Helping your teenager learn

Your teenager may need support with planning so that they can do their homework and assignments on time. They will also need a space in which to work at home. Developing good time management skills is useful for meeting coursework deadlines in Years 10 and 11, making applications for further education, training and work after Year 11, and later on in higher education and the workplace.

However, planning is only one part of the learning process. Have you ever wondered why your teenager wants to listen to music, say things out loud or get up and move about when they are learning? It could be all to do with their learning style.

We use our different senses - hearing, seeing and touching - to help us learn things. Some of us prefer to use one sense more than the others. This leads to the different ways in which we like to learn - our learning style.

Do you know your teenager's learning style?

This can help you understand how they like to carry out tasks and do their homework or revision, so that you can support them. Here are some clues:

Learners who like to visualise things...

take numerous detailed notes and often close their eyes to remember something
find something to watch if they are bored
like illustrations and presentations that use colour.

Learners who like to listen...

tend to listen well but don't always pay attention to what is happening in front of them
hum or talk to themselves or others when bored
learn by reading aloud or talking about lessons.

Learners who like action or touch...

learn best through hands-on activities, such as cooking, engineering or art
need to be active, take breaks and find reasons to tinker with something or move when bored
remember what was done, but have difficulty recalling what was said or seen.

If you know your teenager's learning style, you can help them to:

improve how they learn in the classroom, carry out tasks or do revision
identify situations where they find learning difficult, work out whether this is because it is not geared to their learning style and ask their teacher for help
be smart learners by giving them hints and tips for studying.

Helping your teenager to learn

If they like to visualise things, they should...

use visual materials when they study, such as pictures, charts, maps, graphs, etc
have a clear view of their teachers in order to see their facial expressions
use colour to highlight important points
take notes or use handouts and visualise information as a picture
illustrate their ideas as pictures before writing them down
study in a quiet place away from noise.

If they like to listen, they should...

join in class discussion and debates
use a tape recorder instead of taking notes
read text out aloud
create musical jingles to help them remember things
discuss their ideas
dictate to someone who writes down their thoughts.

If they like action or touch, they should...

take frequent study breaks and move around to learn new things
work in a standing position
use bright colours to highlight reading material
listen to music while they study
skim through reading material to get a rough idea of what it is about before settling down to read it in detail.

It's your choice

It's your choice is a guide for your teenager that will help them to make informed decisions about routes and options post-16. Your teenager's school should provide them with a copy.

Alternatively, you can download a copy or look at an interactive version at www.connexions-direct.com/
itsyourchoice.