Discovering a child's learning style can help the child learn the information more effectively. Using pre-made screening tools found online or through a school counselor can help you determine the student's learning preference. You can also create your own informal learning-style assessment for the class and give this to each student. Ask questions about the student's preferred style but also include questions that determine the effectiveness of those preferences.
Visual learners learn best by viewing the material you teach. To appeal to the visual learners in your classroom, include photographs and pictures of abstract ideas. For a subject such as mathematics, attempt to represent the concept in graphic format so that visual learners can associate the skill with a visual representation.
Auditory learners learn material most effectively through listening. These students prefer to hear material in formats such as a lecture. Providing students with the option of listening to books on tape is a helpful technique when teaching students how to read. Doing so helps auditory learners make the connection between the words they hear on the audio tape and the words on the page of the book.
Kinesthetic learners learn best by participating in the skill being taught. This means they learn by actively completing the task or skill you are trying to teach. For math skills, allow students to use manipulatives to understand concepts. Moving the manipulatives while completing math assignments appeals to both visual and kinesthetic learners. To teach vocabulary words, allow the children to act out the meaning of word. This helps them associate the word with an action.
While students may have one learning-style preference or strength, they often learn through a combination of more than one specific style. Vary the way you present information in your classroom. Develop lesson plans that appeal to all types of learners, and attempt to create activities that can be adapted to meet the needs of all types of learners in your classroom.