Yes, God’s Word tells us that each of us is uniquely and wonderfully made. In the book of Psalms, Chapter 139: 13-14, David writes, “For it was You who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise You because I have been fearfully and wonderfully made”.
There are about eight billion of us on the planet, and that translates into a lot of uniqueness. As I mentioned in last week’s blog about visual learners, this also means we all learn in different ways. One of the key functions within our unique minds is the way we process information and LEARN; some of us are AUDITORY LEARNERS.
Shero.com tells us this about auditory learners:“Sometimes referred to as “aural” learners, auditory learners prefer listening to information that is presented to them vocally. These learners work well in group settings where vocal collaboration is present and may enjoy reading aloud to themselves, too.”
Vark-learn.com shares a model of learning styles and states: “This perceptual mode describes a preference for information that is “heard or spoken.” Learners who have this as their main preference report that they learn best from lectures, group discussion, radio, email, using mobile phones, speaking, web-chat and talking things through”.
Auditory learners learn and remember best by HEARING information. I remember learning in one of our educator trainings, that most people need to hear a fact nine times before locking it into memory. When teaching, I tried to repeat important information several times (sometimes annoying my students!). But this is important, both when the information is initially being presented and then again repeatedly on subsequent days. Another classroom strategy we used was to ask students to repeat the concept or fact out loud to themselves, hearing it in their own voices and minds, better locking it into long term memory. These are methods we can use as parents too.
We often practiced a “turn and talk”- asking the kids to repeat/explain a concept or event to their partners in their own words. By paraphrasing information, our students were processing it and analyzing it. The best way to learn information is to actually teach it! Auditory learners understand this, but even visual and kinesthetic learners will benefit from it.
Here are some ideas to help our young auditory learners process and understand information:
- During reading time, even when your child gets a bit older, read out loud to him or her. I taught 6th grade for many years, and kids even this age loved it when I would read out loud to them, adding inflection and tone to the printed words. Sometimes my 61 year young hubby still likes it when I read out loud to him! How many of us enjoy an audio book as adults? That’s another idea- incorporate audio books with kids who process this way.
- Use MUSIC. We listen to music, right? Putting information to music can certainly help lock it into memory. I learned the books of the Bible to a tune…..and it is still in my memory, when many other facts have fled. Why? Because this information is attached to a melody, to music.
- Ask kids to repeat/re-teach information to you, instead of the other way around. When they are studying for a check, you (the parent) be the student and have them take the role of the teacher. The one analyzing the information enough to create the question is examining the information much more deeply than the one supplying a quick answer.
- Many websites have “read aloud” features. If not, there are easy apps to add to your child’s computer that can function in this way (Speechify chrome extension is an example). Your child can highlight specific text and have it read to them. There are usually different voices and accents that you can choose from as well. We used various historical links from Ducksters.com when teaching the ancient world because they have embedded a read aloud feature. Using this feature helps students/kids read slowly, seeing with their eyes and hearing with their ears. Win, win.
- These students may benefit from debate and group discussion. Talking about ideas with their peers and listening to different perspectives benefits these learners. Provide opportunity for conversation and debate.
- They may have or need minimal information written in their notebooks, much to the dismay of mom or dad. But key information is embedded in their minds, and they can speak it to you instead! Don’t “push” perfect note-taking; allow key ideas and bullet points, maybe even highlighted notes in place of detailed information.
- These kids may actually enjoy lectures in higher grades and college. In the early years, they liked reading circles, where students gathered on the carpet and listened to the teacher read a story. When they are a bit older, studying with a friend where they take turns reading information out loud to each other may benefit these learners.
- Again, ask your learner to give you feedback. Ask, “Do you like it when Dad (or Mom) reads to you, or do you want to read it out loud to yourself?” “What helps you remember?” “Want to put this information to a tune?”
As we BOOK TIME WITH OUR KIDS, we’re going to learn so much about them and how they learn, and we may get a peek into ourselves as well!
THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME! PLEASE SUBSCRIBE FOR A WEEKLY IDEA OF HOW WE CAN “BOOK TIME WITH OUR KIDS!”
Nina Wheeling 