It is a well known scientific fact that every individual is uniquely made and responds to their environment in the most unique of ways. This is as true of children as it is of adults.
It is, therefore, imperative that one identify a child’s learning style and leverage it to impart their education in the manner that best suits it.
That is something that has been very well recognized by the private schools in Dubai. The days of making children learn by rote and unthinkingly following instructions handed down by the teachers are long over.
Instead, one is taught by way of collaborative learning, where students join hands to work together on assignments and projects, with every participant leveraging their strengths to complete the task in the best possible manner.
Types of Learning Styles
Let us take a look at the diverse learning styles and how to identify your kids’ learning styles.
1. Auditory Learners
There are those children who respond brilliantly to auditory clues. If your child, for instance, loves listening to bedtime stories and understands them instantly, you know that your kid is an auditory learner.
This is a trait that most children have in a very pronounced manner as it is hardwired into human consciousness.
With the communication revolution unfolding these days with things like podcasts and YouTube videos being used extensively for instruction purposes, auditory learners are definitely at an advantage.
It would make sense for preschool and primary school in Dubai to rely on storytelling and narration to engage with such children from a very early age.
2. Visual Learners
Visual learning is again hardwired into the human psyche and this is something that is particularly pronounced in the case of certain children. They have a more vibrant right brain and respond quite well to subjects like geometry.
Teachers need to be clued into this aspect of their students’ psyche and help them in leveraging these traits to their advantage. They could use diagrams, charts and infographics to help such children learn.
In the case of text, the important portions should be highlighted to help such children get a better understanding of what is being taught to them.
3. Logical Learners
Such learners are naturally inclined towards mathematics and logical reasoning. They are extremely good at analysing and looking at the cause and effect of phenomena. They are usually quite structured and orderly in the way that they approach learning.
It makes sense to make them understand the fundamental concepts of what they are learning, rather than just asking them to memorize their lessons. They are the kind who like to be given goals and provided with incentives to achieve them.
4. Social Learners
These are the kind of learners who learn best when interacting with other people. They are the kind who love being part of a group and are quite natural at connecting emotionally with other people.
They should be encouraged to take the initiative and lead others in group activities. That is best way for them to learn.
5. Intrapersonal Learners
These are the kind of learners who are great at figuring things out on their own. They are the kind who can think independently and can manage themselves very well.
Teachers should recognize that such students possess the capability to manage things well on their own. They should accordingly temper the teaching process so as to encourage such students to do whatever they need to acquire knowledge, without pushing them too hard about it.
6. Physical Learners
These are the kind of learners who like physical activity. They take beautifully to hands-on practical projects and, therefore, respond wonderfully to collaborative learning, something that the best schools incorporate in their learning process.
How can Schools Help Students by Supporting Different Learning Styles?
You cannot use the one size fits all approach in today’s world when it comes to educating children.
Both psychology and pedagogy have come a long way in recognizing how important it is to recognize that each child is an individual with their ingrained personality traits that need to be identified and leveraged in the process used to educate them. To that extent schooling, these days is a customized and almost bespoke affair.
It is, therefore, important that schools hire and engage trained teachers who understand the various styles of learning and are experienced in leveraging these.
If a child is taught very early in their life to draw upon their unique strength to help them learn and acquire knowledge, they will go on to perform very creditably at whatever they undertake.
The leading curricula in the world are designed in a manner that helps accommodate all learning styles that there are so that each child is able to perform to their best potential.
Every child in the world is made in a unique way with the potential to achieve great things if given the right kind of encouragement at the right time. The schools of today, fortunately, are well equipped to do just that.
Besides, technology has made it possible to capitalize on the individual strengths of the students. This is especially true of the vast strides made in audio-visual communication.
The schools of tomorrow will be even more tuned in with the individual needs of students and curricula will be designed to be even more mindful of those. That is going to open up doors for almost all school children to find their calling in life.
Conclusion
Gone are the days when schoolchildren would be slotted as “good students” and “bad students.” It is all about identifying what works with them when it comes to learning and working with that.
The schools in Dubai are some of the most modern and futuristic in that regard and this reflects in how well their students perform, once they complete their schooling.
Going forward, you can expect these schools to be global trailblazers. That is not surprising considering that premier chains of schools from around the world have a presence in Dubai.
