1. family and parenting
2. children

KID SMART
Unit: Working with Schools
Ice Breaker
Ask a class member to tie a bow in the lace-up shoe. Have her do this
where o ther class members c an see wha t' s she' s doing. Ask if anyone
else ties her shoes in a different way. Allow participants who tie shoes
differently to demonstrate their methods.
We had several different ways of tying shoes demonstrated. The outcome was
the same -- the shoe was tied -- but how it happened differed from person to
person. Just as we had different ways of tying shoes, people have different ways
of learning. Each of us may learn the same information, but we may learn it in a
different way.
Facilitator's Script
Today we will be learni ng about different le arning styles. Let's begin by
completing a handout on different learning styles.
Distribute handout "What is Your Learning Style?" (B-1-a) to each
participant. Have participants rank the endings for each statement
with a 1 for the ending most like them to a 4 for the ending least like
them. Ask them to add the numbers in each column.
The section with the lowest score is their most-preferred learning
style. The section with the highest score is their least-preferred
learning style.
This worksheet describes four basic learning styles:
1. Intuitive -- If your lowest score was in the first column, you are probably an
intuitive thinker. Intuitive thinkers trust their feelings when making decisions
or when learning something new. They use the right part of the brain most
for thinking.
2. Visual /Audito ry -- your lowest score was in the second column, you
probably learn best by seeing (visual) or listening (auditory). Visual/auditory
learners usually do well in school because most teaching is done by
showing and telling.
B-2
Agricu ltural Extension S ervice, The U niversity of Ten nessee ● Tennes see State U niversity Cooperative Extens ion Program
KID SMART
Unit: Working with Schools
3. Logical -- If your lowest score was in the third column, you use the left part
of your brain for most thinking. Logical learners think things through very
carefully and look at all sides of an issue before making a decision or
accepting new information. They also do well in school.
4. Kinesthetic (kin - es - thet - ick) -- if your lowest score was in the fourth
column, you probably learn best by working with your hands or doing
something physical. Kinesthetic learners like to touch and work with things.
Most people use more than one style of learning and use different styles in
different situations, but they usually have a preferred style.
Our next handout focuses on three of these styles of learners: visual learners
(those who learn through seeing), auditory learners (those who learn through
hearing), and kinesthetic learners (those who learn by moving, doing or
touching).
Give p art icipa nts the hand ou t "Thr ee S tyles of Le arn ing" (B- 1-c ). Talk
about and look at the three main styles of learning. Have participants
list each child in their family and what they think is the child's preferred
style of learning.
Ask why it would be important to know your own learning style and
the learning style of your child? Allow participants to share their
thoughts.
Some possible reasons include:
●
o You could figure out ways to learn or to help your child learn at
home by using his or her favorite learning style.
● You might be able to communicate better (for example, making sure
that your child who is a visual learner is looking at you before you
tell him or her anything).
● You might tell your child s tea cher abo ut his o r her favo rite lear ning
style.
● You might be able to choose a job that fits your learning style.
Agricu ltural Extension S ervice, The U niversity of Ten nessee ● Tennes see State U niversity Cooperative Extens ion Program
B-3
KID SMART
Unit: Working with Schools
Scientists have new tools to help them study the brain. By using these tools they
are able to look at images of blood flow and electrical activity in a brain as a
person is thinking. They have found that certain types of thinking seem to
happen on one side of the brain and other types of thinking happen on the other
side of the brain.
Show the "Right Brain/Left Brain" poster or overhead (B-1-d).
The right side of the brain is used for imagination, emotions, intuition (hunches
or gut feelings), and spatial relations or artistic thinking.
The left side of the brain is used more for thinking through steps of a problem
or process, being logical, and organizing thoughts.
Children's brains are more flexible than adult brains. If a child has an injury to
one part of the brain, often another part of the brain will take over that function.
As the brain matures, it becomes more set in the jobs that each part of the brain
controls. As a result, brain injuries are harder to overcome in adults.
Persons who use their left brain most for thinking and who learn by seeing and
hearing usually do well in school.
Those who use their right brain and who rely on hunches or intuition in making
decisions or learning something new may not do as well in school.
Think about working a math problem. Often the teacher is just as interested in
how the problem was solved as in whether the student got the answer correct.
Some children are able to come up with the right answer but they go about it in a
different way than is taught in class. If the teacher wants the student to do the
problem the way he or she was taught, the student may get a bad grade, even
though the answer is correct.
What do you think of first when you hear the word "dog" ?
Allow participants to respond.
B-4
●
If you see a dog, you are probably a visual learner.
●
If you hear a bark, you are probably an auditory learner.
●
If you see the letters D-O-G, you are probably a logi cal learner who has a
strong style of left-brain thinking.
Agricu ltural Extension S ervice, The U niversity of Ten nessee ● Tennes see State U niversity Cooperative Extens ion Program
KID SMART
Unit: Working with Schools
Divide the class into three groups. Give each group a large piece of
paper with one of the learning styles written on the top of the page
(seeing, listening, touching). Have each group think of ways that a
child with that particular learning style could learn spelling words.
Have each group share its ideas. Add any new ideas others may have.
Do the same thing for math and reading, if time permits. Post the lists
for everyone to see. If there are only one or two participants, give
them the three pages and let them work on each learning style. Then
distribute the handout "Working With Learning Styles" (B-1-e). Have
class members add their ideas to the handouts.
Final Thoughts
Here is a homework assignment:
Distribute blank copies of "What is Your Learning Style?" (B-1-a)-enoug h for ea ch of t he part icipants' schoo l-age childr en. Review the
assignment with participants.
Take home enough blank copies of "What is Your Learning Style?" for each of
your school-age children. Have your children take the quiz to identify their
learning styles. Compare the results of your children s activity sheets with your
own list that you made in class.
Then ask yourself if you already knew your children's learning styles or whether
you were surprised by what you discovered.
Once you've identified your children's learning styles, select two activities from
the handout "Working W ith Learning Styles" (B-1-e) to try it out with your child or
children this week to help them with their studies.
When we get together for the next class, be prepared to report back to the group
about how things went.
Agricu ltural Extension S ervice, The U niversity of Ten nessee ● Tennes see State U niversity Cooperative Extens ion Program
B-5
KID SMART
Unit: Working with Schools
Notes...
B-6
Agricu ltural Extension S ervice, The U niversity of Ten nessee ● Tennes see State U niversity Cooperative Extens ion Program