LEARNING STYLES

Dear Friends,

Today I'd like to talk about "Teaching Your Kids In Style".

In the past several years, many different designations and explanations have been offered to help us
understand learning styles. These styles have been given Greek names, animal names, exoteric names and
number names. Some of those authors describing the different styles have been psychologists working from a
humanistic perspective, while others have been Christian counselors who see God's design in our differences.
Books and other resources are available in stores and libraries that will delineate how people learn and will help
you determine the learning styles in your family.
Here is our super-abbreviated, "radio interview" version of the terms and meanings for the four learning
styles explanations we prefer: Thinker, Feeler, Sensor, Intuitor (taken from Meyers Briggs).
The 'Thinker' is a person who sees everything as black and white; wrong or right; no gray areas are
considered. Thinkers are precise, exact, organized, meticulous, and scheduled. These learners respect
tremendously the authority of a textbook and of a teacher. A thinker needs his/her teacher to have a clear and
logical plan for each subject and wants to know precisely when school will start, when it will end, and how much
is expected to be accomplished.
The 'Feeler' is the people person, the one who really can't learn if he/she is agitated in a significant
relationship, such as with the teacher. This learner asks, "How does this subject affect people - does it make any
difference at all in my life or in the lives of others?" Decisions are made based on the people perspective - "Is
this good for us, for them?" - rather than on cold, hard facts. Up-close and personal stories are the feeler's
favorite introduction to any subject. Nothing is more wonderful to a feeler than cuddling up on a couch to read
together, to study together, to talk together, to be together - notice that the key word here is together.
The 'Sensor' is a common sense, effective, take-charge kind of a person, and a 'let's get this done RIGHT
and let's get it done NOW kind of a learner. Practical and efficient, the sensor learning style wants to see the
here-and now use and application. Working with their hands is better than sitting and doing bookwork. In fact,
for younger sensor children, sitting still is just about impossible. Sensors will do very well in their studies if you
allow them to move, to pick things up, to jump, to march, and to fiddle with something while they listen.
Committing thoughts to paper (and sometimes even to words) is very difficult for sensors. Sitting, keeping still,
listening for hours, and writing reports are all very, VERY difficult for the sensor, and need to be modified or
avoided whenever possible.
The 'Intuitors' are the what-if people. They see the possibilities, the never-before-tried methods, the
'tired of the old ways, let's try something new'. Intuitors make leaps of reason coming to interesting, though
sometimes impractical, conclusions. They sit to think and consider for a long time. You would probably call
them lazy unless you were present when they leap to action. The bells ring, the cymbals clash, and they are off to
put their ideas to work - or find someone who can! Intuitors are the idea generators.
Just as thinkers plan out a project, feelers help to decide which project is important, and sensors make the
project happen, intuitors also have an important place in the scheme of things. They are the ones, as you may
have guessed, who first came up with the idea and then figure out how to get around the obstacles. Isn't it
amazing to see how we all fit jointly together, each with his/her particular strengths to contribute.
At this point, we need to address a critical aspect of teaching. I believe that we, as teachers, are to serve
the needs of the students. In other words, the burden of the students' learning is upon us. This means it is not
good enough to say, "Well I had a fabulous lesson plan, all of the best books available, and a great idea for
projects, so it's their own fault if they did not learn anything." On the contrary, if the students did not learn
anything, the fault lies with the teacher and the methods for teaching that were employed.
 Before you slump over in defeat, let me hasten to explain that this does not mean you have to have a
degree in education to teach your own children! Then what does it mean to be a servant to the needs of your
student? Basically, this concept implies that whatever it takes to communicate so that your children learn, you
will do If your sensor children cannot learn their multiplication tables while seated at a desk with a workbook,
try something else. Let them do jumping jacks while repeating them after you. Or have them walk up and down
steps as they recite 2 x 2 = 4, 4 x 4 = 16, etc. If your thinker child cannot understand your wonderful idea for
studying the action of the heart - "Everyone run over here with a blue card, and then run back with the red cards"
- then give him or her transparent flip charts, the science video, or the best resources you can find on the subject.
If your feeler child absolutely resists memorizing names, data, and places in the history textbook, find a few
fascinating biographies, some historical fiction, or some projects you can work on while you sit and talk together
for a few minutes, then watch what happens.
To be assured of the best curriculum choices for your children, the parent will want to utilize this
information about learning styles. There are curriculum materials that work well for some learners, while other
materials would make learning more difficult for those learners. Let's examine some of the preferred ways of
learning for the different learning styles.
The 'Thinker' is most comfortable with a textbook approach. They want all materials that are to be
learned to be laid out precisely, logically, and carefully. In fact, these learners will want to use very authoritative,
very scholarly books for researching facts. This person generally enjoys making lists and putting sets of materials
into order. For example, in science, the classification system for the plant and animal kingdoms presents a good
opportunity to give the learner all the terms and let him/her put them in order. In mathematics, the thinker would
enjoy a workbook page that progresses through math facts in sequence, though perhaps would not enjoy search
games or jumbles. Making or reading charts and diagrams will enable the thinker to learn new material.
To interest a 'Feeler' in school subjects, again, demonstrate the people perspective. In science, have
him/her read biographies of such scientists as Isaac Newton or Louis Pasteur. Emphasize the impact and results
of an invention rather than its mechanical complexities. Feelers especially enjoy, in the study of the history of the
1800's, the heartwarming stories of Clara Barton and Florence Nightingale because these two pioneering nurses
helped people. Rather than using a bare-bones textbook approach to the American Revolution, a feeler would
prefer to read Johnny Tremain, biographies of Washington, and Longfellow's Paul Revere's Ride, or help build a
model of the town of Concord. If they are bogging down in math because they just can't get interested, reading
Mathematicians Are People, Too or Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, or singing with the Skip-Count-Kids will get feelers
jump-started.
For 'Sensors', when possible, assign team demonstration project rather than a written report to express
what they have learned. Make written report more interesting by allowing them to add wood carvings, cartoons,
clippings, drawings, play dough replicas of the Mayflower, or whatever helps them learn. Study the Battle of
Waterloo, using not textbooks or fiction, but stuffed animals, miniature soldiers (like GI Joes), and other hands-
on, movable toys. Have the children set up the battle, with all of the various armies, and then quickly examine
what took place. Sensors will be in their element if they can demolish the army with a sweep of the teddy bear's
foot or with the stampeding plastic horses. Reading can be one of the most difficult things for a sensor to do,
since it requires sitting for a long time. However, encourage their reading by giving them exciting adventure
stories, or materials that interest them. Read to them lots - far beyond your own comfort level. Gardening,
sewing, woodworking, cooking, crafting, wallpapering, painting, auto mechanics, building are all areas of
potential interest, excitement, and learning for the sensor. Incorporation these activities into history, grammar, or
spelling allows greater comprehension in these otherwise bookish studies.
 'Intuitors' need the freedom to generate ideas and be creative in their educational pursuits. Just about the
time a parent presents a carefully prepared lesson plan, the intuitor will challenge with, "Why do you want to do it
that way? How about trying it like this?" Puzzles, games, drama and variety are all good choices for this learning
style. Rather than using a book with a term-definition approach, look for materials that present concepts, or the
'big picture' because the intuitor will derive the definitions and details of a subject if he encounters them in the
conceptual approach. Though schedules are important overall, this learner requires some freedom of spontaneity
and creativity - be sure you allow for this.
The interesting thing about learning styles is that, when we become teachers, our learning styles usually
translate into our teaching styles. For us to be the very best teachers possible for our own, specific, unique
children, it is imperative that we understand why we do what we do. If not, we might expect to have headlong
collisions with our children who are operating from a different learning style.
For instance, consider a thinker mom with an intuitor child. The mom has a perfectly prepared, logically
arranged, systematically organized lesson plan. Her intuitor daughter takes one look at mom's outline and
suggests, "Hey, I know! Why don't we do this instead?" Mom glares at the student and replies, "Because this is
the right way to do it, and it's all arranged. Now, sit down and get to work!" Do you see the potential for
problems here? Unfortunately, the child's desire for spontaneity, ideas, and excitement may seem like rebellion
to the thinker mother, though in reality they are part and parcel of the intuitor's style of learning.
So what's a mother to do? Do you need fifteen different curricula and twenty hours of lesson planning
each week for your various children? Do you need a master's degree in learning styles? Do you throw this article
out and just keep doing what you're doing? No. Use these concepts as a springboard to understand the
differences in your family's learning styles, and how you can enhance the education of your unique and
wonderfully gifted children.
If you are currently using a curriculum that is causing your children to yawn, think about what
biographies, games, creative writing, drama, and craft projects you could use to stimulate some excitement and
interest. If one of your children is constantly asking when assignments are due and what is required, recognize
their valid need for structure and organization - look into curricula that provide this. If you have a seldom-sitter
in the bunch, allow that child the freedom to move - and look for curricula that are hands-on, project oriented. If
you recognize a snuggler, give them lots of love and attention (and utilize curriculum that will encourage dialogue
between parent and child).
If we forget that we have been created differently, we may criticize and condemn the ones who
are not like us. In our families, it is absolutely critical to grow in appreciation for our different styles; our
different ways of doing things. In fact, I am convinced that God wisely places different learning styles together in
each family for our own good and for the growth of our family.

Blessings,
Diana Waring

Adapted from Beyond Survival: A Guide to Abundant Life Homeschooling

By Diana Waring, copyright, 1996