Learning Style Evaluation can be Launching Pad to College Success Linda Narun, M.A.. CCC-SLP
A student who goes to college with knowledge of how they learn begins this phase of their education at a distinct advantage. This is true for any student, but particularly those who have experienced educational difficulties in the past. Some students may never have had the benefit of an e
valuation but the evaluation process is helpful and enlightening for all students. After an initial diagnosis of ADHD or LD, why should further evaluations be undertaken? This is an important question posed by many parents of high school students. Parents and teachers may have developed a good understanding of their students learning style, and have provided a supportive learning environment in which success has been made possible. As the student leaves the “nest," however, it is important that he or she has that same understanding and is able to advocate for himself in the new less supported environment of college. An updated evaluation, undertaken for the purpose of obtaining self-knowledge can be an invaluable tool for a student embarking on an independent learning experience. This is particularly true, when the evaluation is followed by self-management therapy, at which time he can learn how to take advantage of his strengths and minimize any weaknesses.
Going to college armed with self-knowledge after going through a thorough learning style evaluation, gives the student an enormous leg up. Without this prior knowledge, they have to obtain it through trial and error during the first semester of school, hence, making this important initial semester, the most difficult time in most students' college careers. While this is particularly true for students who have encountered difficulty in the past, the evaluation process can be helpful to all students. Having knowledge about your “brain," allows you to take charge of your learning, by understanding why some studying resulted in failure, while at other times good results are obtained.
A learning style evaluation consists of a series of tests that help assess skills necessary to learn effectively. Examples of these skills include attention, short term and working memory, (both auditory and visual), oral language, auditory and visual processing, short-term memory and processing speed. Additionally, tests that evaluate academic achievement levels are included and errors evaluated to establish strengths and weaknesses so that challenging tasks can be approached in a more effective manner. Often students develop compensatory strategies that may or may not be helpful. With awareness and understanding of these strategies, more effective behaviors can be learned.
When a child is young, a learning-style evaluation enables parents and teachers to structure the learning environment and provide appropriate interventions. Strategies put in place will often work effectively for many years, but over time, the challenges a student faces will change. These changes create different problems and a learning-style evaluation should be performed again to determine what strategies might be most effective in helping the child to deal with this new phase of development.
As a student gets older and contemplates college, the responsibility for managing learning difficulties should be gradually transferred from the parent to the student. During this period of transition, a formal learning-style evaluation becomes an important first step in transferring this responsibility. The young adult is more equipped to manage their learning problem and taking responsibility for their successes and failures.
We often talk about making sure that students have good self-management skills, but before they can develop the skill to self-manage they must have the knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses. Before they can take on this responsibility, however, they should be provided with the tools to do so. The evaluation process is an excellent “launching pad" that ensures a positive college experience.