Right-Brain Learners Go To School

While our whole brain is engaged with anything we do - people are primarily Left- or Right-Hemisphere dominant in regards to how they learn.

Left-Brain Dominant Learners-

Process from pieces to whole, Parts of language, Syntax/semantics, Letters/printing/spelling, Numbers, Techniques (sports, music, art), Analysis/logic, Looks for differences, Controls feelings, Language oriented, Time conscious, Structure oriented

When Left-Brain dominant learners are under stress:

They try harder/lots of effort, Without results, Without comprehension, Without joy, Without understanding, May appear mechanical/tense/insensitive

Right-Brain Dominant Learners-

Process from whole to pieces, Language comprehension, Image/emotion/meaning, Rhythm/dialect/application, Estimation/application, Flow and movement, Intuition/estimation, Looks for similarities, Free with feelings, Prefers drawing/manipulation, Spontaneous/fluid, Simultaneous thinking, Now oriented, Less time sense, People oriented

When Right-Brain dominant learners are under stress:

Loses the ability to reason well, Acts without thinking, Feels overwhelmed, Has trouble expressing, Cannot remember details, May appear emotional or spaced out

*taken from The Dominance Factor, Carla Hannaford, Ph. D

Our School System

Our school system is structured to work for 15% of children.

85% of children are kinesthetic learners who need hands-on lessons & movement in order to learn. (Dunn, Rita & Kenneth)

15% can learn via lecture, using steps, rules, and look & listen to teacher and verbalize what they learned. (Hannaford, Carla)

52% of children do not learn via auditory means (listening to a teacher talk).