Dr. Mike Smith (Host): This is Children's Mercy, the Parent-ish podcast. I'm Dr. Mike. And with me are Dana Acree and Shawna Mazeitis, hospital-based school teachers with the Children's Mercy Hospital School Program. Today, we're talking about helping kids with learning styles, what those styles really mean, how to spot your child's strengths, and how to support them at home and at school. Dana and Shawna, welcome to the show today.

Shawna Mazeitis: Great to be here.

Dana Acree: Thank you.

Host: I'm going to start with you, Dana. I think most parents understand that, you know, some kids learn better by just being hands-on, others are more visual. But what should parents really know about learning styles, and are there any misconceptions you want to share?

Dana Acree: I think the parents should just realize that they are the ones that know their child best. So, simple, just everyday observations about how they are processing the things around them that kind of helps with determining, like, the best way that they learn. So, that is important.

But then, also just like knowing that they can have more than one learning style. So, they might be someone who learns better through art, but they also could be someone who is like an auditory learner. So, not just putting them into one box, but knowing that there are different modalities, and this could evolve from the time they're very young until they're even adults.

Host: Well, Dana, sticking with you, since you brought this up, you know, even though a child can have multiple learning styles, right? But do you find, especially in the younger kids, that one is more dominant?

Dana Acree: I think most kids, just because of the nature and the structure of school, I think most are probably auditory learners. When you think of like what school looks and sounds like, they're sitting in a, you know, a class all day and they've kind of been conditioned to that from a very young age just to listen and to be alert, that kind of thing.

So, I think that needs to be present in most kids. But then, how they are taking it to the next step might be the other modality of learning that you find emerges. But I think definitely being an auditory learner is something that, you know, has to happen pretty early on for them to gain the other areas.

Host: Well, what about in the classroom, Dana, you know, with like hands-on learners? Do you find that that's something that's growing because of devices and using computers more early?

Dana Acree: I think hands-on learning, I would not consider like a device necessarily hands-on learning. When I think of hands-on learning, I think of more of like using manipulatives like base 10 blocks or a protractor or things that help kids understand what they're learning a little better.

So, that definitely has to be present too. But I think for sure the auditory coupled with the other ways of learning, be it hands-on or whatever it might be, that is important to incorporate that as well.

Host: Shawna, what are some signs that can help parents better understand how their child learns best without, you know, maybe putting them into a box or a label?

Shawna Mazeitis: Yes. So, there are a few things actually, and it's just observation and nothing super clinical, which is one thing I really wanted to make sure when we're talking to parents, they don't need to have a teacher hat on or a doctor hat for that matter. They're the experts of their children. They know their children.

And watching how they listen. Do they listen well? Do they need more reminders? What do they gravitate towards in activities? Do they like to draw? Are they more active and social? Do they prefer solitary play? Do they prefer solitary time? There are many different ways that you can kind of know your child, and those things kind of develop into styles.

There are many different activities you can do at home just to kind of see. And it just starts with playing in the very beginning and going through talking about following directions from, how to put on your shoes, how to put on your pants, how to eat, all of those things. You're constantly learning and gaining information by watching them grow and learning how they learn.

Host: Yeah, I like the way you put that. Well, first of all, growing up, I was a definite need more reminder kid, no doubt about that. I remember my mom having to repeat herself all the time. But I liked what you just said there, because I think sometimes when parents, you know, think about learning styles of their kids, it's almost like they can watch them play a few times and they should kind of know, when really we're talking about something progressive over time. So, many play periods, playtime alone, playtime with kids, all of that you can learn from.



Dana Acree: The other things I was going to add is that sometimes it's even asking the kid. Because as parents and teachers, we give a lot of directions, we have a lot of expectations, but kids actually know how they learn better. Even as a little person, they can say, "Can I just draw it? Do I have to write it?" Or, you know, they definitely are able to advocate for themselves at a pretty young age. And so, I think making sure that you're listening to what your kids are saying, and that will help with success in learning in every setting.

Shawna Mazeitis: Yeah. And if I can add onto that, I think Dana and I have talked about that a few times, what we're seeing now in the classroom, especially post-COVID, which might also be difficult for parents because we all learn differently than our kids are learning today. And so, that does play a significant role in trying to assist them, trying to figure out how to help them in the best way.

I think using their understanding just simple discussion about things like, "Tell me what do you think about this book? What happened in this book?" before you start writing it down, before you start typing an answer in on the computer. Or maybe if they're doing some math that, you know, as a parent you're trying to help them figure out, "Wow, I'm not familiar with this method. Can you tell me more about what you're doing and why you're doing it?" Lending that voice to what they're doing sure does help in their understanding, but then also helps us figure out how they're learning best and to understand how they're learning and how they're getting to the final product.

Host: Right. So, it's almost like, "Hey, you know, have that conversation with them and hear what they have to say, and that's going to add to how you understand how the child learns. When I say that, it sounds obvious, but I also know that myself, most other parents, we often don't do that though. We talk to them. And it sounds simple. But what you just said, Shawna, I think is important for parents maybe to slow down and listen to what the child has to say.

So since you brought up math, you brought up reading and stuff like that, I wanted to talk about that for a moment. Because if you have a child maybe that's struggling with a subject like math or maybe reading, what advice do you have for parents? And I'll go with you, Dana, first. What advice do you have for parents that can help them support their child at home when they're doing their homework?

Dana Acree: I think that figuring out what works best for them. So if we're thinking of like a younger child that is maybe doing something that you could break down, like with blocks or I'm thinking like of money, when kids are learning to count money, whenever you can break it down and then apply it to a context other than a math book or a worksheet, I think that is showing them that there are different reasons why you're learning this. There are different ways that money can be used in this context. So, really just looking at what they're working on and can you break it down a little bit.

For the older kids, obviously a conversation is probably more in line with a way that you can help them. But so much of what we do in teaching is a building block to other things. So, it's just getting to like the root of, okay, so if they're multiplying two-digit numbers and they don't know what it looks like to get the product when they're just doing single-digit multiplication, then, you know, we're going to have to backtrack a little bit. So, breaking things down when they're becoming frustrated I think is a big thing. And then, just being able to apply what they're struggling with in a different context so they see it not just on the paper.

Host: Shawna, what do you say to a parent who worries that their child maybe is behind? Because they don't seem to learn maybe in the same way as a sibling or a classmate. I think that's often how parents approach this, right? Like, "My child's behind because the neighbor's child is doing something better," or "When his sister was that age, she was already doing this," right? And so, how do you approach that?

Shawna Mazeitis: I would certainly talk about the fact that every child is very different. They have their own learning styles, their own way of processing information and not to really worry about what other kids are doing necessarily. I do think it's important for parents and teachers to collaborate and to think about their relationship as a partnership.

And if I was a teacher asking a parent and expressing concern about maybe their child was behind in the assignments or not understanding something, I would want to really try and hone in on what they are seeing at home. If they're seeing some kind of difficulty somewhere if the child is going home and talking about things and maybe is not understanding things in school or maybe having a problem of some kind, I would certainly seek to collaborate and maybe just have some specific examples for them like maybe they didn't do well on a reading test. Maybe they're behind in assignments. They're like two or three assignments behind everybody else. And maybe what's contributing to that and how you could work together to figure out how to get them back on track.

Host: What do you guys think about this? The word behind, I think, is not always the best word in the world. Because it can mean many different things, and maybe your child seems behind simply because maybe they are more of a visual learner and they're not getting enough of that or something. it's a word that I think has a lot of stigma to it

Shawna Mazeitis: I agree. And I think the other part of that is, behind, like you said, it can present in so many different ways. So, identifying what that is, I would certainly not talk to a parent until I knew exactly. Like, calling and saying, "You know what? Your child is behind." If I'm going to, you know, take the time to call, be very specific about what the problem is or what concern we have.

And then, also, just in terms of like learning styles, really encouraging the parent as well as what we do in the classroom to use all the styles. Maybe there is a combination of ways that we can help kids move past the things that are impeding their progress. Sometimes it's not just my child just learns best by kinesthetic means or just is primarily an auditory learner. Maybe it's a combination of those things. Like if you have a chart at home where you have chores that you're doing, you know, maybe some kids do better with pictures of what they're supposed to be doing, or sometimes they do better if they can be the ones to check off the chores as they're finished. But working together with a combination of styles and a combination of parents working with teachers, success is easier that way.

Host: Dana, I want to shift gears for a moment here and ask you, what are some simple everyday activities parents can use to help visual, auditory, hands-on learners build new skills and confidence?

Dana Acree: I feel like every parent asks their kid, "How was, you know, school today?" and expect an answer usually by talking. Like, switch it up. Act out three things you did today. Just giving them a different way to share, because they're pretty much always going to say, "Okay," or, "Terrible," or, you know, whatever. They're going to be likely very short with you. So, you know, having them maybe show you in a different way.

Again, making things that happen, that they're learning about in school, also kind of like the context of home. So, like, you know, at school they have many procedures and rules they must follow, and they might have a visual in front of them that tells them their daily schedule. So, like, incorporate that at home too, so that they know that at 4:30, "Okay, it's actually time I need to start getting out my homework." So, just little things like that. Cooking. When, you know, you're cooking at home, ask them to help you and point out things like a measuring cup, and "Have you guys learned about, you know, using measuring cups to cook? So, just anytime you can take the context of learning from, say, the school to your home context, I think is a really good way to kind of piggyback on what's been happening at school.

Host: Shawna, I want to move now to you about technology. Screen time, we have to deal with this now, right? So, how does technology and screen time affect a child's maybe learning style? And can that device be used in a positive way to build learning skills versus a distraction?

Shawna Mazeitis: Well, I'm going to give a plug to Children's Mercy, of course. If any parents need some really good data about technology and screen time and limits, go to our website. There are some really good resources, because I think some parents don't really realize how much screen time their kids are getting, whether it's like a five-year-old in a shopping cart at Walmart on their phone or on the parent's phone. I think screen time has, in the past, been just associated with you're on your computer or you're watching TV, but it's happening everywhere all the time. And so, there's burnout. There's burnout in a way that we could manage better. I'll say that first.

Second, I would say technology itself you know, post-COVID, we had an influx and it was very reasonable at the time to try and get as many programs and apps and learning through the computer out to students that didn't have any other way to learn. And so, what we're seeing now is those programs, they're improving. They needed some improvement. And using the computer for learning is certainly a great tool, but it can't be the only tool, especially with the rise in kids using online school as their primary school. We're seeing that a lot. I'm seeing that a lot at the hospital. Patients from different school districts all over the area are opting into online school. The difference there is obvious. You know, you're not having a one-on-one. You're not having person-to-person contact and missing out on that socializing aspect of learning, But two, there is a difference in the way that learning in the classroom and learning on the computer. There are obvious differences. And there has to be a good balance between using the computer as a tool, and not so much the only way, the only modality for learning.

I also think that school districts are doing a much better job now of making sure that all the learning styles are kind of included in the ways that we're teaching. For example, if you have math, I think about the way that we used to learn math is paper, pencil. Sometimes you had some manipulatives, but not all the time. Now, they're using manipulatives. They're talking about what they're learning. They're drawing pictures about what they're learning. They're making projects or they're using real-life applications like, you know, Dana said menu math, where we're using money or trying to have some kind of concrete plan to help kids use all modalities, all styles. And the computer is just one of those ways.

Host: Shawna, you said it perfectly when you said it's a tool, but it can't be the only tool. And there are different learning styles. We want to support those different learning styles. A classroom should have a bunch of that stuff going on, and a device can be a part of that. But not the only thing. Dana, as children grow and change, I would assume learning preferences change, too, right? And if that's the case, how can parents help support those evolving skills, those evolving needs?

Dana Acree: I think just being aware. As they go through school, you're going to notice classes that they enjoy more, things that pique their interest, and then building off of that. So, like, if you find that your child didn't really like to read, but now they really like to read, showing them the different ways they can do that. For example, like an audiobook or it's not just straight reading or listening to podcasts. So, finding ways that maybe what wasn't their favorite thing to learn about or their favorite way to learn, that's okay because now that they've matured and they know what they can handle and they know what their learning style is as they have gotten older, offering those kinds of things to them.

Like, I didn't really ever love to read for entertainment until I got a little older. And so, I think we can expect that of kids too. They might have started off not really loving something, but the more exposure they have, the more they learn about themselves in each subject, they can sort of switch their learning style to fit that. And I think parents just providing them with suggestions of those opportunities.

Host: Dana and Shawna, this has been fantastic. I love what you've covered here. Great information, great advice. I just want to ask, do you have any last words for the listening audience? Dana, do you want to start?

Dana Acree: Yes. I think just be a collaborator with your child's teacher and the education institution that your child attends. Just be a partner with them. There's so much going on in education these days, and it has changed so much from the time that we all went to school. You know, embrace that change and just be a partner with them. I think the best outcome can come from being a partnership with the school.

Shawna Mazeitis: Yeah, I would say definitely I echo that. And also, the parent is the expert. They know their child the best and you don't have to be a teacher to understand how they learn the best what works for them and just realize that their advocacy is key to that collaboration with the teachers. Teachers want to know as much as they can about kids to make sure that they are providing everything they can. And just remember that, you know, you're the expert. It's your child, you're the expert, you know.

Host: That's fantastic. You guys did an awesome job today. Great information, as I said. Thank you so much for coming on.

For more parenting tips and tricks, you can visit us at parentish.org, where we help you celebrate the craziness and challenges of parenthood. If you enjoyed this podcast, please share it and check out the entire podcast library of topics of interest to you. This is Children's Mercy, the Parent-sh Podcast. I'm Dr. Mike. Thanks for listening.