A Parent’s Guide To Understanding Your Child’s Learning Style

If you’ve ever watched your kid pick up a new skill, you know there’s no one “right” way to learn. Some kids need to see it, others need to hear it, and plenty need to get their hands on it to really understand. Knowing your child’s learning style can take a lot of the stress out of schoolwork—and make studying feel less like a battle.

The three main learning styles

Most kids fall into one (or a mix) of these three categories: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners.

• Visual learners do best when they can see the information—think diagrams, videos, or colourful notes.
• Auditory learners click with sound. They often remember things better when they’ve heard them—through lectures, group discussions, or even rhymes.
• Kinesthetic learners need to do it. Hands-on activities, experiments, or movement-based study methods usually stick better for them.

Research shows that when kids study in ways that match their learning style, they often do better on tests and feel more confident overall. But learning isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some kids lean toward more than one style, and different subjects might call for different strategies. The goal isn’t to lock your child into a single box, but to give them options and figure out what makes learning click.

Visual Learners

Visual learners can absorb information when presented visually and tend to be energetic, observant, and usually appreciate details. They prefer to learn through visual aids, such as images, diagrams, charts, and videos. They often benefit from colour-coded notes, mind maps, and other visually organized study materials.

Use flashcards, symbols, slide shows, arts and crafts, and videos to support the student’s learning. Incorporate learning activities such as board games, Lego, word scrambles, and Scrabble or create acronyms and mnemonics to help them remember facts.

Auditory Learners

Auditory learners learn best through sound and spoken information. These individuals often thrive in lectures and group discussions. They might also benefit from reading aloud or recording their notes and listening to them later. Auditory people have very expressive personalities and possess excellent communication skills.

They express themselves very well and often like to listen to others. Auditory learners can follow a conversation while listening to music and prefer studying with music playing softly in the background.

Try using audiobooks, recordings, verbal repetition, reading notes/assignments aloud, and music to support your child’s learning. Incorporate learning activities such as 20 Questions, Mad Libs, I Spy, and Jeopardy.

Kinesthetic Learners

Kinesthetic learners learn by doing and experiencing. They strongly prefer hands-on activities and learn best through physical engagement. These learners often benefit from interactive experiences, experiments, role-playing, and real-world applications of concepts.

Try using tools such as learning games, drawing, arts and crafts, incorporating movement into study time, and using fidget toys or stress balls during lectures and discussions to support your child’s learning.

Some Kinesthetic learners prefer textual information and learn best by reading and writing down information. They process information best through reading textbooks, taking detailed notes, and writing essays. They may also benefit from summarizing information in their own words. So, you might also try making lists, rewriting notes and rereading texts, converting visual ideas into writing, and reading aloud to support your child’s learning.

How else to support your child once you know their learning style

Most teachers present information in several formats to accommodate all students’ learning styles. If your student needs help with a subject, ask their teacher or tutor to help you determine their learning style and present the information in the best way they will absorb.

You can also have your student take a quick online test with sites such as ID Pride or VARK. Tutors and teachers are also great at understanding learning styles, and they can help your student understand their learning styles and convert information into a format they know best.