Supporting Learning for Children and Adolescents

Supporting Learning for Children & Adolescents
Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes
Executive Director AllCEUs Counselor Education

Buy CEUs at: https://www.allceus.com/member/cart/index/product/id/1311/c/

Objectives
– Understand different learning styles and temperaments, how they impact learning, self esteem and mood
– Identify tools to most effectively support each student’s ability to learn
Why
– School failure is a major contributor to low self esteem, depression, anxiety and substance abuse
– Academic failure alone for males was associated with higher suicide risk
– Strong correlations (~50%) exist between school failure and development of mental health issues
– Depression, anxiety, and grief each independently predicted learning failures
– Students learn differently and have different needs related to educational environments.
– Learning style
– Temperament
Temperament
Extrovert
– Are expansive; less passionate
– Like meeting new people
– Would rather figure things out while they are talking
– Enjoy background noise
– Know what is going on around them rather than inside them
– Do not mind interruptions
– Considered good talkers

Introvert
– Are intense and passionate
– Exert effort to meet new people
– Figure things out before they talk
– Prefer peace and quiet
– Are more likely to know what is going on inside them
– Dislike being interrupted
– Considered good listeners

Temperament
Sensing
– Prefer facts and live in the real world
– Would rather do than think
– Focus on practical, concrete problems
– See the details and may ignore the big picture
– May think that those preferring intuition are impractical
– Believe “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it”
– Focus on the present
iNtuitive
– Prefer abstraction, inspiration, insights
– Would rather think than do
– Focus on complicated abstract problems
– See the big picture but miss the details
– May think that those preferring the practical lack vision
– Believe anything can be improved
– Focus on the future and possibilities

Temperament
Thinking
– Respond most easily to people’s thoughts
– Want to apply objective principles
– Value objectivity above sentiment
– Can assess logical consequences
– Believe it is more important to be just
– May think that those who are sentimental take things too personally
– May argue both sides of an issue for mental stimulation

Feeling
– Respond most easily to people’s values
– Want to apply values and ethics from multiple perspectives
– Value sentiment above objectivity
– Good at assessing the human impact
– Believe it is more important to be caring/merciful
– Think that those preferring objectivity are insensitive
– Prefer a to agree with those around them

Temperament
Judging
– Plan ahead
– Self disciplined and purposeful
– Thrive on order
– Get things done early. Plan ahead & work steadily.
– Define and work within limits
– Maybe hasty in making decisions
– Time and deadline oriented
– Thinks those preferring spontaneity are too unpredictable
– Excellent planners. May not appreciate or make use of things which are not planned or expected
Perceiving
– Adapt as they go
– Flexible and tolerant
– Thrive on spontaneity
– Get things done at the last minute depending on spurt of energy
– Want more information
– May fail to make decisions
– Always think there’s plenty of time
– Think that those who are not spontaneous are too rigid
– Good at handling unplanned events, but may not make affective choices among the possibilities.

Learning Styles
Visual
– Learn best by reading
– Benefit from graphs, charts, timelines illustrations and highlighting
– Flashcards
– Worksheets
Kinesthetic
– Learn best by doing
– Walk them through it step by step
– Experiments
– Literature: Plays, acting
– Create quizzes/games
– Teach it to the class

Learning Styles
– Active
– Learn as they go. More common in extroverts
– Reflective
– Take in the information for “aha” moments

Summary
– Academic success
– Impacts student’s self-esteem by providing frequent small successes
– Empowers them and reduces depression and hopelessness and helplessness by teaching them how to solve problems and opens up a world of possibilities
– Reduces anxiety by helping them develop an “I can” mantra and learn how to embrace failure as a learning opportunity
– Each child has their own unique learning needs based on their learning style and temperament.
– Once children know how they learn best they can be empowered to modify lessons and study habits to accommodate their unique needs.