Laurel Springs is a learning styles model school. Now, we are going to explore this topic a little more thoroughly. It’s something we love to talk about!

Since 1989, our educational team has been working closely with Mariaemma Pellulo Willis and Victoria Kindle Hodson, founders of the Learning Styles Assessment, to develop a learning style approach to education. This method of education is centered on the idea that every child possesses an innate love of learning and, given the right environment and tools, will develop as a whole and happy individual, capable of learning in profound and brilliant ways.

When every member of your family takes the Learning Styles Profile, you will all come to understand your different approaches to learning and working, as well as the different gifts and talents each of you possesses. This understanding can mitigate stress and help you create a rich home environment that enhances living, loving, and learning for everyone.


An Explanation of Learning Styles

When we think about someone’s learning style, we take the whole person into account. A learning style is multifaceted and includes a person’s disposition, modality, interests, talents, and environment. In this next section, we’ll take a look at what this means and help guide you through your child’s Learning Styles Profile results (and hopefully, your own as well!).

Exploring Dispositions
A “disposition,” in the Learning Styles vocabulary, is like your learning personality. Dispositions essentially determine the ways in which people work, communicate, learn, and behave. There are five learning dispositions: relating/inspiring, thinking/creating, inventing, performing, and producing. 

Performing learners gravitate towards activities and subjects that are entertaining by nature, have immediate relevance to the learner, offer variety and challenge, and provide opportunities for hands-on activities. They learn best with teaching materials that are short and to the point, involve movement, manipulatives, and audio-visuals. These learners thrive on competition. They also need almost immediate interaction and feedback in their learning process. They often enjoy presenting or showing what they’ve done, or even teaching others. Multimedia presentations are good projects for them. Areas of growth for this disposition can include making an effort to follow through with commitments and remembering to consider the feelings of others.

Producing learners thrive with subjects and activities that are structured. Along with structure, they want activities that include sequence, ordered components, drill, organization, and note taking. They learn best with curricular options and teaching techniques that are logical, sequential, workbook-oriented, and involve planning, scheduling, and specific due dates. Areas of growth for this type of learner can include learning to relax and be flexible.

Inventing learners have an affinity for problem solving, fixing and enhancing projects, for theory, models, exploration, and the opportunity to question, design, and discover. They thrive with curricular options and teaching techniques that are theoretical, experimental, and research-based. They love to deal in the abstract. Ideally, projects for inventing learners should be designed to ensure that they can enjoy ample time for exploration. These learners thrive on being able to lead or have a say in their learning process or topics of study. They also can be sensitive to criticism and may want to keep projects to themselves. It is sometimes necessary to encourage them to turn something in. Details are not as important as solving the problem. Areas where they can sometimes run into problems or conflicts include losing their sense of passing time and forgetting appointments because they are so wrapped up in a project. They have a tendency to run late. Relating to others may be an area for growth with these learners.

Relating/Inspiring learners are social by nature, interested in human behavior, in discussion, and group activities. They excel with curricular options and teaching techniques that involve group projects, time to relate and incorporate personal feelings, and cooperative learning and values. Great interest is placed on learning about people. Areas where they can sometimes run into problems or conflicts include having difficulty working independently, or focusing their attention on something for long periods of time. Because of this, subjects like math and some sciences may be challenging for them.

Thinking/Creating learners are creative by nature, artistic, and interested in subjects with philosophical aspects that deal with beauty and aesthetics and give them opportunities to wonder, think, and dream. Their optimal choice of curriculum involves creativity, and allows for substantial alone time. They thrive with projects that allow them total freedom to complete the work on their own terms and in their own time. Areas where they can sometimes run into problems or conflicts include meeting deadlines and adhering to a schedule. Sometimes, they can be viewed as moody or distant. Keeping to a schedule and spending time with others could be areas for growth.

Exploring Modalities
What exactly is a modality? Modality refers to the senses (or modes) through which people process information. It is one aspect of a learning style. People generally have more than one modality.

The Auditory Modality
With this modality, the learner best processes information through sound. Music, lectures, taped information, and conversation all help this learner process information. This modality has two different aspects, listening and verbal.

Listening learners comprehend information best when they hear it, when it is presented verbally. Some sort of background noise can also help with comprehension.

Verbal learners need to discuss what they are learning.  Verbalizing the information they are being presented with helps them to understand and retain it. For these learners, hearing something is not enough; they need to say it.

The Visual Modality
Visual learners absorb and retain information best when they can see it, rather than hear it. This modality also has two aspects: picture and print.

Visual Picture learners process information best when it is presented in picture form. Charts, graphs, maps, drawings, film, even dramatic performances, all help this learner learn.

Visual Print learners think in words. These learners need to see words and learn best when they can read the information being presented.

The Tactile-Kinesthetic Modality
With this modality, learners absorb and retain information more readily if touch and movement are involved. These learners need to move their bodies (tapping a foot, or getting up and walking around) or touch something (doodling, coloring, twirling an object in the hands, or anything to keep the hands busy) while processing information. Often, in the classroom, children with this modality are seen as disruptive and inattentive. However, these actions actually help them to stay focused and to learn.

Your Learning Styles Profile (LSP) Results

We strongly recommend thoroughly exploring all the different sections and explanations contained in your Learning Styles Profile results. It’s also really beneficial to discuss them with your entire family and with your teacher. Always be thinking of ways to integrate this information into your child’s studies, your relationships, and your work. If you have questions about any of this, someone in our Curriculum and Assessment Department will be happy to help you. Just call 805-646-9922 or click here .

We wholeheartedly recommend that you read the book, Discover Your Child’s Learning Style, by Mariaemma Pellulo Willis and Victoria Kindle Hodson. Prima Publishing. ISBN: 0-7615-2013-9.