Which Learning Style is Best for Children—Visual, Auditory, or Kinesthetic?

Every parent wants the one thing: to see their child learn with joy, confidence and success. But often we worry: how does my child learn best? Do they remember things when they see them? Or when they hear them? Or when they try them out with their hands? 

In this blog, we’ll walk you through the three popular learning styles for children. They are Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic, so you can understand your child better. Then we’ll explore why a wise approach is to support all styles together and how choosing a school like Credmont International School helps your child flourish in their best way.

What are Learning Styles?

• A learning style is a preferred way in which a child takes in, processes and remembers information.
• The three major styles we’ll talk about are: Visual (learning by seeing), Auditory (learning by hearing) and Kinesthetic (learning by doing/touching).
• It’s important to note that one child may prefer one style more, but many children use a mix.
• So, there is no “one perfect style for everyone”. The aim is to help your child discover how they learn best and then to guide them accordingly.

Visual Learners: When Seeing is Believing

What does a visual learner feel like?

If your child is a visual learner, you’ll probably see things like:

• They love looking at pictures, charts, graphs, and diagrams.
• They may like the teacher to model something for them instead of just saying it.
• They remember faces, scenes, and details of something they saw.
• They might doodle while you are talking, draw while they are studying, or read instead of listening.
• They may say things like: “Show me how to do it” or “I will look at the picture first”.

How to help a visual learner

• Use bright colours, visuals, diagrams, and mind-maps. For example, if they are learning about the water cycle, show pictures of clouds, rain, rivers, and evaporation.
• Ask your child to draw what they have learned.
• Use flashcards, charts, and books with pictures.
• Make the study corner well-lit, and remove distractions like lots of movement behind it, because visual learners may lose focus if many things are moving or changing.

• Sit them close to the teacher or board (in class) so they can see better.
• Encourage them to convert what they hear into pictures in their mind.

When the visual style may struggle

• If lessons are purely spoken and with little visual aid, a visual learner may become slow or lose interest.
• If the environment is messy with too many visual distractions, it may pull their attention away.
• They might struggle when a task requires listening for long without visuals.

Auditory Learners: When Hearing Matters Most

How an auditory learner feels

If your child is more auditory, they might show signs like:

• They remember what they hear. If someone explains something, they grasp it.
• They like to discuss, talk through things, and ask questions out loud.
• They may enjoy songs, rhymes, and eating verbally what they have heard.
• They prefer being told instructions rather than given only written instructions.

Helping an auditory learner

• Use games with sound, rhyme, and spoken explanation. For example: tell a story, then ask your child what they remember.
• Record the lesson or explanation and let them listen later.
• Encourage them to read aloud, even when alone—this helps them internalise the information.
• Use group discussions or ask them to “teach” you what they learned (speaking it out helps).
• Regarding spelling or facts, there are many ways to make the information memorable through songs or rhymes and verbal repetition.

Challenges for auditory learners

• If the lesson is very visual with no discussion, then they may feel included or be less engaged in the content.
• If there is a lot of background noise, they may have trouble paying attention.
• If an assignment is silent reading, then they may not retain as much of the information.

Kinesthetic Learners: Learning by Doing and Moving

Signs of a kinesthetic learner

If your child is a kinaesthetic learner, you might see:

• They prefer touching, doing, and experimenting. They want to try rather than just listen.
• They may fidget, move around while studying or prefer to walk or stand while thinking.
• They learn better when they can use real objects, models, and hands-on work.
• They may say: “Let me try it myself” rather than “Show me first”.

Ways to support a kinesthetic learner

• Allow them to move while learning: use physical games, models, and role-play.
• Use manipulatives: blocks, clay, textured letters, magnets for learning the alphabet or maths.
• Give short bursts of study rather than very long silent sessions. Include movement breaks.
• Integrate tasks like: walk while reciting tables, draw with chalk outdoors, use a whiteboard and stand while solving.
• For example, when teaching fractions, let them use slices of fruit or pieces of paper and physically combine them, cut them to show half, third, etc.

When The Kinesthetic style may find difficulty

• If the environment is too calm and strictly silent, with no movement allowed, they may become restless.
• If the method is purely reading and writing with no hands-on activity, they may not engage fully.
• They might struggle sitting still for long grammar lessons without activity.

So, Which Learning Style is Best?

Many guardians want to know the best learning style for kids. Here is the most honest answer: there isn’t one “best” style that fits every child in every situation.

• Some children lean strongly to one style; others mix styles.
• Choosing only one style can limit the child. Instead, support the dominant style and encourage exposure to others so they become flexible.
• Many researchers say that mixing styles and using more than one approach helps learning.
• What matters most is using the right style at the right time for the right subject. For instance, a child may learn geography better by map (visual) + talk (auditory) + field visit (kinesthetic).
• Thus, the “best” style for a child is the style that works for them right now, but we should also help them develop in other styles, too.

How to Decide for Your Child

We also need to know how kids learn and then decide.

• Watch how your child learns: Do they look at you when listening? Do they prefer diagrams? Do they prefer to be active? 
• Try conducting tasks in different styles: For instance, ask them to listen to an explanation, then ask them to draw it, then have them physically do it – whatever works! 
• Notice where they slow down or get stuck: Does the way you arranged the process match their style?
• Be patient: The style may change for different subjects, or as they grow.
• Create a comfortable environment: One that allows visuals, sounds, and movement.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Don’t force a child into only one style and ignore the others.
• Avoid thinking “if they are a visual learner, we will never let them listen” – balance is key.
• Don’t stop exposing them to new styles just because one style seems easier – flexibility builds.
• Don’t believe that learning style alone guarantees success. Other factors matter (motivation, attention, environment) too.
• Avoid thinking that the environment alone will fix it; sometimes the method must change.

Help Your Child Out at Home 

Here are some TAKE AWAYS – practical ideas to help you right away: 

• Set up and create a study nook that has enough light (for visual learners) and not a lot of distractions. 
• Use some chart paper, colours and flash cards to create visual learning tasks. 
• Record the learning and then have your child explain the process aloud after they have learned to draw on auditory strength.
• For activity, keep clay, building blocks, and materials to create models for kinesthetic tasks.
• Mix study styles: e.g., read a paragraph (visual), then discuss it (auditory), then act it out or model it (kinesthetic).
• After finishing a lesson, ask: “How did you learn best this time? Was it by seeing, hearing or doing?”
• Praise attempts in any style: “Good that you drew it so clearly!” or “Nice that you said it out loud!” or “Great, you touched and tried it!”
• Keep changes gradual. Don’t switch methods every day; give each method enough chance.
• For subjects your child dislikes, change the method rather than blame the subject.

Why Choose Credmont International for the Best Learning Support

Now, let’s talk about how choosing a school like Credmont International helps your child grow in every way.

• Credmont’s vision: We believe each child is unique and deserves physical, mental and social stimulation through modern infrastructure and teaching.
• We have an integrated curriculum that goes beyond just textbook learning. We use experiential learning, which is the ideal background for kinesthetic learners as they learn by doing.
• Simultaneously, we use visual images, charts and interactive classrooms, which are helpful in elevating the learning for visual learners.
• We encourage discussion, talks, and group activities. It is supportive for auditory learners.
• Individual attention is part of their approach: each child’s way of learning is seen, understood and helped to shine.
• The school environment is modern, safe and well-equipped: technology, labs, creative spaces. This means whichever style your child may prefer, our school has tools to help. The holistic growth of your child is in focus—not just academic test scores.
• Simply put: At Credmont, your child is seen as a learner with strengths, not forced into one method. What a huge combination to our advantage.

 Let’s Help Your Child Learn Their Way

A child’s mind is a little universe waiting to burst forth. Whether they learn by seeing, hearing, or doing, what matters is that we see, support, and celebrate their learning method. 

If you want your child to progress through learning with confidence and joy in pursuit of knowledge, please continue your journey with us at Credmont International, where all learners will be defined and flap their wings. Admissions are open now at one of the top CBSE schools in Howrah, West Bengal! Visit Credmont International School to know more.

FAQs

Q1. What are the three main learning styles?
A. Visual (seeing) – Auditory (hearing) – Kinesthetic (doing).

Q2. Can a child learn to utilise more than one learning style?
A. Yes. Most children use a mix, though one style may be stronger.

Q3. How can I find my child’s learning style?
A. Observe how they enjoy learning through pictures, sounds, or activities.

Q4. Which learning style is best for academic success?
A. All are equally important. The best results come from combining them.

Q5. How do schools like Credmont support different learners?
A. Through the combination of visual aids, conversation, and experiential learning.

Q6. Do learning styles change over time?
A. Yes. A child’s style may change as they grow or depending on the topic at hand.

Q7. What if my child doesn’t fit any single style?
A. That’s fine — learning is flexible. Use mixed methods for a better understanding.Q8. How can parents help at home?
A. Use charts, tell stories and do a little experimenting — you want learning to feel fun, not forced.