SuperCamp, a leading academic summer camp, uses a great anecdote to help kids and teens understand how learning differs from person to person. The story of Slim ‘n’ Bil makes learning styles easy to comprehend. When students know how they learn, they discover that learning can be easy and fun, which leads to better grades, confidence, and motivation.
Slim and Bil were both very smart people, but in very different ways. They didn’t ask each other, “How smart are you”, but rather, “How are you smart?” They became great friends once they realized that their combined names formed an acronym for learning styles. These learning styles demonstrated how people can use their strengths to tackle a difficult problem.
The acronym that Slim ‘n’ Bil discovered stands for these learning styles: Spatial-Visual, Linguistic, Interpersonal, Musical, Naturalist, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Intrapersonal, and Logical-Mathematical. SuperCamp teaches that each method absorbs information differently.
For example, Logical-Mathematical learners prefer logic puzzles and use reason to tackle problems, while a Spatial-Visual learner likes to view challenges in dimension and shapes. Linguistic learners like words and stories to help them sort through facts, just as a Musical learner enjoys songs and rhyme to help them recall and organize information.
No one method is superior to another. Everyone has the potential to see problems in a different way, but some brains naturally lean toward one method or another. It is important to understand these learning styles, as it may help in future dilemmas.
This concept can be applied to situations outside the classroom as well. For example, imagine you’re an advertiser in charge of a big ad campaign. How easy it would be to split up work if you knew to assign those on your team with Linguistic learning styles the task of coming up with a slogan; using that same logic, you could give the Spatial-Visual learners the undertaking of creating a visually friendly logo. The possibilities are endless.
Understanding which learning style to use is the first step for all students to get better grades and a better GPA in school. If a student can bypass the challenges they face with learning by approaching a problem in a way that suits their learning style, then their overall performance will be improved. SuperCamp teaches students style-specific techniques that they can use when studying or problem-solving.
Students who understand how their brains best retain and recall information will become valuable assets in their future lives. They won’t just get better grades; challenges outside academia will be easier to overcome when they contribute their unique perspective at work, with family, or with friends.
SuperCamp’s summer camp programs are held at eight prestigious college campuses across the country. For more information on dates and enrollment, call 800-285-3276 or visit SuperCamp.com
