Learning styles

The School Support information sheets generated by SNAP-SpLD suggest how individual learning styles can interact with different SpLD areas, and point up the practical implications in the classroom.

It is widely accepted that every individual has a particular preference for learning in a certain manner. Many learners are nevertheless quite flexible and adaptable and can usually accommodate to different types of learning environments and teaching styles. Children with a specific difficulty, however, may find it more difficult to adapt. For that reason, it is important to give some consideration to learning styles when developing resources and planning teaching and curricular objectives.

It is helpful to consider five dimensions which can provide some practical guidance on the different facets of learning that might impact on an individual’s style:

Classroom environment

This relates to the pupil's learning environment, which could be the classroom and/or the home. Factors within the learning environment can make a difference to the outcome of learning, and it is important that the pupil feels comfortable within the environment. Factors that can influence the learning environment include light, design and sound.

Cognitive style

This refers to the processes involved in learning and, for example, in how pupils remember information, plan and solve problems. These processes usually involve a combination of visual, auditory, kinesthetic (experience) and tactile (touch) learning. Some pupils may have a marked preference for one of those modalities, but often pupils will have more then one preferred learning modality.

Metacognitive style

This relates to self-awareness and how knowledgeable pupils are of the processes necessary for effective learning, and how previous learning can be used to help with new learning. It therefore refers to how to tackle a task, as well as the responses to the actual task. This is important because some pupils with specific learning difficulties are unsure of how to set about tackling some kinds of tasks and need a structure and guidance to help get them started.

Emotional style

This refers to how independent the pupil is in his or her learning. Some pupils may need considerable support because they have a low self-esteem and emotionally are not confident enough to tackle some tasks – even tasks they can actually do. For some pupils, certain types of tasks can be emotionally more demanding than others. For example, children with dyslexia may find spelling emotionally draining, while drawing or discussion can give them emotional strength.

Social style

This refers to pupils’ preferences for working with others, such as in group work, as opposed to working on their own. Some pupils need to interact with others in order to be motivated to learn and to understand the task. Others prefer to work independently and do not need to rely on discussion and interaction with others. One of the key considerations is the composition of groups, and it is important that class groupings, or sub-groupings, are conducive to the learner’s style. For that reason it is important to have some indication of the individual learner’s preferences.