Students who are adaptable to a wide range of teaching styles usually have better outcomes. Flexibility enables them to maximize their learning opportunities, avoid feeling lost or discouraged, and stay focused and motivated regardless of the circumstances.

With all that in mind, you might wonder whether a Learning Styles Inventory (LSI) assessment is a worthwhile pursuit. After all, what good is it to know your student’s learning preferences when the goal is to promote adaptability in the classroom?

At NPS, we believe that flexible learning is vitally important for educational success. We also believe in teaching students how to identify their strengths and how to use them. The LSI assessment helps us to achieve both those goals.

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What Is a “Learning Style?”

A quick Google search will tell you there’s a lot of information out there about learning styles and preferences. So much information, in fact, that it’s easy to become overwhelmed. When you work with NPS, you can trust that the information you’re getting is personalized, streamlined, and relevant to your needs. We’ll discuss your student’s educational goals and what is required to achieve them, nothing more or less.

If you’re interested in understanding your student’s learning style, we can help you set up an assessment. This will allow us to learn more about what works and doesn’t work for your student in the classroom. Typically, students fall into one of four learning types:

Auditory
Visual
Kinesthetic
Reading & Writing

For some, information is processed best when it’s read on a page. For others, it’s better to hear or see the information being presented. And for still others, information is better processed in a hands-on environment.

Why Your Child’s Learning Style Matters

Some educators will tell you that your student’s learning style doesn’t matter. We disagree. Knowing your child’s learning preferences won’t change how their teachers teach. However, this information can help you support your student at home with study habits that reinforce what they’re learning in class. Here are some of the real-life benefits we’ve seen for clients who have completed an LSI assessment:

Growth

A big part of overcoming educational challenges? Knowing how to deal with frustrations when they crop up. When you know your child’s learning style, you can translate difficult materials in ways they’re able to understand and remember. All of this leads to step-by-step progress that begins to look like quantifiable growth before you know it.

Motivation

As you teach your child how to manage and overcome their educational frustrations, they’ll find learning more enjoyable. Over time, it will even begin to feel natural and within their control–and they’ll be motivated to keep trying.

Confidence

This kind of progress leads to educational confidence, which naturally results in success both in and outside the classroom. You’ll be amazed at the impact a different mindset can have on your child’s learning. When they stop thinking, “I’m bad at this,” and begin thinking, “I just need to learn it in a different way,” education will become easier and more effective.

Learning styles may not be an exact science, but they can be a stepping stone to progress. If you’re ready to see your student find educational growth, motivation, and confidence, we’re ready to help you both get there.

How an LSI Identifies Strengths and Weaknesses

We’ve discussed how an LSI assessment can help you identify and use your student’s strengths. It’s worth noting that the same evaluation can give you insight into what your student should be working on.

We always recommend learning something challenging in a student’s preferred style–to build upon the growth, motivation, and confidence we mentioned earlier. But, for easier subjects, it’s possible to incorporate less preferred methods of learning to encourage growth in those areas.

For example, a student who struggles with auditory learning might record short audio clips of their notes. They could then listen to those recordings while performing simple tasks, such as going for a walk or washing the dishes. Over time, it should become easier for that student to absorb information in this way. Partnering with a counselor at NPS can make the process of turning weaknesses into strengths a seamless and natural one.

When to Call NPS for an LSI Assessment

Any time a student is experiencing educational difficulties, an LSI assessment is appropriate. Specifically, we’ve seen this process have a positive effect for students who are:

Working hard but not retaining the information they are studying
Feeling frustrated or unmotivated
Eager to improve in a specific area
Dealing with a mental health disorder or learning disability
About to start a new chapter of their educational journey
Interested in becoming a more efficient learner

Whether your student is performing well or struggling with their educational workload, working directly with a counselor can have a profoundly positive impact. Every child, adolescent, and adult has learning strengths and weaknesses, and it never hurts to ask for some professional guidance. If you are ready to learn more about how an LSI assessment can help your student, please give us a call. We’d love to connect you with a member of our team who specializes in educational issues. Reach us at (815) 477-4727.