, learn the most we can and develop talents and Strengthen our selves to be better! 

The test is really cool!  You should check it out! What are your learning styles?  Were you surprised?  

Happy Learning!

all descriptions of learning styles came directly from edutopia.org learning styles test