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 his areas of strength. For example, if your child does best when he can “see” what is being asked of him, he 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 his learning profile. Thus, you can encourage this same visual child to look for mathematical patterns, or ask him 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.
Architect/Artist
Your child tends to learn in ways similar to the Architect/Artist. Your child is probably good at solving puzzles, creating images in his mind, and taking advantage of spatial relationships. He may also be skilled at preforming transformations or creating in three-dimensions. Learning is easiest for Architects/Artists when it involves working with pictures, drawing, or imagery. Being a visual learner, the Architect/Artist benefits from organizing things visually, such as through a mind map, video, or chart. He often has a good sense of spatial direction with maps or in the environment. Architect/Artists enjoy designing, and tend towards organizing space or objects.
The latter part of elementary school marks a shift for many Architect/Artists. With the shift from learning-to-read to reading-to-learn comes an increase in printed text and spoken directions, with a marked decline in supporting visuals. For this reason, some visual learners hit a stumbling block as they try and adjust their learning style to meet the typical one in the classroom. However, with increased awareness, your Architect/Artist can thrive!
Support your child to bring their visual smarts to school! This may be through projects that involve sculpture, map making, drawings, mind maps, etc, Play off your child’s strong imaginative skills and mental organization skills and use his strengths to support the written projects that are required. If your child shows decreased interest in reading when chapter books without pictures arrive, substitute in graphic novels or comics—there are a great many sophisticated stories and challenging texts in this format to excite your child and extend his learning. You can also stimulate his thinking skills by giving him mental rotation challenges.
For some activities and resources that will benefit your Architect/Artist, click here.
