What is your learning style?

Visual?
Auditory?
Reading/Writing?
Kinesthetic?

I’m Kinesthetic-Visual. That means I need to interact with people and things to learn and that I need to see information in diagrams or charts to be able to process it. I have learned that about myself after 31 years of life and years of schooling- and it was just reinforced and validated after I took this VARK cool quiz (link below).

I would highly recommend this quiz for tutors as a good resource.

VARK- a guide to learning styles

Here are my suggestions for tutors in visual diagrammatic list form (with interactive components in the suggestions):

1- Take the quiz yourself.
It takes 5-10 minutes.

Find out your learning styles.
The “results” part is my favorite part because they give you your results in the learning style you are (for example, my kinesthetic results page had an interactive ball I had to move to find out my results)

You may be a mix of styles, so be sure to check out each page of your result
The results page explains INPUT, STUDY TECHNIQUES and OUTPUT.

2. Try the quiz with your student.
You most probably need to read the quiz and their results to your student.
This website is NOT designed for low literacy levels.

Dr. John Hope Franklin, literacy advocate

Dr. Franklin

DLC is honored to have John Hope Franklin, an outstanding man, as an Ex-Officio board member. We have been gifted with his presence in our cause of literacy empowerment. He has spoken up for empowerment through literacy and education every chance he gets.

In 2006 Dr. Franklin gave the commencement speech to Duke Undergraduates, and once again brought up the importance of literacy and being a contribution to your community. He says ” One of the most rewarding experiences you can possibly have is to guide some child or adult to learn to read and write.” Dr. Franklin goes on to tell an amazing story about a man who he taught to read and write during his time at Harvard.

This is a great speech, please take the time to read or listen to it. (For the Podcast: click on “No Ivory Tower”)

FK10

Health Literacy: 30 million Americans cannot read their prescriptions…

14% of adults in the United States or 30 million people have below basic prose literacy

12% of adults demonstrate below basic document skill

1 in 5 adults with low literacy levels have never told anyone they cannot read

40% said they feel ashamed about their reading problem

Where did these statistics come from? Want to more more? Read this article…

Check out this great NY Times article on Health Literacy.

FK 10

What has changed in my life since beginning school

What has changed is like somebody was blind, and he starts to see. I advise anybody who cannot read or write to check the good people at the literacy center. They will help you. I used to get stressed-out when I saw something I could not read. Now I stop and try to read it.
FK 6

By Mahmood (partially scribed by Mikel)

I got to meet Mahmood, who is intellegnt and a good story-teller. I realize that I can be a teacher, and benefit somebody in an important way.
FK 10

By Mikel

It was a hard week, but we got through it

Roxie had a hard week, but we were able to use the computers here to find some resources online to help her. Also, I was able to be here for her emotionally – it felt good to be able to try to help her and to be an ear for her to talk to and a shoulder to cry on. (FK 10.5)

(scribing for Roxie)

I went to some places and they were some helpful but not mostly helpful. But at least we were able to use the computers here to find the numbers to call. Tony [her son, who comes with her during the summer] uses them and then he doesn’t bug me all the time, Mama let’s go, let’s go. I like working on the computers and would love to learn how to do them and how to type. We used the computer today in class and I like it. (FK 5.4)

From Paige and Roxie