It’s common to hear: “I’m a visual learner.” or “My child learns by doing.” These statements reflect a deep need — the desire to understand how we learn, and how our children can flourish. But what if the more important question isn’t which style, but how to learn effectively across contexts?
What are “Learning Styles”?
Traditional models suggest that individuals prefer specific sensory modalities — for example:
- Visual: learning best through images, diagrams, space
- Auditory: through listening, discussion, rhythm
- Kinesthetic: through touch, movement, hands-on experience
- Reading/Writing: through text, lists, reflection
In educational settings, many tools promise to identify a child’s style so instruction can match it. But research challenges the notion that teaching to a claimed “style” improves learning outcomes. For example: a detailed review found that the effect size for matching instruction to learning style is negligible, and in many cases evidence is insufficient. The American Psychological Association warned that belief in learning styles may even be detrimental— narrowing how learners see themselves and limiting strategies.
Why the Myth Persists
There are a few reasons the learning styles belief remains strong:
- It offers comfort: the idea that if we just knew the right style, we’d learn effortlessly.
- It appeals to identity: “I am a hands-on person / visual thinker.”
- It simplifies: it gives a neat label in a messy world of learning.
Researchers suggest that while these intuitions make sense, the science does not support rigid categorisation.
What the Research Suggests Instead
Rather than focusing on matching instruction to a fixed “style,” evidence points to more useful strategies:
- Use multiple modes (seeing + doing + discussing) to reinforce learning.
- Help children build meta-skills: how to learn, how to reflect, how to adapt.
- Encourage task-appropriate methods: some content is best learned by doing (e.g., experiments), some by reading, some by discussion.
As one review explains: “Teaching flexible learning strategies that align with the nature of the task and the learner’s context is more promising than relying on learning-style matching.”
How Families Can Apply This at Home
Here are practical take-aways for parents and carers:
- Try a mix: For a concept you’re helping your child learn, combine a diagram (visual), a chat (auditory), and a small exercise (kinesthetic).
- Ask your child: How did you understand that best — by seeing, doing or talking it through? Use that as feedback, not as a fixed label.
- Help them build reflection: After a lesson, encourage the question: What helped me learn this?
- Remind them: Every learner is multi-modal. Your child’s strengths may vary depending on subject, task or mood.
- Focus on learning how to learn, not just how you learn.
Final Thought
Learning isn’t one-size-fits-all — but it’s more fit-for-purpose than style-for-you.
By moving away from the idea that you have to find the one true learning style, and instead embracing a richer set of strategies and reflections, you empower children to adapt, thrive and flourish in changing contexts.
In short: Discernment is the new literacy.
