Friday, March 05, 2010

The danger of knowing “something” about Learning Styles

Yes, it’s true! Sometimes having too little knowledge is worse than having no knowledge at all! If you know something about the concepts surrounding Learning Styles, you might be tempted to draw your own conclusions about your children’s, your students’ or your own learning style. You may, for example, assume that:

  • A child who loves chatting about her day will learn well by talking the about a new and difficult concept. (Not true: there is a difference between social chatter and the need to talk aloud about a learning task.)
  • A teen who loves fiction books will thrive reading textbooks. (Not true: many people who love reading are nevertheless unable to discern technical information from text.)
  • A child who loves playing with friends will learn well in a group. (Not true: if you like being with friends, they may distract you from doing homework.)
  • A teen whose learning style indicates a preference for background noise should be allowed to listen to the radio or a CD of their choice. (Not true: only specific music will aid learning.)

Click here to learn more about Learning Styles in general.

What’s your Learning Style? Find out here.

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