I’m always amazed when I read aloud to my daughter – she’s so busy with other tasks that I don’t think she could possibly be listening. But when I ask, she can tell me exactly what’s happening!
It’s always surprising to me that she can listen despite her wiggly nature.
Do you have a child like that?
They can be wiggly and talkative but, surprisingly, they can tell us exactly what we just read – that is auditory learning at it’s finest! Teaching a child like this doesn’t have to be hard – not with these simple tips for teaching auditory learners.
What Is An Auditory Learner?
Basically, auditory learners learn best through listening. They are the kids that need to ‘talk it out’ or whisper instructions to themselves. The acts of hearing and speaking are an integral part of understanding information.
How can you tell if your child is an auditory learner?
- Do they prefer listening to books instead of reading them silently?
- Do they read instructions and directions aloud to themselves?
- Can they tell you all about your latest read aloud even when they seem preoccupied while listening?
Chances are, your child is an auditory learner.
How To Teach An Auditory Learner
Teaching auditory learners is not a difficult thing – it’s actually pretty easy! Like all children, you just need to present material in a way that helps them learn.
For kids that learn best by listening, use techniques that allow lots of time to listen and talk (and often time to let them wiggle and move) and you’re well on your way to creating a program that works.
Read-Alouds
Reading aloud is a huge deal for auditory kids. They can be making a huge mess and intent on their play but believe me, they are listening!
During a daily read aloud time you can fit in so many good things – great literature, beautiful poetry, perhaps even some Shakespeare. And don’t forget about content subjects like history and science – there are plenty of books that are perfect for reading aloud.
Lecture-Based Programs
Instead of using a textbook-based program, auditory learners will retain information much more quickly with curricula focused on interaction, discussion and reading aloud.
If you’re a busy mom, look for DVD or computer-based programs (not necessarily for everything, but one or two subjects can be helpful) that have discussions and teacher lectures – you don’t have to teach the lessons but your child still benefits from the audible lessons.
Use Narrations & Oral Reports For Writing
Letting kids narrate to you – telling you all about the current read aloud or what they learned in their DVD based math lesson – is a great way for them to share their thoughts. Speaking also helps them cement the information in their memory and it’s also an important first step in writing.
If you’re very busy, teach them to record their own narrations and use them to ‘dictate’ to themselves as they write. Auditory learners learn by speaking too – after all, they are listening to themselves talk!
The same can work for essays and reports as well. Make time for your auditory learners to present oral reports – something they will likely excel at.
Play Quiet Background Music
Some people believe that kids who are audible learners will work better with some background noise or music. Of course, this will vary with each child but I know it’s true for my own daughter.
Allowing her to play some music while she does her written work helps her stay on task. Don’t ask me why it works, but it does!
Add Some Memorization & Recitation
I know recitation and memory work may seem dull (it can be!) but it’s actually the perfect tool for auditory learners. As they recite, they easily memorize the information.
Use a daily recitation time for all your subjects – history lists, science facts, poetry, Bible verses, math facts, Latin conjugations & declensions (we’ve even memorized a long list of prepositions just by reciting them daily).
If you’re not quite sure how to schedule a daily recitation time, here’s how we plan our recitation and memorization.
Bonus tip: To make recitation even more memorable, set the information to a tune or jingle and sing it. You’ll learn your facts in no time at all!
Use Audio Books & Dramatized History Stories
I can only read aloud so much before my voice wears out so I’m so glad we have such great resources for audible listening! Between books on CD, iPods, and downloadable audio books, I can save my vocal cords and still enjoy some great entertainment.
We LOVE using audio books and dramatized history stories – they are the perfect thing for auditory learners (and for my vocal cords!).
One of our new favorites are the history dramatizations from Heirloom Audio Productions featuring the adventure stories of G. A. Henty. These fabulous CDs make it so easy to add in more fun learning. You can use them in many different ways:
- Add them to your history program
- Listen at home – great for a bedtime read-aloud for the whole family
- Listen in the car – perfect for driving kids to appointments & errands
- Create a complete history unit around one of these fabulous stories
The audio dramatizations from Heirloom Audio Productions are the perfect starting place for creating your own unit study. They’ve even included a study guide for each set!
You’ll find comprehension questions, discussion ideas, and vocabulary words for each track. There are Bible study ideas and, if you download a copy of the complete study guides, you’ll find even more historical information, book ideas, and lots of teaching ideas.
Add some great books about the historical time period, use the included study guide, add a writing assignment or two (the discussion questions would be perfect for that!) and ideas for oral presentations and reports – you’ll have the perfect history program.
Heirloom Audio Productions is THE place to get quality entertainment the whole family will enjoy. Their passion for bringing G.A. Henty’s historical novels to life is evident in every detail – right down to the CD cases!
They provide rich, full-cast dramatizations of these beloved stories that will have your kids (and you!) learning all about significant people and events in history.
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