Learning Styles
Different Learning Styles
Making connections between different learning styles can enhance learning by capitalising on the students’ preferred sensory modes.
I am going to use the A.V.K. model as an example,
but other models such as Multiple Intelligences, Myers Briggs, and Bloom’s and Williams’ taxonomies are also useful, and connections can be made between them.
What is A.V.K.?
This model will be a familiar one to most teachers.
Auditory learners make up around 20% of students, and learn best through listening;
Visual learners (40%) learn best through visual representations, and
Kinesthetic learners (40%) learn best through physically touching and doing.
The students’ preferred modes can be recognised through observation, and may be revealed in their speech, for example, “I hear you”, “Oh, I see now”, and “That feels about right”.
Why is this model important?
Traditional teaching methods have over-catered for auditory learners, with teacher talk the most common form of teaching. Students who have a primary preference for visual or kinesthetic learning may not receive concepts in a form they can understand and use.
With the cummulative nature of the mathematics spiral curriculum, students must be helped to make links between learnings, or more knowledge may not necessarily mean more understanding.
Some students are better able to build upon learning received in a form different from the traditional teacher talk.
Kinesthetic and Visual Materials for Mathematics Activities
The materials needed for activities that include more visual and kinesthetic forms are often currently available in schools, or can be made/collecteded through a creative use of your own junk. MAB, pattern blocks, multi-link blocks, counters, and other commercially produced material are good, but junk such as bottle tops, bread tags, old keys, and numbers written on card or paper can be used in a multitude of activities.
For example, blocks can be used to help students learn about evens and odds, square numbers, triangular numbers, and numerical and spatial patterns.
By putting masking tape strips on the floor, estimation skills can be taught, students standing where they think numbers would be along a line, or square grids can become people graphs, with students placing themselves in the squares for different statistical questions.
Numbers on cards can be pushed around as a more effective and less frustrating method of trial and error than rubbing out pencil numbers.
Try that for sudoku!