Age when a human knows their learning style?

[TBEventer2002]

Hi all. Seeking your infinite wisdom. :D

I've always wanted to teach riding lessons. I am no expert by any means, but I can competently ride just about anything on the flat, from a seasoned dressage horse to a very green greenie.

I always wanted to teach little kids -- I love working with children, and I know that several trainers around here won't even consider teaching any student under about 8 or 10yo. A local riding camp is looking for part-time instructors to give riding lessons to varying levels. I am seriously considering taking on a few groups of the youngest riders (several fellow college team members are already teaching there, plus my trainer's husband is their farrier, AND we get several of the camp horses to use for school during the winter months).

Thing is, I am curious as to when you guys think a person can accurately tell me their own personal learning style. It seems like I've always known that I am a visual learner -- I learn by watching, step-by-step. Yet I know of many people my age that aren't too sure about their particular learning style (some don't even know there's a difference!). If I can sort of get an understanding of when a human might realize their learning style, I feel that I would be better able to approach the students with the activities I would want to teach.

So, any ideas of a general age? Thanks for any help!

[Est]

This is a question of particular interest to me. I'm a qualified interpersonal skills trainer, and have written/delivered my own training materials more than pre-prepared materials in the past 6-7 years.

I've found that understanding an individual's preferred learning style is absolutely vital to shaping the training that I do with them. The needs of the individual learner must also be addressed within group training - harder to do, but still vital!

I've found it to be so important that I now incorporate various quizzes and learning reflections into the introduction of every training session that I write, as I believe that the subsequent training would be virtually worthless without this.

I find that most people, regardless of age, are totally unaware of different learning styles until we cover it in training. It's fantastic to see their reactions as they discover such a simple tool for shaping their learning growth in the future :)

You are absolutely right to consider starting by identifying students' preferred learning styles, and it's a concept that many more instructors should be introduced to. There's no reason at all why you can't do this with smaller children - in fact they are often more open to new concepts than adults!

You might find a short session using a mix of conversation, pictures and a quick quiz to be suitable bearing in mind the younger age group.

Best of luck and have fun :)

Edited to add: In general, children seem to have a preferred learning style (that can be recognised and identified) from around 4 years old. A preferred learning style may well exist in younger children - it may just be harder to spot! It would be interesting to gain some viewpoints on this from any teachers/childminders etc on here?

[Casey76]

It really depends on what I'm learning...

For things like Math it was kinetic (I don't think that's correct, I can't remember the 4 basic ways of learning :rolleyes: ) and repetition... I had to do some problems over and over before it started to sink in how things were working out.

For thinks like languages it's visual and repetition (infact I even gave up an supplementary advanced French class at Uni because the teaching was based around an aural setting, and if I can't see the lips move I'm not going to learn how to pronounce anything)

For most other things, I find it easier if I have a set of instructions written down, and I benefit from someone showning me how to do something first - after that it's all repetition

I.e. I'm not a visual/imaginative type person. I'm very analytical and logical. So it's really no good someone telling me "imagine how have a piece of string blah blah blah". I'm much better of with "you need to do this... this... and this."

And I've always been like this, for as long as I can remember.

[wanabe]

I didn't know what type of learner I was until around 35! :o I have the feeling most younger people don't even know there ARE learning styles.

[sweuzo]

i'm a more practical and visual learner i found out what i was through college but i'm buggered if i can find the papers now...

[TBEventer2002]

Thank you all for your input, especially you, Est! :) If anyone else has any ideas, it would be greatly appreciated!

[LindaAd]

Thank you all for your input, especially you, Est! :) If anyone else has any ideas, it would be greatly appreciated!

I think quite a lot of people are a mixture ... either different styles for different subjects, or just different styles generally.

I know I am.

Linda

[Wobblydeb]

Hmmmmm I didn't realise there were different styles until fairly recently - late 20s, and identified mine as predominantly visual.

But....... I could learn anything, any which way as a youngster - possibly because most lessons in a classroom are visual in some way (History was perhaps the most difficult I guess). It wasn't until I got into the work place that I struggled to understand some concepts - simply because people were trying to explain difficult concepts verbally to me, that I twigged my learning style.

Interesting thread! :D

[Laurence E. B-B]

I've been teaching riding for over 30 years. It is my experience while both teaching and still being taught, (we are never good enough to go without lessons), that the "art" of teaching is being able to assess each and every student as to their individual needs. The manner in which I instruct student A, will vary from the way I instruct student B. Cutting according to the cloth of the individual. This applies to the horse as well as the rider. Far too many so-called instructors endeavour to teach to an assembly line. It cannot be done.

[topcat]

Hi, I teach secondary school children and we now test them on entry to see what type of learner they are. There are loads of tests you can secretly do to see what sort of learner people are as well. If you want a copy of the test I can send you one if you want, Its really interesting. I definitely visual when riding...need to see that my horse isnt going to turn himself inside out before I get on. :D