I took a class recently on Organizing to specific learning styles. There are three main learning styles: auditory, visual and kinetic.
- Auditory learners prefer to hear or speak messages;
- Visual learners learn by seeing and / or reading; and
- Kinetic learners learn by doing and by moving around.
- The most prevalent styles in the general population are visual and auditory learning styles.
- And we all may have strengths in more than one style.
This is good information for all of us to understand, that different people learn in different ways. As a Professional Organizer and as a parent, I use this knowledge every day because everyone I encounter has different strengths in learning styles. Every day, I need to remember to communicate my messages to them in their learning styles, if I expect them to learn and understand me.
As Mom, as She Who Sets The Schedule, I took a few moments this week to fix some glitches in our morning routine. With each of my sons’ combinations of learning styles in mind, we made some changes.
Visual:
It’s spring. Every morning, my hopeful middle son asks what the temperature is, to decide between winter coats or the preferred Hoodie sweatshirt to wear to school. Every morning he asks, multiple times until he receives a response, regardless of what I may be doing at that moment. So, I am using the large bathroom mirror and a dry erase marker (favorite organizing tool ever!!) to daily publish:
- Today’s Forecast
- Reminders: e.g., Monday is Dress Like a Rock Star Day
- Schedules for School and afterschool: D – Band Today, A – Book Club after school, J – Scouts Tonight!
- Projects: A – don’t forget your book report
Also, I thought we could learn from our favorite hotels – I started laying out all the breakfast stuff on one counter – toaster, bread, bagels, cereal, hard boiled eggs, fruit, bowls / plates / cups. It has been days since anyone has asked me what was for breakfast! They all see their options in front of them, and can choose. My youngest actually asked to take his vitamins the last two days, and everyone has been eating more fruit. Win-win!
Kinetic:
Things have changed for us since the beginning of the school year. All 5 of us now shower in the morning, even the youngest. Now, everyone heads out the door in the morning sans bed-head and smelling sweetly (I have a teen and a pre-teen boy. Nuf said.).
Logistically, this requires that I take on a better habit for all of us (especially if we want hot showers). I get up and get in the shower, at 5:45 am, without thinking about it – just doing it. Kinetic learning.
The older boys have been relegated to shower downstairs, to keep the upstairs bathroom free for the little guy and for all of us to finish getting ready.
Auditory:
I set the kitchen timer for noon the other day, so even though I was not home, the boys would eat lunch at noon and be ready to leave when I got home to pick them up at 1 pm. And it worked! Gotta try that again soon!
Also, my teenager has been verbally objecting to expectations lately (yes, I know, he is a teenager) because I have not told him of upcoming events. He feels I am springing these things on him. So he will be keeping a copy of the family schedule in front of him for a few weeks, and reporting verbally to me and the rest of the family what is on the schedule for the day and the week. He felt he did not have enough information, I have a feeling now he will think he has too much. But too bad!
So, remember that we all learn in different ways. And we can use this information to teach and communicate better with the people in our lives!