Homework and practice at home are essential for good grades as you will have been told. But what’s equally important is making sure that your child has the right technique for their learning style. This is because we all have different ways that we prefer taking information on board. Some children have no problem listening to lectures and being talked to for hours. Whilst others find it extremely boring and difficult to do. Our suggestion is to pay close attention to your child’s learning style and what they enjoy as this will help shape the perfect revision plan. To teach you about the different styles and what you can do to help, we’ve teamed up with an independent school in Warwickshire.

The Visual Learning Style

First, we have the visual learning style. This as you would have already guessed is how we categorise those who prefer learning through visual means. They find graphs, charts, and diagrams helpful. When making notes they should consider layout and focus on differentiating points visually through marking them in such a way that they stand out or show that they are related to one another. Mind maps and brainstorms are also good as they let children see how topics flow into one another. They also help condense information. Inside the classroom we’d recommend that they sit at the front if possible so that they can see the board and any other resources clearly.

The Auditory Learning Style

Children with this learning style require verbal instruction and for points to be repeated. Listening is one of their strengths so it’s important that when revising they read points out loud. Additionally they should have access to resources such as videos that they can replay. Again, this type of learner can benefit from sitting at the front as it ensures that they can clearly hear their teacher and grasp what is being taught.

The Kinaesthetic Learning Style

Kinaesthetic learners perform best when they have the opportunity to apply what they have learned. They prefer the opportunity to gain hands-on experience. It is why most of these learners excel in subjects such as science. For this reason, they may struggle with traditional revision methods and require different tactics, for example gamifying the process through rewards and interactive educational games. Breaks are also important to keep their focus so you will find that shorter and more frequent breaks are effective. At school this type of learner should make the most of field trips and opportunities where they can apply what they have learned.

If still the answer is not clear, it may be that your child is a combination of the three. They may have elements of being an auditory learner and those of a kinaesthetic learner. For an accurate understanding, we’d recommend completing what is known as a VARK assessment. It will ask your child a series of personality-based questions on how they process information, what they enjoy and give you an objective answer. Once you have established this, you can put a plan in place and look for resources to aid their learning.