Kids Learn In More Ways Than 3
Parents and teachers are always looking for ways to help children learn, but the way they do so has changed drastically over the years. Learning has never been confined within four walls in a traditional school; however, learning can happen anywhere. In this article, we will explore some of the different methods that have been used to teach children at school and on the streets.
Learning by doing
For children who learn best by getting hands on, learning outside of the classroom is a great idea. Whether it's exploring their backyard or going to an adventure park for field trips, these kids will learn positively while having fun.
This also includes homeschooling which is more popular than ever before and allows parents to get involved in what they want their children to be learning about. They can provide all sorts of materials that stimulate students' senses and encourage them to experience things firsthand without any interruptions from other people or technology.
When I was in college, we had this physics class to go to and it was all reading and math for the first couple of weeks. It was difficult to focus. Then the lab for the class started and the material started to make sense. As I participated in the things we were reading about, it was much more interesting and it turned into one of my favorite classes. For some people, when they learn by doing, they learn the most.
Learning by seeing
Some kids are visual learners and need to see the material in order for it to make sense. This is an effective way of learning, especially when trying to learn how something works or what a word means. If you have children that don't like reading, try having them read aloud while they're looking at their book so they can hear themselves pronounce words correctly; this will help them better retain the information.
Visual and auditory learners are at the best advantage. The first time they participate, learn or hear about something they develop a basic fundamental ability to succeed which becomes a launching pad to mastery of a skill or topic.
Learning by hearing
Some people are auditory learners and understand things best through listening instead of seeing it written down on paper or even spoken out loud. Even in my day job, the people that can follow verbal direction without having to be told again and again are really nice to work with. I have to be told again and again sometimes. That is why I write it down, so I can see it.
Auditory learners also have great advantages in skills like music and memory. When something is outlined and discussed the concepts are grasped and they can perform a task with minimal difficultly.
Learning from our environments
We can all learn from my environments. For instance, some children grow up in the country and are more inclined to go hunting at a young age, grow up performing farming tasks, or not have access to education as easily. That doesn't mean they don't want to learn, it just means that they have opportunities to learn different things specific to their location.
A reverse situation could be a child that grows up in an urban environment will most likely spend a lot of time within a small radius of their home and community and learning everyday from the thousands of people around them.
We recently moved to a new city from Los Angeles where we lived in an apartment building next to, and on a street with, nothing but apartment buildings. There is always people everywhere from all walks of life, no farming though!
Further still, growing up in a tourist destination, there were very few jobs available during the winter months and the towns around the area seemed to go to sleep for the winter. Learning to adapt to an area that provided little to support a family was very difficult for my mother who was the sole bread winner.
Learning by location
Even children growing up in different locations learn to solve problems in different ways. For instance, children in India learn the butterfly method to solve fraction problems while children in the United States of America have traditionally been taught to find common denominators. It is interesting that both solve the problem but the methods are not universal, meaning, one group will only know one method, not both.
Societies are different by demographic as well. Cultures are another factor that shapes the learning of all of the people in it. A unique example is that in countries like China, the food and culinary trades learn to use flavors common to that region. While those same flavors can be found in many different areas around the world, they don't use them the same way. Societies develop traditions around their local lives which may seem very different to other regions, countries or continents.
Environments and Learning by doing
Rather than just learning about the environment around them, children of all ages have learned to adapt and work within it. This is a great way for children to learn their natural surroundings as well as how to use resources in those areas that may not be available elsewhere.
Outside influences teaching us
Some people believe that outside influences are more important or influential on our lives than family members themselves. For instance, studies show that students will do better on tests if they complete homework assignments with others who share similar interests rather than working alone. I would argue, though, that this could also depend upon what area you're from - some regions encourage teamwork and cooperation while other places don't seem to place an emphasis on team building and communication.
What We Learned
This blog post discusses the different ways a child might learn as well as how learning can vary by region or demographic. A person's location does impact their learning.
All children are unique to one another in how they learn, which is why it's so important for parents to understand their kids' learning style in order to help them succeed not just in school but throughout life in any environment that they end up in. Some children are hands-on learners and prefer doing something before reading about the topic; others may need time afterward (or even during) a task or activity before feeling confident enough to move forward. Again, we all learn differently.
For example, some children may need to study their lessons outside of the classroom such as at home or in a library while others can learn just fine with traditional learning methods inside a classroom. There are also plenty of ways that outside influences teach us things about ourselves and our world- for instance participating in group projects is an excellent way for kids who typically work alone to meet other people because they'll be seated on teams all throughout school and college - so find activities your child enjoys doing that encourage teamwork! It's important to remember how we learn doesn't have much bearing on what we excel at- whatever helps them succeed should be encouraged whether it's reading books or completing assignments together with friends.
The takeaways
Children will always figure out new ways to communicate (these days it seems to be less and less in person). What's important is we know how they learn and to keep learning ourselves in order to be able to help them.
- Every child has a different way of learning, just as there are many ways for children to learn.
- It's important that parents of the child know what type of learner their child is in order to provide the best education possible for them throughout life.
- There are various types of educational methods out there but it doesn't mean a child will always excel at an area another does not - whatever helps your kids succeed should be encouraged!
- Children will find new ways to communicate with others these days (even if that is less face time). What matters most is understanding how they're learned so you may better assist them.
- There's no one size fits all approach when it comes to education - what works for some may not work for others but as long as they're learning, that is a success in its self.
- Parents don't need to be experts on teaching children but the more we learn about different methods of instruction and techniques, the better able we are to help them keep learning themselves in order to be able to help them.
Every child has their own unique way of learning, just like there are many ways people can teach us outside traditional settings or formal schooling environments such as libraries or museums (outside influences). It's important to remember also that people in our society, specifically with people that we are in connection with daily, have a huge impact on our learning.