A kinesthetic learner is a child who learns by doing things by touching or manipulating objects. Kinesthetic learners do not learn by seeing or listening but rather prefer to be engaged in physical tangible learning exercises. There are indications that most kinesthetic learners are sensory people whose minds thrive better from the things they touch, smell, taste or experience with their bodies. This is why hands-on learning projects are the most effective way of teaching kinesthetic children. For example, while visual and auditory learners can easily grasp the concept of volcanic eruptions by watching videos and listening, a kinesthetic learner may instead grasp the concept by constructing the process out of clay and mixing substances to cause an eruption.

There are a few characteristics to distinguish kinesthetic learners from the other types of learners. Kinesthetic learners love doing practical work with tools, instruments and supplies. They are more skilled at solving puzzles and tend to remember the things they have done as opposed to those they have seen and heard. Moreover, kinesthetic learners love to construct things like crafts or DIY projects with their hands. They think more critically and clearly when they move around and engage with objects and their peers rather than just sitting in the same position and listening to explanations.

Kinesthetic learners can conveniently learn at a pace that is comfortable to them, without having to worry about falling behind their auditory and visual peers. This is why teachers need to use multiple different teaching methods to assess the strengths and weaknesses of each student, to make adjustments that give students room for improvement.

The advantages of kinesthetic learners over the other types of learners include the fact that they often grasp the big picture of the task as a result of their hands-on involvement in the project. Besides, kinesthetic learners tend to think out of the normal classroom assignments, thereby seeking real-world applications. Above all, kinesthetic learners can easily fix their mistakes since they often learn organically through trial and error.

Some of the best teaching strategies for kinesthetic learners include using charts and presentations, utilizing games and activities, going on field trips, bringing in subject experts, having class discussions and above all, letting the children teach their classmates during some lessons. Meanwhile, some of the best teaching tools and supplies for kinesthetic learners are matching games, molding clay, puzzles, index cards, puppets, countable objects as well as arts and craft supplies.

Many kinesthetic learners go on to have careers that are related to hands-on field activities such as athletics, carpentry, plumbing, dancing, acting, physical therapy and agriculture, etc.

An auditory learner is a child who learns effectively by listening. An auditory learner will rather listen to lectures and instructions than reading textbooks. Auditory learners tend to process the information better when they have heard instead of reading or seeing.

Auditory learners have some characteristics that make them thrive perfectly in classroom settings. For example, they are eloquent and good at telling stories. Auditory learners have excellent listening skills and they retain spoken information perfectly. They enjoy conversations and are often not afraid to express their opinions. They excel well in oral presentations or oral exams and they can explain ideas well for the understanding of others.

There are many ways to effectively teach auditory learners. For example, you can conveniently teach an auditory learner through repetition. This assertion can be backed by the fact that repeating spoken details can help them understand best since they learn best by listening. Auditory learners can also learn effectively through verbal discourses, discussions and conversations. Moreover, including social elements such as group assignments, paired reading and group projects can help auditory learners to excel. To teach auditory learners effectively, you must first help them identify their learning style, so they can play an active role in learning.

Auditory learners can conveniently learn through powerful educative tools such as;

• Podcasts: They will learn easily if you give them opportunities to listen to podcasts;
• Question & Answer Sessions: They will learn better by verbally asking questions and listening to the answers. The whole essence of this is to clear up misunderstandings or concerns.
• Recorded lectures: Give recorded lectures to students who missed lectures for one reason or another instead of giving them a chunk of notes to read.
• Background music during quiet times: Auditory learners usually appreciate short background music so that they don’t get distracted by noise or silence.

There are a few tips to help auditory learners to focus in classroom or work settings. For example, asking questions in the classroom is an effective learning tip for auditory learners as it gives them the opportunities to learn by listening carefully to the answers. Having a study buddy is also ideal for auditory learners because having someone to repeat information or read out information will facilitate the process of learning. Above all, participating in discussions is a good idea for auditory learners. Discussions give them the opportunities to listen to others and also share their ideas which could go a long way to clear up their misunderstandings.

Every child is unique and learns at his or her pace. While some children are fast bloomers who start learning how to talk and do other things early, other children can be late bloomers who take their time to learn. As a parent, it is imperative for you to take out time to understand how your child learns best so you can nurture them according to their full potential.

The first step to helping your child learn is to find out the type of learner he or she is. There are four main learning styles: visual, auditory, reading/writing and kinesthetic. Although many children can easily learn through a combination of two or more of these styles, they have one that works best for them. The trick is  to know your child’s preferred study method so that you can implement the right methods that will make him understand and retain whatever he has learned. Your goal should be to implement effective study methods that are geared towards complementing your child’s strengths instead of working against them.

Knowing the characteristics of each learning styles will enable you to identify the type of learner your child is. Visual learners typically excel in visual activities such as arts. They love books with illustrations and are good at recognizing as well as recalling words, people and places. Visual learners are mostly interested in the world and the objects around them. Moreover, they excel well when given examples of the tasks they are working on.

Auditory learners rather excel in auditory activities such as music. They perform well when following verbal instructions and they love singing and humming while playing or doing school work. An auditory learner enjoys conversing with others and always listens to all instructions before starting a task. In addition, auditory learners always ask many questions when working on tasks or activities.

On the other hand, reading/writing learners enjoy reading books and writing stories. They love to take notes down when working on a task. They love quiet spaces and are good at remembering whatever they have written.

Meanwhile, a kinesthetic learner excels more at physical and hands-on activities. They find it challenging sitting down while learning but rather enjoy active learning like drawing or study games.

It is your duty as a parent to know where your child falls and use the appropriate techniques that match your study needs.