QUIZ: WHAT IS YOUR CHILD’S LEARNING STYLE?
Most kids have a natural way of picking up new info — they learn best either by
listening, looking, or doing. Once you know your child’s learning personality, you can sidestep
a lot of academic agita. Take the quiz below to reveal how your kid’s brain works best, then play
to his strengths to maximize his school potential.
1. You let your child pick out one toy at the dollar store. Which is he most likely to choose?
a) Paint-by-number set
b) Play microphone
c) Hula hoop or football
2. If your child could only pick one after-school activity, which would he choose?
a) Art lessons
b) Music lessons
c) Sports or drama lessons
3. You’re out to dinner and there’s a 10-minute wait. How does your child occupy himself?
a) Doodling
b) Talking your ear off
c) Digging in your purse while bouncing in place
4. When your child picks the family activity, which is he most likely to choose?
a) A movie
b) A concert
c) Mini golf
5. When your child reads a book to himself, he:
a) Sits quietly, immersed in its contents
b) Mouths the words aloud or asks you to read it to him
c) Fidgets frequently
6. Which of these iPad activities is your child most drawn to?
a) Looking at photos
b) Listening to music
c) Playing Angry Birds or another video game
Learns by looking
Your kid responds best when new material is in lists, charts, graphs, and diagrams. A little color
goes a long way: He can write spelling words or state capitals in different colors so they’re easier
to memorize. Abstract math homework goes faster when you give your visual kid objects to help
him think through the problem. (If I had 12 M&M’s and Mom ate 7, how many are left?)
Mostly A’s:
Learns by listening
If your child is one of the 10 percent of kids who are auditory learners, she does well with verbal
instructions and shines in discussions. She’ll learn faster if she has a voice recorder: Saying
Mostly B’s:
things aloud can help her retain info, and re-playing the recording boosts comprehension even
more. If she turns a book’s dialogue into a puppet show, she’ll remember the story.
Learns by doing
Like the majority of children, your kid absorbs info best when she’s physically engaged on some
level. Many kinesthetic learners have trouble sitting still for long stretches. So turn homework
into a sporting event: Let her shoot a foam basketball into a laundry basket every time she
answers a question correctly or give her a squishy ball to squeeze and manipulate.
Mostly C’s:
http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/parent-child/quiz-whats-your-childslearning-style
Learning Styles Assessment
Read each statement and select the appropriate number response as it applies to you.
Often (3)
Sometimes (2)
Seldom/Never (1)
Visual Modality
______ I remember information better if I write it down.
______ Looking at the person helps keep me focused.
______ I need a quiet place to get my work done.
______ When I take a test, I can see the textbook page in my head.
______ I need to write down directions, not just take them verbally.
______ Music or background noise distracts my attention from the task at hand.
______ I don’t always get the meaning of a joke.
______ I doodle and draw pictures on the margins of my notebook pages.
______ I have trouble following lectures.
______I react very strongly to colors.
______
Total
Auditory Modality
______ My papers and notebooks always seem messy.
______ When I read, I need to use my index finger to track my place on the line.
______ I do not follow written directions well.
______ If I hear something, I will remember it.
______ Writing has always been difficult for me.
______ I often misread words from the text -(i.e.,“them” for “then”).
______ I would rather listen and learn than read and learn.
______ I’m not very good at interpreting an individual’s body language.
______ Pages with small print or poor quality copies are difficult for me toread.
______ My eyes tire quickly, even though my vision check-up is always fine.
______
Total
Kinesthetic/Tactile Modality
______ I start a project before reading the directions.
______ I hate to sit at a desk for long periods of time.
______ I prefer first to see something done and then to do it myself.
______ I use the trial and error approach to problem-solving.
______ I like to read my textbook while riding an exercise bike.
______ I take frequent study breaks.
______ I have a difficult time giving step-by-step instructions.
______ I enjoy sports and do well at several different types of sports.
______ I use my hands when describing things.
____I have to rewrite or type my class notes to reinforce the material.
______
Total
Total the score for each section. A score of 21 points or more in a modality indicates
a strength in that area. The highest of the 3 scores indicates the most efficient method
of information intake. The second highest score indicates the modality which boosts
the primary strength. For example, a score of 23 in visual modality indicates a strong
visual learner. Such a learner benefits from the text, from filmstrips, charts,
graphs, etc. If the second highest score is auditory, then the individual would benefit from
audio tapes, lectures, etc. If you are strong kinesthetically, then taking notes and
rewriting class notes will reinforce information