When Kids Don't Learn

Every child can learn, but in his own way and at his own time. That can be frustrating for parents and educators alike, but the key is to capitalize on his learning style. All children have potential and when the teachers discover how a kid responds best to to certain styles, the chances are much greater for learning success.

If you feel your child or child in your care is not learning, first rule out physical or learning disabilities. All kids should have their vision, hearing and overall physical condition checked regularly to rule out any problems in those areas. Depending on what you are observing with a child's growth and learning, you may also wish to have your kid checked for learning disabilities such as autism, dyslexia, or other conditions.

Once you are sure a child's overall abilities are within norm for learning, the next step is to discover how the youngster learns. Knowing what works best for our child can help knowledge to come alive and you may be amazed and how he responds through true comprehension!

Basic learning styles:

• Auditory learner: An auditory learner is most successful when material is explained verbally. Rather than reading from a book, an auditory learner may do better than listening to the book on tape. An auditory learner may excel with teacher lectures, explanations and group discussions, and "gets" the material best through dynamic and interactive oral presentations, and through question and answer periods. Music is a great learning tool for auditory learners. Memorizing facts through sing-song is another effective tool.



• Kinesthetic learner: An kinesthetic learner needs to touch, hold and manipulate objects to learn. Using math manipulatives to count, actual coins to touch and sort when learning the value of money, and rocks to see and understand geology are ways a kinesthetic learner can best grasp material. Tools to learn by include science labs, clay or putty to turn into objects, and items that can be manipulated for counting. The kinesthetic learner benefits from touching items when writing papers (such as writing about what he is touching and manipulating) or reading (holding plastic bugs when learning about various insects). If your child is a kinesthetic learner, work closely with your child's teacher to see what tools can be utilized or how you can help with materials to make the content being taught be more meaningful for your child.



• Visual learner: A visual learner responds well to worksheets, textbooks, audio/visual content, films, Powerpoint presentations, things explained on a whiteboard, and graphs. Charting things helps a visual learner clearly understand the "black and white" of an answer. Visual learners can benefit from a journal, a lobe, a calculator, or microscope.

Since kids truly learn in different ways, keeping a handle on what works best for a child and how to accommodate learning preferences is the best action you can take on behalf of a child's academic success. Parents should be prepared to meet with their child's teacher on an ongoing basis throughout the school year to discover and reinforce tools for learning success. Teachers/caregivers are usually quite eager to alter the way they deliver new material so that all kids grasp the concept and gain new knowledge. In the end, it's not the path picked for learning success; rather, it's what is gained at the end of the road.