Hearing and vision impaired students have specific learning styles that define their learning construct and outcome. By understanding their basic learning styles defined below, teachers can create effective instruction and learning experiences to maximize learning:
- Performance based or tactile styles- Students like to use their hands to engage in the learning process. For visual and hearing impaired students, the teacher can use manipulatives (i.e. assistive tools such as calculators and computer software designed to provide different instructional strategies for learning outcomes) or visual materials on posters or the board for visual acuity and student manipulation.
- Auditory styles- Students can use auditory tools such as recorders or listening devices to hear the lesson objectives. In turn, assistive tools can be used to record student reflections or provide assessment materials for students who perform better using auditory tools. Teachers using microphones or auditory tools to magnify and project their voices can create a useful learning strategy for students with hearing impairments.
- Kinesthetic styles- For students who are in constant motion, the construction of learning activities that provide movement about the classroom can create a fun learning environment for everyone. By creating games and fun activities that allow for total inclusion and participation for hearing and vision impaired students, the classroom can become an engaging learning experience.
- Visual styles- Designing classrooms with visual cues that define the learning expectations can provide an incredible classroom experience for students with visual impairments. The agenda should be clearly written on the board and the student should be seated in a location of access to see the board. Overheads along with worksheets or teacher notes can be used to help students follow along with whats going on in the classroom. Watching films or DVDs that are relevant to the learning goal can help students with visual impairments process and learn the expected objectives.
When teachers and resource staff understand what learning styles work best for students with hearing and visual impairments, they can optimize the learning outcomes for students needing additional support and accommodations to really show what they have learned in the classroom.
