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Do I provide enough background on my population of interest for you to get a sense of needs and abilities?

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Rote Learning in Early Childhood Education 

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Rote Learning in Early Childhood Education 

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Rote learning is learning by memorizing rather than thinking and reasoning. While handy in some situations, rote learning isn’t the most effective learning process.

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Leon Ho
Founder & CEO of Lifehack Read full profile

One of the biggest realizations I had as a kid is that teaching in school could be hit or miss for students. We all have our own different types of learning styles. Even when I was in study groups, we all had our own ways of uncovering solutions to questions.

It wasn't only until later in my life did I realize how important it is to know your own learning style. As soon as you know how you learn and the best way to learn, you can better retain information. This information could be crucial to your job, future promotions, and overall excelling in life.

Best of all about this information is that, it's not hard to figure out what works best for you. There are broad categories of learning styles, so it's a matter of finding which one we gravitate towards most.

What Are the Types of Learning Styles?
We all learn through repetition.
Before we get into the types of learning styles, there's one thing to know:

No matter how old you are, studies show that repetition allows us to retain and learn new information. The big question now is what kind of repetition is needed. After all, we all learn and process information differently.

This is where the types of learning styles come in. There are eight in total and there is one or two that we prefer over others. This is important because when reading these learning styles, you'll feel like you'd prefer a mixture of these styles.

That's because we do prefer a combination. Though there will be one style that will be more predominate over the others. The key is finding which one it is.

Visual Learning

A visual learner (also known as the spatial learner) excels at deciphering anything visual - typically maps and graphs.

If you are this type of learner, you likely excelled at geometry in math class but struggled with arithmetic and numbers. To this day, you might also struggle with reading and writing to a degree.

While visual learners are described as "late bloomers," they are highly imaginative. They also process what they see much faster than what they hear.

Verbal Learning

Verbal learning, on the other hand, is learning through what's spoken. Verbal learners excel in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Because of that, they are likely the ones to find thrills in tongue twists, word games, and puns.

They also thoroughly enjoy drama, writing, and speech classes. But give them maps, or challenge them to think outside of the box and they'll struggle a bit.

Logical Learning

Not to be confused with visual learners, these learners are good at math and logic puzzles. Anything involving numbers or other abstract visual information is where they excel.

They can also analyze cause and effect relationships quite well. Part of that is due to their thinking process being linear.

Another big difference is their need to quantify everything. These people love grouping information, creating specific lists, agendas or itineraries.

They also have a love for strategy games and making calculations in their heads.

Auditory Learning

Similar to verbal learning, this type of learning style focuses on sounds on a deeper level. These people think chronologically and excel more in the step-by-step methods. These are likely the people who will watch Youtube videos to learn or do something the most.

These learners also have a great memory of conversations and love debates and discussions. Chances are likely these people excel at anything oral.

Also as the name suggests, these individuals have great musical talents. They can decern notes, instruments, rhythms and tones. That being said, they will have a tough time interpreting body language, expressions and gestures. This also applies to charts, maps and graphs.

Social Learning

Otherwise known as the interpersonal learner, their skills are really unique. They don't particularly excel in classrooms but rather through talking to other people.

These are the people who are excited for group conversations or group projects. Mainly because they are gifted with coming up with ideas and discussing them.

They also have a good understanding of people's emotions, facial expressions, and relationship dynamics. They are also likely the first people to point out the root causes of communication issues.

Intrapersonal Learning

The reverse of interpersonal learning, these people prefer learning alone. These are the people who love self-study and working alone. Typically, intrapersonal learners are deeply in tune with themselves meaning they know who they are, their feelings, and their own capabilities.

This type of learning style means you love learning something on your own and typically every day. You also have innate skills in managing yourself and indulging in self-reflection.

Physical Learning

Also known as kinesthetic learning, these people love doing things with their hands. These are people who loved pottery or shop class. If you're a physical learner, you'll find you have a huge preference in using your body in order to learn.

This means not just pottery or shop class you enjoyed. You may also have loved sports or any other art medium like painting or woodwork. Anything that involved you learning through physical manipulation you enjoyed and excelled at.

Though this doesn't just apply to direct physical activities. A physical learner may also find that they learn well when both reading on any subject and pacing or bouncing your leg at the same time.

Naturalistic Learning

The final learning style is naturalistic. These are people who process information through patterns in nature. They also apply scientific reasoning in order to understand living creatures.

Not many people may be connected to this one out of the types of learning styles primarily because of those facts. Furthermore, those who excel in this learning end up being farmers, naturalists or scientists.

These are the people who love everything with nature. They appreciate plants, animals, and rural settings deeply compared to others.

How to Know Which One(s) Suit You Better?

So now that you have an idea of all the types of learning styles we have another question:

Which one(s) are best for you?

As a reminder, all of us learn through a combination of these learning styles. This makes pinpointing these styles difficult since our learning is likely a fusion of two or more of those styles.

Fortunately, there are all kinds of methods to narrow down which learner you are. Let's explore the most popular one: the VARK model.

VARK Model

Visual - those who learn from sight.

Auditory - those who learn from hearing.

Reading/writing - those who learn from reading and writing.

Kinesthetic - those who learn from doing and moving.

Developed by Neil Fleming and David Baume, the VARK model is basically a conversation starter for teachers and learners. It takes the eight types of learning styles above and condenses them into four categories:

As you can probably tell, VARK comes from the first letter of each style.

But why use this particular model?

This model was created not only for discussion purposes but for learners to know a few key things - namely understanding how they learn.

Because our school system is focusing on a one-size-fits-all model, there are many of us who struggle learning in school. While we may no longer go to school, these behaviors persisted into our adult lives regardless. While we aren't learning about algebra or science, we may be learning new things about our job or industry. Knowing how to best retain that information for the future helps in so many ways.

As such, it can be frustrating when we're in a classroom setting and aren't understanding anything. That or maybe we're listening to a speech or reading a book and have no clue what's going on.

This is where VARK comes back in. To quote Fleming and Baume:

"VARK above all is designed to be a starting place for a conversation among teachers and learners about learning. It can also be a catalyst for staff development- thinking about strategies for teaching different groups can lead to more, and appropriate, variety of learning and teaching."

Getting into the specifics, this is what's known as metacognition. It helps you to understand how you learn and who you are. Think of it as a higher order of thinking that takes control over how you learn. It's impossible to not use this while learning.

But because of that metacognition, we can pinpoint the different types of learning styles that we use. More importantly, what style we prefer over others.

Ask These Questions

One other method that I'll mention is the research that's done at the University of Waterloo. If you don't want to be using a lot of brainpower to pinpoint, consider this method.

The active/reflective scale: How do you prefer to process information?

The sensing/intuitive scale: How do you prefer to take in information?

The visual/verbal scale: How do you prefer information to be presented?

The sequential/global scale: How do you prefer to organize information?

The idea with this method is to answer a few questions. Since our learning is a combination of styles, you'll find yourself leaning to one side over the other with these questions:

This can narrow down how you learn and provide some other practical tips for enhancing your learning experience.

Final Thoughts

Even though we have a preferred style of learning and knowing what that is is beneficial, learning isn't about restriction. Our learning style shouldn't be the sole learning style we rely on all the time.

Our brain is made of various parts and whatever style we learn activates certain parts of the brain. Because of this fact, it would be wise to consider other methods of learning and to give them a try.

Each method I mentioned has its merits and there's not one dominate or superior method. What method we like is entirely up to our preferences. So be flexible with those preferences and uncover what style works best for you.

More About Learning

Featured photo credit: Anna Earl via unsplash.com

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12 Reasons Why Rote Learning Isn't Effective in Learning

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Leon Ho Founder & CEO of Lifehack Read full profile One of the biggest realizations I had as a kid is that teaching in school could be hit or miss for students. We all have our own different types of learning styles.

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SF State Orientation and Mobility Master's Program

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O&M specialists teach children and adults who have visual impairments the specific orientation skills used to find one's way in the environment and the mobility skills needed to travel safely and efficiently at home, school, work, and in the community.

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The ability to move independently, safely and with confidence through the environment is an essential element in human development and independence for all people. Orientation and Mobility (O&M) specialists teach children and adults who have visual impairments the specific orientation skills used to find one's way in the environment and the mobility skills needed to travel safely and efficiently at home, school, work, and in the community.

Instruction is usually provided one-on-one and can include skills such as how to use a long cane, the operation of low vision devices and electronic travel aids when appropriate, how to orient oneself to new environments, navigate public transportation systems, how to cross streets safely, and traveling by using hearing, remaining vision, and other senses.

In addition, O&M Specialists help children to develop fundamental skills such as fine and gross motor skills, concept development and problem solving skills. Adult clients can also benefit from an O&M specialist evaluating their current use of travel-related skills, discussing their future goals, and helping them select a program of instruction that will allow them to reach their greatest travel potential.

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Welcome to the Orientation & Mobility (O&M) Program

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The ability to move independently, safely and with confidence through the environment is an essential element in human development and independence for all people. Orientation and Mobility (O&M) specialists teach children and adults who have visual impairments the specific orientation skills used to find one's way in the environment and the mobility skills needed to travel safely and efficiently at home, school, work, and in the community.

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Medical and Social Models of Disability (UCSF) 

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Medical and Social Models of Disability (UCSF) 

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While the Medical Model is a helpful way of understanding illness and loss of function, people in the disability community have largely rejected it in favor of the Social Model. The Social Model promotes the idea that adapting social and physical environments to accommodate people with a range of functional abilities improves quality of life and opportunity for people with and without impairments.

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Medical and Social Models of Disability | Office of Developmental Primary Care

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Leaders in the disability rights movement have constructed two distinct models of how society views disabilities: the Medical Model and the Social Model. These models provide a framework for how people perceive those of us with disabilities. While the Medical Model is a helpful way of understanding…

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SAS Graphics Accelerator: A Free Google Plug-In 

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SAS Graphics Accelerator: A Free Google Plug-In 

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Enables users with visual impairments or blindness to create, explore, and share data visualizations.

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SAS Graphics Accelerator enables users with visual impairments or blindness to create, explore, and share data visualizations. It supports alternative presentations of data visualizations that include enhanced visual rendering, text descriptions, tabular data, and interactive sonification. Sonification uses non-speech audio to convey important information about the graph.

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SAS ® Graphics Accelerator Sample Graphs

Back to SAS Graphics Accelerator product page

This page contains sample graphs for the SAS Graphics Accelerator. Install the SAS Graphics Accelerator and load this page in your browser to view alternative presentations of these graphs.

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SAS ® Graphics Accelerator Sample Graphs Back to SAS Graphics Accelerator product page This page contains sample graphs for the SAS Graphics Accelerator. Install the SAS Graphics Accelerator and load this page in your browser to view alternative presentations of these graphs.

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Between Births, Deaths, Vacations. Birthdays, Weddings, Cousin Day trips, and Random family reunions, we are constantly together

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One of the primary arguments for large schools is the curricular diversity, or variety of classes, they offer.

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"Supersize me!" While this approach may be a deal in the world of fast food, is it equally effective in education? Or is there something to be said for the iconic one-room schoolhouse of the 19 th century? No real concurrence exists on optimal school size, and both small and large schools offer experiences that can add to your child's academic experience.
Good Things Come in Small Packages: What's So Great About Small Schools?
It's a matter of logic: smaller schools typically have smaller classes, and low teacher-student ratios translate into more focus on your child and his education. From a cognitive standpoint, scaling back class size is good because it offers the opportunity to delve deeper into the curriculum and move through it at a faster pace. In fact, many studies show improvement in instructional quality and academic success at small schools. It's equally beneficial from a social standpoint-fewer students in the room make class participation inescapable, but also usually less intimidating. The size of such schools actually promotes belongingness; it becomes difficult for kids to go unnoticed and slip through the proverbial cracks. The Chicago Public School system small schools website puts it this way: "Smaller numbers of students, a more intimate and personalized learning environment, and a cohesive vision among teachers characterize small schools."

Smaller schools operate more like a community than a corporation. They frequently have a greater sense of unity, especially if they are built around a particular belief system (religious, educational, cultural, philosophical, etc.) shared by the parents and faculty alike. Another reason for this close-knit feel is that there are often more opportunities for kids to participate. Take, for example, a typical high school sports team. In a big school, competition is fierce for a coveted few spots; those students who make the team gain a personal investment in the school, while those who don't make the roster-and their families, by extension-may walk away feeling marginalized. In smaller schools the chance for student participation is recurrently higher because students are required rather than redundant; as a result, children in smaller schools and their families have more of a stake in their school.
Larger than Life: What's So Great About Big Schools?
On the other hand, larger schools can be equally advantageous for different reasons. One of the primary arguments for large schools is the curricular diversity, or variety of classes, they offer. While small schools may only be economically equipped to offer Spanish, for instance, larger schools might offer instruction in Japanese, German and French as well, or offer more opportunities for gifted education, Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate coursework. Large schools generally have more to offer students in the way of extracurricular activities too. Take, for example, G. Holmes Braddock Senior High School in Dade County, Florida. Over 4500 students strong, it boasts more than 60 clubs and activities that range from salsa dance to Amnesty International-and that's not even counting their sports programs. This large school also delivers on academics, ranking within Newsweek's top 5% of high schools in the U.S. for its graduation rate and Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate test scores. Big schools are also succeeding at the elementary level. Grenada Elementary School in Grenada, Mississippi, has a Kidzeum for their 1800 K-3 students. The Kidzeum, "the first full-scale school-based children's museum," according to the Grenada website, has been honored by Business Week and American School Board Journal for excellence in education. Clearly, big things are happening at big schools.

Big schools also tend to have more diversity in their student body. A varied representation of ethnicities, creeds and races at a school can mean more multiethnic, philosophical and interracial dialog. Historically, the benefits of racial and ethnic diversity in education have been viewed in this way, as explained in 2007 by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights: "Recent studies have shown that students of all racial or ethnic groups who attend more diverse schools have a higher comfort level with members of racial and ethnic groups different than their own, an increased sense of civic awareness, and a greater desire to live and work in multiracial settings relative to their segregated peers." As we move toward a more global marketplace, this ease with diversity can benefit kids in both their future personal and business relationships.

Size alone does not determine a school's success, but it certainly can be a contributing factor to the success of your child. Whether big or small, embrace what your child's school has to offer and make the most of the upcoming school year.

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Size Matters: The Difference Between Big and Small Schools

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"Supersize me!" While this approach may be a deal in the world of fast food, is it equally effective in education? Or is there something to be said for the iconic one-room schoolhouse of the 19 th century? No real concurrence exists on optimal school size, and both small and large schools offer experiences that can add to your child's academic experience.

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Adults 18 and older who are blind or visually impaired learn to live independently in this immersive residential rehabilitation program. Students receive one-on-one individualized instruction in daily living skills, assistive technology, Braille, orientation and mobility, finance management, and pre-vocational skills.

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Adults 18 and older who are blind or visually impaired learn to live independently in Wayfinder's Hatlen Center for the Blind in San Pablo in Northern California. In this immersive residential rehabilitation program, students receive training in their own Hatlen apartment and learn to live on their own. They pay their own rent, plan and cook meals and travel to school, work or recreation. Each client pursues individualized goals that lead to a confident transition to a life of their own. Students may attend school or work part time while attending the Hatlen Center.

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The Hatlen Center - Wayfinder Family Services

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Adults 18 and older who are blind or visually impaired learn to live independently in Wayfinder's Hatlen Center for the Blind in San Pablo in Northern California. In this immersive residential rehabilitation program, students receive training in their own Hatlen apartment and learn to live on their own.

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These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

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Accessibility is about more than compliance with standards. It’s about developing solutions to meet the needs of all users, with and without disabilities.

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the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers” (1978, p. 86).

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“Vision mediates the world around us and gives meaning to objects, concepts, and ideas. Students who do not have visual impairments learn through imitation and observation; they experience the world mostly through the visual sense and integrate all of their experiences through incidental learning” (Sacks & Silberman, p. 31).

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Social Constructivist with Tendrils from the Critical Paradigm 

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Social Constructivist with Tendrils from the Critical Paradigm 

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An example of a Word Cloud