Whether you are an adult helping a student do better or a mature student reading this column, everyone benefits through understanding the learning process. Use learning principles to hone skills at the beginning of the school year.
All students need to know the way they learn. There are several possible ways students receive and store information using their senses. Students have various learning styles, sometimes called learning modalities.
Visual learning takes place through the eyes. Reading printed words is a major form of learning, although it is not everyone’s style. Seeing and drawing pictures and diagrams is another way visual learning happens.
Auditory learning takes place through the ears. Traditionally, teachers supplement visual materials with lectures. Students who are primarily auditory learners need additional hearing experiences to enhance retention.
Recorded sounds help learners assimilate concepts. For example, animal noises will help young children identify various species. Concepts set to song are very formative. Historical records show that as far back as Roman times, songs were used to teach principles.
Kinesthetic learners need touch, movement and even smell. Most of us have had the experience of catching a random odor that triggers a memory. Kinesthetic stimulation is important in learning geography. The taste of foods and dance movements help students understand world cultures.
It is a clear sign for teachers when a kinesthetic learner cannot sit still for long. These students need sensory stimuli to keep focused. They might take a song used for auditory learning and add dance movements.
Most students learn best when engaging all senses. Some students, though, are especially dependent on one modality. It is critical that teachers and parents help all students discover their best learning style and engage various senses to enhance learning.
In addition to learning styles, many factors are at play during learning. Study skills are particularly important to set learned material into long-term memor
Every student needs a specific study area at home. The area should be free of distractions and noise. Many students set up a corner of a bedroom. If the student shares a bedroom with a young sibling, though, this might not work.
A common room needs to be distraction-free during study time. Soft instrumental music might block out other noise, but song lyrics can be distracting.
Put necessary study aids in an organizer. Include paper, pencils and pens, and a stapler. A computer is a must for most age levels.
Enhance learning by setting school-year goals. Post these in the study area. The youngest students should begin with a list of sight words, which can be found on the internet and are often provided with registration materials.
Students might target a certain grade point average. Writing complete sentences and a structured paragraph are valuable goals. A math goal might be learning to multiply using all numeral combinations up to ten.
School year goals could include activities such as joining a club or playing an instrument. A sports goal could target a level of achievement, such as scoring a point.
Goals that are defined in writing and posted are more likely to be achieved. Seeing a goal is a reminder to work on achieving it.
Scientists tell us that habits are formed by repeating an activity every day for three weeks. Use the first 21 days of the school year to create good study habits. Glean ideas from this column to establish a learning routine that can last for years.
While forming good habits, shop locally whenever possible instead of traveling to a city. Use the saved time for reading.
Have a great school year.
(Janet Miller’s e-book, Family Prayers and Activities: Weekly Guides, is for families or prayer groups. Janet is the creator of Friends on the Way an e-resource for churches to teach families about the Bible and discipleship. Find it at www.TeamRCIA.com.)
