I saw a commercial on tv for BornLearning.org. Apparently it's a partnership between the United Way, the Ad Council, Civitas, and Families and Work Institute to help parents, caregivers, and the community create quality early learning opportunities for young children. As the mother of a young child, the ad caught my attention so I checked out the website and found it interesting.
For the most part, it had information that I already knew, and listed a few cute ideas for ways to turn regular daytime activities into learning opportunities. The one pdf article that caught my interest was titled "
Understanding Children: How does my child learn?" I'm not sure how long this site will be up, so I hope they don't mind me pasting part of their cute little quiz, a guide to three learning styles:
The following is a guide to three learning styles.Is he a looker?When he wishes to express himself, he......points to what he wants
...responds with gestures, not words
...plays very quietly
...likes to observe goings on, rather than participate
...didn't babble until late in his first year
When he plays, he......likes dangling toys, colors, and motion
...is visually alert
...looks at picture books
When he moves about, he......watches his hands while playing
...reached for objects before he was 5 months of age
...likes to explore small objects with his hands
...likes to pick up and place small puzzle pieces, and enjoys puzzles and shape sorters
When he is fussy, he......is quited by the sight of a familiar face
...is calmed by a familiar toy
...is easily distracted by a change of scenery
Is he a Listener?When he wishes to express himself, he......babbled early and frequently
...said his first words before age one
...follows directions easily
...tries to imitate words spoken by others
...uses inflection when vocalizing
When he plays, he......likes rattles and noisemakers
...likes rhymes, songs, and finger plays
...seems to 'eavesdrop' in conversations
...babbles to his toys
When he moves about, he......was slow to sit up, and more interested in babbling
...is consumed by talking, not walking
...prefers riding toys that make noise
...uses toys mainly to create sounds
When he is fussy, he......is quieted by the sound of a familiar voice
...is calmed by music
...is easily distracted by a xylophone or piano
Is he a Mover?When he wishes to express himself, he......uses gestures rather than words
...is prone to tantrums
...shakes his head to indicate "no"
...grabs at objects and toys impulsively
...rarely babbles at all
When he plays, he......likes being bounced and tickled
...likes to be rocked, cuddled, and held
...often kicks at his crib mobile
...enjoys swings and bike rides
When he moves about, he......sat without support before six months of age
...crawled before eight months of age and walked before age one
...is very active
...used riding toys before ten months of age
When he is fussy, he......is quieted by being picked up
...is calmed by being held and rocked
...is easily distracted by a massage or car ride
LOOKING or Visual Learning involves responding to visual stimulation, like motion, color, shape, and size.LISTENING or Auditory Learning has more to do with sounds and spoken words.MOVING or Tactile and Kinesthetic Learning, happens through touch and movement.By this little quiz, I'd have to say my 14 month old daughter Sasha is a LISTENER. I would have originally thought she was a LOOKER but the more I think about it, I guess she must be a Listener after all.
I think, however, that all babies learn by looking, listening, and moving...not just by one method alone. I'm sure the BornLearning folks didn't mean to imply otherwise. The BornLearning folks do, however, suggest that you adjust your teaching style to the learning style of your toddler. I do agree with that to some degree. Of course you should individualize your teaching style to your toddler's learning style. But should you only teach your LOOKING child in a LOOKING style? That I don't think I agree completely with. I think a child should learn how to learn in the styles that he is weak in, to make him more well rounded. To omit other learning styles, I believe, would make him stronger in an area he is already strong in and weaken his ability to learn in other styles.
But I'm no child development expert, just a mother. I think I'll just take this information with a grain of salt and continue what I'm already doing. I do find it interesting and I love finding ways to describe my child. As a former Cosmo reader, I love quizzes anyways.
