Teaching Techniques for Different Learning Styles

Teaching Techniques for Different Learning Styles

As teachers we will be faced with many difficult tasks one of which will be finding creative ways to motivate the children in our classes to learn. There are so many teaching techniques it may be overwhelming for new teachers. With the emphasis on test scores and the “No Child Left Behind” Act many teachers may fear being creative in the classroom. This paper will attempt to explore some creative teaching techniques.

Recently there has been much discussion about different learning styles. As teachers it is important that we try to teach to all the styles in order for the children in our classes to be motivated to learn. Flexibility and creativity can aid teaching different learning styles.

According to an article in “Helping Children Succeed” there are 3 main types of learning styles, visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Visual learners learn by watching, calling up images from the past when trying to remember, and picturing the way things look in their heads. Auditory learners learn by listening. Kinesthetic learns learn best through movement and manipulation. (Learning Styles, n.d.)

Forty percent of the population is visual learners. Some tips for teaching visual learners include:

- Written instruction for all assignments and tests

- Use visual aids: handouts, outlines, charts, graphs, etc.

- Make flashcards

- Use lots of pictures

- Provide examples

In elementary classrooms teachers can have posters and charts that are relevant to the curriculum. Labeling items in the classroom is good for pre- and early readers. For older children watching age appropriate movies is helpful in history and social studies. Graphs and charts are helpful in math and sc...

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