Learning Styles

by Lawrence Williams, Ed.D.

Learning styles is a popular issue in education these days. In previous generations, learning styles were not even acknowledged, much less accommodated. From one perspective, one could even say that the very concept of "learning disabilities" arose (and continues to arise) from an inability of some teachers and administrators to recognize and deal effectively with the different learning styles of children. In the midst of this, however, there exists a growing number of educators who recognize that children learn in different ways, but there is considerable disagreement over the exact nature of these differences.

The concept that prompted much of the current debate over learning styles arose in the 1970s, with the left-brain/right brain theory of neurological functioning. This prompted educators to view students as either left-brained learners (those that tend to approach things in a logical, linear or verbal manner) or right-brained learners (those that approached things in a more creative, spatial or holistic manner). Gradually, however, this view began to lose favor, as further research indicated that the learning process involves a very complex interaction of both hemispheres simultaneously. Nevertheless, educators recognized that the left-brain/right-brain concept, though incomplete, was true to a certain extent, that children do learn differently, and that teachers had to move beyond the purely logical-verbal approach traditionally used in schools and learn how to teach in ways that could appeal to a broader range of learning styles.

Over the past ten years, research on learning styles has increased considerably, and our understanding of these differences has grown. Two of the most prominent theories are those of Robert Sternberg of Yale and Howard Gardner of Harvard. In The Triarchic Mind (1988), Sternberg proposed that there are three types of intelligence. He calls these componential (the mind that is tested by IQ tests), contextual (the kind you use in creating new environments), and experiential ( (a practical or "street-smarts" kind of intelligence). Conventional school activities tend to focus upon componential intelligence, while contextual and experiential intelligence is what we tend to use in the everyday world. This causes a problem for many children.

The theory that has been most widely acclaimed is that proposed by Howard Gardner. In Frames of Mind (1983), Gardner synthesized evidence from brain research, psychological testing, experiments with animals, developmental work with young children, descriptive accounts of exceptional ability, and cross-cultural studies. This evidence supported the idea that there are seven different kinds of intelligence: linguistic, logical-mathematical, visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal and intrapersonal. These are not completely separate forms of intelligence, but rather aspects of the same intelligence that is within each of us. That is, we all have all seven types of intelligence, but generally one or more of these aspects tends to predominate, and this creates a particular style of learning for each individual.

Thomas Armstrong explored Gardner's model and developed techniques for working with each of these types of intelligence in his book In Their Own Way: Discovering and Encouraging Your Child's Personal Learning Style (1987). This is an excellent source of information for anyone interested in understanding how to work with the seven different learning styles proposed by Gardner. In our experience with children, we have found Gardner's model and the educational approaches proposed by Armstrong to be very helpful, and we continue to place more emphasis upon this perspective in our work with Oak Meadow families. If you are interested in learning more about the learning styles proposed by Gardner, I suggest you read Armstrong's book, which is a good introduction to this subject. Using Armstrong's criteria, I have developed an evaluation sheet for you to use in determining the particular learning styles of your child in relationship to the seven types of intelligence. You may also find it interesting to evaluate yourself to determine your own learning style and note how it compares with that of your child.

Most children will fall under more than one category, but one category will tend to have more check marks than the others. That will indicate the predominant learning style--the way in which they tend to process information. When you have completed the evaluation, send a copy of the results to your Oak Meadow teacher (if you are enrolled in Oak Meadow School) so that he or she can have a better understanding of the way in which your child learns.

Learning Styles Evaluation

Instructions to Parents: Read through the following list of characteristics and place a check beside those that you feel are true for your child. When you have finished, refer to the Scoring Key at the end of this evaluation.

___ 1. Likes to write

___ 2. Spins tall tales or tells jokes and stories

___ 3. Has a good memory for names, places, dates or trivia

___ 4. Enjoys reading books in his/her spare time

___ 5. Spells words accurately and easily

___ 6. Appreciates nonsense rhymes and tongue twisters

___ 7. Likes doing crossword puzzles or playing games such as Scrabble or

Anagrams

___ 8. Computes arithmetic problems quickly in his/her head

___ 9. Enjoys using computers

___ 10. Asks questions like "Where does the universe end?", "What

happens after we die?" and "When did time begin?"

___ 11. Plays chess, checkers, or other strategy games, and wins

___ 12. Reasons things out logically and clearly

___ 13. Devises experiments to test out things he/she doesn't understand

___ 14. Spends lots of time working on logic puzzles such as Rubik's cube

___ 15. Spends free time engaged in art activities

___ 16. Reports clear visual images when thinking about something

___ 17. Easily reads maps, charts and diagrams

___ 18. Draws accurate representations of people or things

___ 19. Likes it when you show movies, slides, or photographs

___ 20. Enjoys doing jigsaw puzzles or mazes

___ 21. Daydreams a lot

___ 22. Plays a musical instrument

___ 23. Remembers melodies of songs

___ 24. Tells you when a musical note is off-key

___ 25. Needs to have music on in order to study

___ 26. Collects records or tapes

___ 27. Sings songs to him/herself

___ 28. Keeps time rhythmically to music

___ 29. Does well in competitive sports

___ 30. Moves, twitches, taps, or fidgets while sitting in a chair

___ 31. Engages in physical activities such as swimming, biking, hiking, or

skateboarding

___ 32. Needs to touch people when he/she talks to them

___ 33. Enjoys scary amusement rides

___ 34. Demonstrates skill in a craft like woodworking, sewing, or carving

___ 35. Cleverly mimics other people's gestures, mannerisms, or behaviors

___ 36. Has lots of friends

___ 37. Socializes a great deal in groups or around the neighborhood

___ 38. Seems to be "street smart"

___ 39. Gets involved in group activities

___ 40. Serves as the "family mediator" when disputes arise

___ 41. Enjoys playing group games with other children

___ 42. Has a lot of empathy for the feelings of others

___ 43. Displays a sense of independence or a strong will

___ 44. Reacts with strong opinions when controversial topics are being

discussed

___ 45. Seems to live in his/her own private, inner world

___ 46. Likes to be alone to pursue some personal interest, hobby or

project

___ 47. Seems to have a deep sense of self-confidence

___ 48. Marches to the beat of a different drummer in style of dress,

behavior, or general attitude

___ 49. Motivates him/herself to do well on independent-study projects

Scoring Key

Learning Styles Evaluation

Count up all the checks in questions 1-7.

Put the number in the space below next to Linguistic.

Count up all the checks in questions 8-14.

Put the number in the space below next to Logical-Mathematical.

Count up all the checks in questions 15-21.

Put the number in the space below next to Spatial.

Count up all the checks in questions 22-28.

Put the number in the space below next to Musical.

Count up all the checks in questions 29-35.

Put the number in the space below next to Bodily-Kinesthetic.

Count up all the checks in questions 36-42.

Put the number in the space below next to Interpersonal.

Count up all the checks in questions 43-49.

Put the number in the space below next to Intrapersonal.

___ Linguistic

___ Logical-Mathematical

___ Spatial

___ Musical

___ Bodily-Kinesthetic

___ Interpersonal

___ Intrapersonal

If the scores tend to be evenly distributed among all of these areas, this means that your child does not rely upon one distinct approach to learning, but can learn in many different ways, and could benefit from a variety of approaches.

If the scores tend to focus in one or more specific areas, your child tends to rely upon a distinct approach to learning, and may benefit from a learning approach that is most compatible with these learning styles.