To think that schools should be more accomodating to visual spacial learners

[kissmyassdotcom]

Both Ds 9 and Dd 5 are VSL. No matter how much their school make them copy out the same bloody spellings over and over, they still don't seem to get that it doesn't work for them.....and never will. They constantly point out how they "know what they are capable of by the way they speak" but continue to expect them to do the impossible by teaching them in ways that will never help them reach their potential.

They expect them to sit still, listen and learn with the occasional drawing on the whiteboard. I have now come to the conclusion that my DC will NEVER learn ANYTHING in a school environment which involves more of the learning styles which have absolutely no impact on them what-so-ever other than completely killing their self esteem and motivation to do well.

After 4 years of hunting (and many failed attempts with other strategies) I have finally found a way to teach both of my DC to spell and they only had to write the word once and why? because I have used their preferred learning style rather than expecting them to fit in the one size fits all category. So far this same technique has also helped my DS to learn some of his multiplication facts too, after he has spent the past 2 years trying to learn them!

AIBU to expect schools in this day and age to recognise the stronger VSL and supply them with an alternative curriculum to help them to succeed???

I think certain concepts lend themselves better to certain ways of teaching.

Doing stuff - you learn so much practical stuff by doing.

Some science is great if taught through concepts of dance and drama. I know a teacher who teaches bonds and reactions through dance. I am sure he probably does other techniques as well - but it makes it accessible.

Drama - powerful for history.

etc etc.

Maths - some people love visual ways of seeing things and love diagrams. Some prefer physical objects, some can do it abstractilly with numbers.

Our plan had to clearly state how VAK was being utilised

Oh yes.

Brain gym anyone?

My DS1 is what used to be called a tiny bit thick. OK. That's fine. He has many great qualities which my brother, who has an Oxford degree and DPhil doesn't.

It pisses me off when people value the academics above all else, as my oldest son is articulate, opinionated and marvellous. But yes. A bit thick when it comes to school stuff, and I don't need to "excuse" it because of a "learning style".

Iam hear! hear! people are too quick to judge. Thank you, for taking the time to 'see' what I was saying

sovery Dd 5 - 24 in class, 1 CT, 1 TA and another TA who takes alternate smaller groups of Dc off each day to give them additional support with literacy. As far as I am aware 3 Dc with SEN (there may be more), 1 of which is my DD.

DS 9 - 35 in the class, 1 CT, 2 TA, 1 more TA who takes alternate smaller groups off to give them additional support with literacy. To my knowledge 5 Dc with SEN (there may be more), 1 of which is my DS.

Will have to pass on the timings but I'm guessing anything from 30-45 mins/lesson.

Dd2 is now at university, having struggled all through school with traditional methods. She uses massive detailed mind maps in lots of colours and some memory techniques taught to her by a forensic mind reader - of all things. So, word association, images,linking facts by stories etc. In an essay on the housing Act the key point was that landlords had to be flexible and deliver x, y, z. Her mind map had little stick men doing yoga stretches in front of "for rent" signs.....flexible landlords lol

I'm serious, to anyone who thinks this is all bollocks, please come and spend 3 days - full school days - and see if you could cope with him... Never mind 29 other kids!

I don't believe for a second my son would have learned to read and write in school.

But, he quite possibly would have hindered 29 other kids.

I believe, without support, he can't access school. I believe I am doing the right thing for him and the rest of his class!

Talk for writing is a big thing now.

You essentially draw out the story as as series of pictures with arrows, words etc. It could be an event or a recount.

The children "read" the story from the pictures, retell it and act it out.

Problem is - it involves drawing pictures

Mind maps are great - a fantastic way of linking concepts.

OP, my dd was a reluctant learner and struggled with times tables and spellings.

We found several ways to help her, but this was during H.ed not school.
We utilised her strengths in other subjects, so music was the times tables. she made up rhythms and melodies, used rote, etc. Mostly auditory.

Spellings- she used her love of art and did bubble words, rainbow letters.
So for e.g she learned the word "people" by using a different colour for each letter.
I'm not sure if this will help but i had a resource with lots of different ways of learning spellings. I will see if I can find it and pm to you.

My DS1 won't go to University, because that would be ridiculous, as it was for most people 30 years ago. I have every confidence that he'll go on to have a good career and fulfilling life though, because he's adequately intelligent and above all else, a nice and charming person. (Even if it's going to take some work and time to get those Cs in Maths, English and Science).

I agree with you op. Not everyone does learn the same way. Fortunately after several years of fighting this one with the school, they have finally realised my dc are not thick, but need to learn spellings in a different style to the majority of their class. Its made a huge huge difference in just a few months.

iam

Are you only using one learning style with your DS?

Or is it the fact he has more attention so things can be more tailored towards his needs that is helping?

I think your ITT provider might have been behind the times, morethan. It was being discredited by about 2004/2005. Having said that. I know someone who was training to teach adults a couple of years ago who had it heavily pushed on her course. TT institutes tend to take a while to catch up.

The reason your children didn't learn using LOok, copy, cover, write check or flashcards isn't because they are visual learners, it's because those methods aren't very good at teaching spelling full stop. What it sounds like you are doing is some sort of unorthodox analytic phonics.

The fact that your visual learners didn't learn to spell using visual spelling techniques should probably have clued you in to the whole VAK is bollocks idea.

It is just twaddle- teaching to preferred learning styles. It was misinterpreted at the time and is discredited now. The point is we all need to be flexible, adaptable learners. Yes, we learn most easily in some ways but the world won't adapt to us, we have to learn to adapt. Children learn more trying new styles. We learn from persevering with things we can't do, not doing things we can. Your daughter's 10/10 is a case in point. We have to adapt how we learn to the subject in hand and find what suits us, not expect everyone to adapt things for us. That is why the most resilient learners are the ones who do best ultimately. They don't give up.

By the way, my "thick" child spells beautifully. He can remember places he's been to years ago on first revisit/recount too. But he's not one of life's academics.

orlando... Both.

Certainly, the 1-2-1 is required, but he learns differently to my daughter (she is in school) he has to experience things,

There are so many examples I could use... But dos doesn't 'read' in a conventional sense. He sees the word, not the letters.

Numbers are different again. He understands concepts such as algebra without even understanding how he gets it.

He's not your average child.

Like, he could look at a ceiling full of lights and tell me how many triangles there were... He doesn't know how he does it any more than I do.

But I know he would be classed as slow and thick at school and I'm not prepared to let that happen.

We have to adapt how we learn to the subject in hand and find what suits us, not expect everyone to adapt things for us.

I think a child would struggle to find their own learning style without some support from their teachers to discover what learning styles are out there. Which is probably why I didn't do well at school, but after returning to education as at adult, was lucky enough to find teachers who showed me different ways of learning. I've done pretty well now, thanks to them. It would have been amazing if I had got that support at school.

I remember going to bed with a book under the pillow hoping it would absorb into my brain

Not a recommended learning technique.

I think learning techniques is a useful concept. How to learn ideas and concepts especially for exams.

Rafa

I believe it was because the college had a high percentage of students coming in at entry or level one where the system had failed them greatly.
Many, including me, their teacher hadn't got so much as a GCSE in Maths or English.
I think they/we were expected to try anything.

I took this approach when our own dd came out of school before y4, the reasons I must say not linked to the subject of learning at all.
We were very happy with her school and teachers

It is a shame though that the exam system is currently set up for children who can remember well and write quickly and neatly.

It's a bit crap for children who do understand but struggle with the actual writing / remembering everything though.

Yes, it is... But you don't have to put up with it.

Works for my dd, so she's in school.

Doesn't work for my ds, so he isn't.

But the reality of the situation is, even at an early age, learning styles etc are very evident.

Completely agree orlando. My dc understand, but getting it on paper is a problem.

Are you all genuinely suggesting that all people can achieve the same (top) grades if given the right "style"? Why the fuck has my brother got a degree from Oxford and then another post grad one then when we were both taught in individual styles partly by my parents? Maybe, possibly, because he's a tiny bit cleverer than me...