Focus: Learning types:
Visual ,Kinesthetic, Auditory

Asking questions about learning and studying styles can help you pinpoint the kinds of content that will meet your class’s needs.

While running learning stations or a large-group activity, pull each student aside for a few minutes. Ask about:

Track your results to identify themes and students with uncommon preferences, helping you determine which methods of instruction suit their abilities.

knowledge in an appropriate way

Focus: Collaboration, creativity, communication

My own team learning practice: I like to divide the class into groups of 4 or 5.  I give them a topic that we have covered and ask that they reinforce our learning by creating a song, a rap, a skit, or a poem that is appropriate for a classroom to present to the class.  I always use the same categories. Give them 20 minutes and remind them that everyone must have a part. Usually, they start by thinking that I’m crazy and that I have not given them enough time.  With my small encouragements as I walk around the class, they do get started.

Focus: Learning types:
Visual ,Kinesthetic, Auditory

Every student learns in a different way. We need to know what type of students we have to help them succeed in our class.

To help students process the content after they’ve been through the stations, you can hold a class discussion or assign questions to answer.

This can be done by dividing your class into clearly-sectioned solo and team activities.

Consider the following free study exercises to also meet the preferences of visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners:

By running these sorts of activities, free study time will begin to benefit diverse learners — not just students who easily process information through quiet, individual work.

This is not to be confused with grouping students based on similar level of ability or understanding.

In some cases, doing so conflicts with the "Teach Up" principle , which is discussed below.

Rather, this tactic allows like-minded students to support each other’s learning while giving you to time to spend with each group. You can then offer the optimal kind of instruction to suit each group’s common needs and preferences.

Although written answers may still appeal to many students, others may thrive and best challenge themselves during artistic or kinesthetic tasks.

For example, allow students to choose between some of the following activities before, during and after an important reading:

Include a clear rubric for each type of project, which clearly defines expectations. Doing so will keep it challenging and help students meet specific criteria.

By both enticing and challenging students, this approach encourages them to:

As well as benefiting students, this differentiated instruction strategy will clearly showcase distinct work and learning styles.

When possible at the end of class, give students a chance to make a journal entry by:

As they continue to make entries, they should figure out which ones effectively allow them to process fresh content.

Focus: Cooperative Learning, Creativity, critical thinking

Organizing students into literature circles not only encourages students to shape and inform each other’s understanding of readings, but helps auditory and participatory learners retain more information.

This also gives you an opportunity to listen to each circle’s discussion, asking questions and filling in gaps in understanding.

As a bonus, some students may develop leadership skills by running the discussion.

This activity makes written content — which, at times, may only be accessible to individual learners with strong reading retention — easier to process for more students.