Different children approach learning in different ways: some learn best by reading or listening, some by reasoning, some by seeing or creating images, and others by manipulating. By discovering more about your child’s learning profile, you can help your child approach a more difficult topic by building off her areas of strength. For example, if your child does best when she can “see” what is being asked of her, she can leverage mind maps or other visuals to learn. Similarly, you can foster less utilized ways of learning by approaching an area of mastery through a less favored aspect of her learning profile. Thus, you can encourage this same visual child to look for mathematical patterns, or ask her to write a story by way of a graphic novel. Now that you have completed the survey, take a look at your child’s dominant way of approaching learning.
Athlete/Actor/Surgeon
Your Athlete/Actor/Surgeon may seem to always be on the move. She is skilled at controlling her body movements and can utilize objects with skill and precision. She has a strong sense of timing, rhythm, balance, and coordination. She tends to learn best by doing, such as building or constructing projects, and she develop muscle memory to aid recall. For the Athlete/Actor/Surgeon, touching and manipulating objects facilitates understanding, and she tends to express emotions through body movement as well.
The transition to more formal reading and math instruction can sometimes be bumpy for Athlete/Actor/Surgeons. Many schools begin the gradual changeover from manipulatives and hands-on experiences to more auditory directions and abstract thinking. If this describes your child’s experience, think about talking to the teacher about allowing your child (or the whole class!) brain breaks between activities, and ask about ways to allow movement to be incorporated into learning. You can also bolster the hands-on learning supports you provide at home.
For some activities and resources that will benefit your Athlete/Actor/Surgeon, click here.
