How Your Children Actually Learn

How Your Children Actually Learn

by Miranda Lagane

How Do Children Learn?

Or more specifically, how do your children learn?

Understanding how your children learn offers many benefits. It allows you to become a more intentional teacher, plan more purposeful lessons, and make your child’s learning journey more personalised and effective.

According to research, there are three main types of learners: visual learners, auditory learners, and kinaesthetic learners. More often than not, children don’t rely solely on one learning style. Instead, they tend to learn in a variety of ways—often combining two of these styles to absorb new information and deepen their understanding.

Let’s take a closer look at each learning style, starting with visual learners. Visual learners need to see something in order to understand and retain it. Incorporating pictures, diagrams, visual representations, and concrete examples can significantly improve a visual learner’s ability to grasp new concepts. There are various ways you can support a visual learner—let’s break it down: The learning environment should not be too visually busy, as this can be distracting. However, a few simple posters highlighting key elements of the lesson can be helpful. Provide your visual learners with plenty of books that include illustrations, and always use concrete or visual examples, especially when teaching subjects like math. Techniques like mind mapping or using coloured pens can help in organising information effectively.

Next, let’s explore auditory learners. These learners absorb new information by listening. They may sometimes appear ‘distracted’ during a lesson, as they don’t necessarily need to make eye contact or appear focused in order to take in what’s being said. Auditory learners benefit greatly from being in a calm and peaceful environment. Some may even find it helpful to listen to soft background music while learning. Audiobooks and podcasts are an auditory learner’s best friend—so download a few of your favourites and play them while you’re travelling, or while your child is building with LEGO or working on a puzzle. Encouraging your child to discuss topics aloud or teach back the material can reinforce their understanding.

Lastly, we have kinaesthetic learners. From my personal experience, I would say that most children—and even adults—fall into this category. Let’s compare it to learning a new skill, such as swimming. In order to learn how to swim effectively, you need to get into the water and move. Simply reading about floating in a textbook won’t teach you how to swim. This is exactly how kinaesthetic learners operate—they need to move in order to learn.

When preparing your lessons, think of ways to incorporate movement. Whether it’s through active learning, recreating a science experiment, bouncing a ball while practising spelling, or simply building in more movement breaks between lessons—find creative ways to accommodate your learner’s need for physical engagement. Activities like acting out scenarios, building models, or conducting experiments can make learning more effective. 

At the end of the day, understanding how your child learns is one of the greatest tools you can have as a home educator. When you tailor your approach to suit their learning style, you’re not just helping them understand the work better—you’re building their confidence, deepening your connection, and making learning something they truly enjoy. So take a bit of time to observe, explore, and experiment. You might be surprised by just how much of a difference it makes.