Interconnection of Learning Styles and Development
Good educators understand that child development and academics are interconnected. Educators do not teach one aspect of a child, we teach the whole child; everything that makes them who they are as individuals (Aspen, 2019). The first student in my group is James. James is a multi-sensory tactile/kinesthetic and auditory learner. He is very social with his peers and loves music. This speaks to his auditory learning style. He enjoys dance, physical play, and when his tactile/kinesthetic style is incorporated to his cognitive process, he retains information longer. In his emotional, linguistic, and cognitive development, James is slightly behind his peers. A slight speech impediment hinders his understandability at times. Partly because of how active he is, James has difficulty self-regulating his strong emotions and his executive function processes. He can be impulsive in his attempt to learn and have new experiences.
My
second student is Luke, a visual
learner who relies on visual representation and imagery to learn best. He is less
social than his peers; preferring to observe his peers at play/work before joining
in. Luke regulates his emotions typical of a 7-year-old; occasionally seeking
adult support. He enjoys tasks where he can read and then discuss what he read.
He has a speech impediment, however, this does not hinder his ability or desire
to ask questions and seek out information. Luke is active with his peers and he
likes to know the rules before he joins in any type of social play.
Stephen
is the third student in my group. Like James, he is a multi-sensory learner with
visual and movement based learning styles.
Stephen likes to sit close to me; partly because he seeks out more emotional
support than his peers, but also because he learns best by observing what I am
writing or depicting. He is active and loves big whole-body movements: jumping,
flipping, etc. Cognitively he and Luke are about the same developmentally.
Stephen will engage during visual instruction, but he retains information best
if movement is connected to the content. He speaks clearly and is easily
understood. Stephen needs emotional support in handling disappointment and
completing independent tasks. He struggles being out of arms’ reach of me and
this can impact how he engages with his learning.
Learning
Styles Influence on Planning
I use a learner-centered
and subject-based approach to my planning. Knowing I have two students with
multi-sensory styles and one visual style, I must incorporate all three into my
lessons. My lessons need movement such as clapping syllables, acting out scenes
in stories, math walks outside, and writing. My lessons need to consider how
many visuals I will incorporate such as graphs, pictures, charts, writing, videos
and books. I need to plan multiple ways for my auditory learners to engage
through verbal interactions, conversations with peers, songs, chants, videos
and auditory books online.
Learning
Styles and Instructional Strategies
I believe the content I
am teaching is important. However, knowing how my students learn determines how
I deliver the content. Unless my students see themselves represented and have a
personal investment in what I am teaching, my lessons will not see high student
engagement (Dabrowski, 2019).
I use chants and charts in my instruction. The chants support James’ auditory
style as they are content based and support oral language development through
repetition and high vocabulary exposure. For Luke and Stephen, my visual
learners, I use charts such as inquiry (KWL) charts, pictorial input, and a
written dictionary. These provide the visual supports they need to process the
content. For Stephen and James who need movement, I include brain breaks involving
dance or yoga. I also add motions to the words on our dictionary chart. This strategy
supports all three of the learning styles in my group as they see the word, say
the word, and act out the word’s meaning.
Knowledge of Students and Instruction
Because I know
my students, I adapt my lessons as needed. Despite good planning, sometimes my
students, especially James and Stephen, need more emotional than cognitive
support during a lesson. When I see them beginning to disengage, I know I need
to check in with them. I pause my instruction, give my other students either a
brain break or a short independent task, and check in on the student in
question. At times, simply sitting with Stephen and reminding him I am here is
enough for him to reengage. I also have multiple ways for students to regulate
their emotions; a piano, a quite space, feelings table, and the ability to
take a walk to visit our kindergarten wing. These options are always available
to every student. I can plan a fantastic lesson, meeting all my students’
learning styles, yet if I do not stop and support their emotional needs, I am
not supporting the whole child (Aspen, 2019).
Learning
Styles and Assessment
Both my instruction and my assessments should meet the learning styles of my students. James is both an auditory and tactile/kinesthetic learner. His assessments need to be project based; building models, oral reports, partner collaboration on projects. Luke is a visual learner who needs assessments that allow him to show the images he see in his mind. Posters, drawings, charts, graphs, digital projects, are all assessments that allow him to show his understanding. Lastly, Stephen is both a visual and tactile/kinesthetic. He needs projects that he can connect to how he sees things in his mind and the opportunity to create it. Having him draw/map out ideas first, then build a project/model supports him in showing his learning. These efforts to design appropriate individual assessments provide my students with positive learning experiences that will shape their views of school and learning (Cherry, 2023).
References
Aspen Institute, N. C. on
S. E. & A. D. (NCSEAD). (2019). From
a nation at risk to a nation at
hope: recommendations from the national commission on
social, emotional, & academic
development.
Aspen Institute.
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED606337.pdf
Dabrowski, J., &
Marshall, T. R. (2019). Choice & relevancy: autonomy and personalization in
assignments
help motivate and engage students. Principal,
98(3), 10–13.
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