Teach students based on particular learning style

As a retired teacher there is one thing that I would add to Ellie L.’s fine letter on standardized testing. People mainly learn in two ways: by reading or by listening. Each would generally have difficulty learning by the other method. A couple of examples would be a person who mainly learns by reading would generally do well on something like a standardized or unit test whereas a person who mainly learns by listening would very often freeze up and struggle on a standardized test or on any test.

Every teacher should start each year determining each students’ learning method as well as their ability. I’d be willing to bet that a student who learns by listening would do much better if the test was read to them. There score would be much lower if they had to tackle the test by only reading it. There would be questions left undone and some questions receiving wild answers.

I know something about this and as an example, I can determine what classical music piece is being played and who wrote it after the first few notes have been played whereas there are many books I have not read to the last page. Yes, I learn much better and easier by listening than by reading.

Reed Skibeness

Bothell