HOW WE LEARN
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Lots of research has been done by psychologists and teachers into how children learn and what can help to make learning easier and quicker! We have taken some of these ideas and introduced them to help the children in our school to be better learners. |
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Brain Gym is a programme of physical activity that is done at the start of lessons, or when the children are losing concentration. It helps to switch on the part of our brain that is not usually fully utilised and therefore make us more successful learners. There are listening exercises, moving exercises, relaxing and concentrating exercises, focusing exercises and oxygen to the brain –breathing exercises!
Visit these links and try some Brain Gym for yourself! |
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Research has shown that different people learn best in different ways. Howard Gardner found 7 different types of intelligence and other researchers suggested that learners could be classified as Visual, Auditory or Kinaesthetic learners.
Visual learners learn best by watching, reading and writing.
Auditory learners learn best by listening and discussing.
Kinaesthetic learners learn best by doing, acting and trying things for themselves.
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KEY TIPS |
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Make learning fun. Positive attitudes and motivation are important keys to success. |
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Relieve stress and anxiety. |
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Making tasks harder and harder does not accelerate learning. Depth and breadth of understanding, application, logic, reasoning and problem-solving are all significant to higher order learning skills. |
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Spot the small successes and praise your child. |
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Take an interest and have regular ‘special’ time together. |
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Talk and encourage conversation. Develop vocabulary. |
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Help your child with ‘time management’ and organisation. |
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Look at books which come home/homework tasks and share in the learning. |
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Advise and offer guidance, check work and indicate ways to improve the work. Be the ‘critical friend’. The children are briefed on homework tasks – they should know what to do. |
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Use informal tasks/opportunities to practise skills: * mental calculations at McDonalds * writing out a shopping list * writing letters or e.mails * designing computer generated greetings cards/party invitations * comparing shape/size/weight of packages at the supermarket * science in the kitchen
* science or maths related to the bicycle and travel when on a day out * geography and history related to family holidays * general knowledge developed from factual TV programmes. |
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Do crosswords and Sudoku and other puzzles. |
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Learn through play – develop storytelling, imagination, problem solving, explanations and logic and reasoning, independence. Encourage your child to pose questions as well as give answers. |
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Useful book Help your Child to Succeed, the Essential Guide for Parents Bill Lucas and Alistair Smith: Network Educational Press Ltd. Tel: 01785 225 515 |