Learning Styles
For tutoring to be successful—whether it’s an intense study session or just a brush-up on the basics—tutors need to adapt to a student’s learning style. Our Gooroos approach every session with this kind of adaptability.
Below you will find information on the five main learning styles. Some students might stick strictly to one, whereas others may prefer a combination. No matter the needs, our Gooroos work collaboratively with students and families to find the best approach.
-
Instruction
The student learns the best when the teacher provides step-by-step instructions.
Learning step-by-step means that the Gooroo will demonstrate each step of the problem-solving technique while the learner observes. Step-by-step learners process and assimilate information simultaneously.
-
Discovery
The student prefers to learn a concept by experimenting and doing hands-on work.
Discoverers like to learn by doing things. They prefer to use all their sensory channels - sight, sound, smell, and touch. They learn well with augmented reality and virtual reality. They are active learners who reflect on the tasks presented to them through exploration.
-
Storytelling
The student learns best when a concept is explained through stories.
These learners love absorbing concepts interwoven in a story or case study. They are people who assimilate information by attaching the information with a certain set of events.
-
Analogy
The student learns best when a concept is explained through examples and real-life analogies.
These learners do well by recalling a base knowledge of theoretical information previously provided to them and processing through concepts by comparing different examples to each other. They prefer to digest all of the information at once.
-
Theory
The student learns best when the teacher explains the theory first, followed by examples to enhance understanding.
These learners prefer to add new information onto the foundation of existing information, before fully assimilating it into their long term memory. They tend to learn well by observing worked out examples in areas like computation and physics. During observation, they tend to observe the general theory, the similarities between the examples, and how concepts are applied.
How does Gooroo incorporate learning styles?
When you request a tutor, we’d love to hear about you or your child’s learning style. But it’s also very normal to be unsure, and luckily our Gooroos are here to help.
During any first session, the Gooroo will actively assess the student. Once the Gooroo knows the student’s learning style, they will tailor future sessions to the student’s unique needs. Learning style effects how instruction is approached and how knowledge is engaged with. A math lesson for one student, for example, may look entirely different than a math lesson for another student—but the content being taught to each student is exactly the same.
It doesn’t matter whether a student is struggling or is at the very top of their class—the individualized approach to education provided by tutoring can uplift students at any level.