Are You Darsheel Safary’s Father from Taare Zameen Par?

Parents are concerned about progress in learning and development of their children, going to great lengths to restrict and monitor content and images that can hamper cognitive development. However, what parents do not realise is that not all children possess the same capacity to learn and interpret information. Every child has a unique approach to learning and recalling, which rather than being a hindrance, can be great opportunities for you to understand the learning pattern of your child. Did you know, 10% of the children going to school in India have specific learning disabilities, which parents can mistake as a sign of rebellion and laziness, much like Darsheel Safary’s father in the Bollywood movie, Taare Zameen Par, directed by Aamir Khan.

Recognise Your Child’s Approach to Learning

Children, from a very young age, can show an inclination towards visual, auditory or kinaesthetic learning. While some kids can recall the spoken word efficiently, others prefer to rely on visual images and texts. Another group may prefer writing down information to store the facts in their memory. Still others might find it difficult to internalize information unless there is practical, real life activity to work with. Since each child is unique, their ability to comprehend, process and relay information is also one of a kind. Here is a look at different approaches to analysing information by young children. You can identify the mode that best suits your child and maximise your child’s education and development by sticking to that routine.

Auditory Learning

Auditory Learners are often good in academics, since they prefer the traditional teaching technique of spoken lectures. Teachers in schools often use the lecture style to help students understand text, making it the most widely used form of conveying information. Auditory learners are adept at regulating voice tone, inflection and reading body language to deduce and process information. They achieve success when directions are said out aloud, and information is presented verbally. It is common for such children to get involved in debating, delivering speeches, playing and listening actively to music, and even reading aloud.

Visual Learning

Children, who suffer attention lapses and do not follow the spoken work, may stress upon the statement, “Show me and I’ll understand.” Such learners generally benefit from diagrams, illustrations, pictures, charts, films, written notes or documentaries. These are the children who prefer making notes before exams, and hold in high value, assignments, to-do-lists, and other illustrative techniques. More and more modern classrooms are trying to incorporate visual learning, since it is probably the most easy to recall method. Visual learners may often be seen doodling in classrooms at the time of a lecture since they prefer to write down what is being demonstrated rather than focusing on the spoken word.

Kinaesthetic Learning

Most children start their lives by becoming kinaesthetic learners, relying on kinaesthetic means such as feeling, touching and experiencing the material in hand. Almost all children are tactical learners at first, since they feel and touch things around them to experience their environment. As they progress to grade school, this approach is often replaced by visual or auditory learning, especially in the case of females. Males, however, may continue to harbour kinaesthetic learning as their preferred mode of learning even during the later stages of their lives. It is believed that such learners are thoroughly engaged in an activity and often acquire information the fastest. Such students can be seen actively participating in the science lab, field trips, drama clubs, presentations, dance and other such activities. To facilitate the needs of kinaesthetic learners, education is shifting towards a more hands on approach, by using props and other manipulatives.