Knowing the different ways that we learn is great information for anyone to know. But I think it is crucial component that many homeschool parents overlook.

When I started homeschooling my daughter, I quickly realized that she learns a different way than I do. And even though we learn in similar ways, there are a few subjects that I have had to adjust the way I teach so that she can understand the information.

As I worked through the task of tweaking the way I teach, I figured that understanding the different ways we learn would do nothing but benefit me in the end. It would make my job easier and our homeschool in general more enjoyable.

Through some research I learned that there are 5 main learning types.

Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, Kinesthetic, and Logical

Visual – the student learns by seeing

Auditory – the student learns by hearing, this can include music

Reading/Writing – the student learns by reading/writing the information

Kinesthetic – the student learns by doing

Logical – student learns from following a process or rules

There are also 2 other types that I came across. But when thinking about it, I don’t really believe they are a way we learn, but more perhaps a personal inclination that can assist with the way we learn. Those are:

Social/group – student prefers to be in a group

Solitary/alone – student prefers to work alone

You can usually figure out fairly quickly how someone learns. The easiest way I have been able to figure it out is by observing the student. If they seem to relax and is more open to the information – even if it is a new subject – you have more than likely found out how they learn.

I hope this helps you with your teaching adventures!

–Dawn