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Accomodating Students' Learning Styles

Strategies on accommodating pupils' learning styles

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Papandungin ES (R IV-B - Oriental Mindoro)
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© © All Rights Reserved
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17 views

Accomodating Students' Learning Styles

Strategies on accommodating pupils' learning styles

Uploaded by

Papandungin ES (R IV-B - Oriental Mindoro)
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Accommodating Students’ Learning Styles

One of the key indicators of effective facilitative teaching is the teacher’s awareness and knowledge of
his/her students’ preferred learning styles. This prior knowledge is very important for the teacher to plan his/her
teaching using appropriate instructional strategies so that the students will engage themselves fully in the learning
tasks and activities. In other words, the teacher is implementing a learner-based instruction. If you are planning to
implement this kind of instruction in your classroom, you need to follow the basic steps presented on the next
page.
1. Diagnose the individual learning styles of each student. In the next section, you will find a learning style
inventory that you may ask your students to answer.
2. Based on the findings of your diagnosis, prepare a profile of the class preferences to determine the
number of students who are visual, auditory, or kinaesthetic.
3. Finally, using this profile, assess your current teaching methods and strategies to decide if they are
relevant or if they need to be modified. If they need to be modified, three general teaching techniques
are recommended:
a) Use alternative activities to replace or add on to existing ones in order to increase opportunities
to use different learning styles. For example: a lecture followed by hands-on activities.
b) Give assignments that require students to develop skills using different learning styles. For
example: students read and write a critique of empirical findings for a research study on a unit
topic, prepare a video-clip, and write a script for a unit topic, and so on.
c) Include a project-based learning activity in a subject curriculum to enable students to
demonstrate different learning styles. For example: students conduct an interview based on an
issue related to a unit topic, transcribe the data, and make conclusions. They also make
observations in different contexts, such as the classroom and student’s home, and write and
interpret their field notes. They then prepare a written report upon completion of their project.

In general, you are encouraged to present easy concepts in a different style from what is used for more
difficult concepts. For whole class instruction, however, it is recommended that you utilize all the different learning
styles in order to cater to the preferred styles of all your students. For example: if you are teaching a unit of a novel
in your literature class, you can use the following teaching strategies: individual silent reading; reading aloud to
other students; acting out a number of scenes; and completing a timeline of events on a bulletin board. By using
these strategies, you are helping students maximize their understanding of what is being taught, resulting in full
comprehension.

Let’s Try This (Activity 2.5)


Below is a learning styles inventory. Before you ask your students to accomplish it, try it out to find out
your own learning style.

Learning Styles Inventory


[Adapted from Learning Styles Inventory by Wyman in Shalaway (1998)]
Instructions:
To find out what learning style you prefer, encircle the numbers corresponding to statements you agree
with.
1. I prefer to listen to a book on audio tape rather than read it.
2. When putting something together, I always read directions first.
3. I prefer reading to hearing a lecture.
4. When I am alone, I usually have music playing or I hum or sing.
5. I like playing sports more than reading books.
6. I can always tell directions like north or south no matter where I am.
7. I love to write letters or in a journal.
8. When I talk, I like to say things like “I hear you,” “That sounds good,” or “That rings a bell.”
9. My room, desk, car, or house is usually disorganized.
10. I love working with my hands and building or making things.
11. I know most of the words of the songs I listen to.
12. When others are talking, I usually create images in my mind of what they are saying.
13. I like sports and I think I am a pretty good athlete.
14. It’s easy for me to talk for long periods of time on the phone with friends.
15. Without music, life isn’t any fun.
16. I am very uncomfortable with social groups and do not usually strike up a conversation with almost
anyone.
17. When looking at objects on paper, I can easily tell if they are the same no matter which way they are
turned.
18. I usually say things like “I feel I need to get a hand on it” or “Get a grip.”
19. When I recall an experience, I usually see a picture of it in my mind.
20. When I recall an experience, I mostly hear sounds and talk to myself about it.
21. When I recall an experience, I remember mostly how I felt about it.
22. I like music more than art.
23. I often doodle when I am on the phone or in a meeting.
24. I prefer to act things out rather than write a report on them.
25. I like reading more than listening to stories.
26. I usually speak slowly.
27. I like talking better then writing.
28. My handwriting is not usually neat.
29. I generally use a finger to point when I read.
30. I can multiply and add quickly in my head.
31. I like spelling and I think I am a good speller.
32. I get very distracted if someone talks to me while the television is on.
33. I like to write down instructions that people give me.
34. I can easily remember what people say.
35. I learn best by doing.
36. It’s hard for me to stay still very long.

Scoring to Determine Your Own Learning Style


Get your total score using the following guide to determine your learning style.
Visual statements: 2, 3, 6, 7, 12, 17, 19, 23, 25, 30, 31, and 33
Auditory statements: 1, 4, 8, 11, 14, 15, 16, 20, 22, 27, 32, and 34
Kinaesthetic statements: 5, 9, 10, 13, 18, 21, 24, 26, 28, 29, 35, and 36

Fill in the table below. For example, if you encircled statement 1, place a check mark (√) in row 1 under the
Auditory column because according to the guide above, statement 1 is an auditory statement. Do the same for all
statements in the checklist.

Statement No. Visual Auditory Kinaesthetic


1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
TOTAL
To get your percentage score, add the number of check marks in each column. Divide this by the total
number of check marks in all three columns. For example, if you got a score of 12 for the Visual column and your
total number of check marks is 30, divide 12 by 30 to get 0.4. Multiply this number by 100 to get your percentage
score, that is, 0.4 x 100 = 40%. Your percentage score for each style indicates your relative preferred learning
style/s. Compare your scores for each column. What is/are your predominant learning style/s based on the test?
Some people have very strong preferences, even to the extent that they have little or no preference in one or two of
the styles. Other people have more evenly–balanced preferences, with no particularly strong style. The point is
simply to try to understand as much as you can about yourself and your strengths (your preferred style or styles),
and then make best use of learning methods which suit your strengths (your preferred style or styles).

Let’s Read
Now that you know more about your own learning styles, it’s time to determine your students’ learning
styles. Prepare copies of this inventory and ask your students to accomplish it with your guidance. The better
students know the way they learn best, the greater their chances of performing well in school. And, the more you
understand your students’ learning styles, the better you can adapt your instructions to accommodate as much
learning preferences as possible. You can prepare lesson plans using teaching styles and techniques that would
cover as many learning styles as possible.
Below are some more teaching strategies that you can use to cater to your students’ learning styles:

For Visual Learners, use the following strategies:


o Visual presentations: movies, pictures, illustrations, videos, and models
o Graphic representations: charts, graphs, diagrams, graphic organizers
o Art activities: drawing, doodling, cartoon work, coloring
o Computer graphics software; and so on
o Journal-keeping, diaries, logs
o Word games such as Scrabble, word puzzles
o Writing activities/assignments such as story-writing, plays, poetry, article reviews, and critique
o Reading and referencing activities/assignment such as research articles, science fiction, non-fiction;
and so on

For Auditory Learners, use the following strategies:


o Audio tape presentations using music, natural sounds
o Lectures, tutorial, small group work, paired work, discussion, buzz groups; and so on

For Kinaesthetic/Tactile Learners, use the following strategies:


o Physical activities such as role-play, dance, drama, movement, relaxation exercises
o Hands-on activities such as projects, experiments, demonstrations, field trips, nature walks
o Manipulatives, and science materials

The list of recommended teaching strategies is, however, not exhaustive. There are many strategies to
accommodate the different learning styles of your students. Careful planning during the lesson design process will
help ensure that you are doing your best to give quality instruction and valuable student experiences in the
classroom.

Let’s Think About This


Review some of the teaching strategies that you have used to teach a topic in your subject area over the last
few days. Then, answer the following questions and write your answers on the lines below.
1. How have these strategies accommodated the different learning styles of your students?
2. How do you propose to improve on your current classroom practice?
Share your responses with the group.

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