SOUND. Studies reveal that the introduction of music to a school’s curriculum produced marked improvements in the students’ performance in math, reading and the sciences.

LIGHT. Light deprivation not only affects performance but can also lead to some forms of depression. Many underachieving students show a preference for dimly illuminated environments when studying, concentrating, or learning.

TEMPERATURE. Brain researchers say that the cooler your brain is, the more relaxed you are; the warmer your brain is, the more aroused you are. Choice is the important variable in determining the temperature of the learners’ environment.

DESIGN. An effective and low-cost redesign of the learning environment involves using what is available and setting them up in new patterns. The desks, chairs, tables and other furniture
can be moved around to suit the learning styles of the students.

ELEMENTS OF EMOTIONS MOTIVATION. When using multimodal strategies, students are motivated to achieve in the areas of their specific interests. It is more important to provide frequent feedback, especially those that elicit feelings of motivation, encouragement and self-affirmation, than to discourage or embarrass the students.

PERSISTENCE. Persistence is having that go-go-go feeling of finishing a task or a group of tasks. The most difficult challenge for parents and teachers is how to keep students’ inclination either to complete schoolwork already begun without stopping, or to take intermittent “breaks” while completing the tasks.

RESPONSIBILITY. Students who work on projects that hold their personal interests need minimal supervision from the teacher. There are students who conform with the directions given by their teachers, and there are students who do not. Nonconformity is marked by dissimilarity, innovation, divergent thinking or creativity. Highly non-conforming students prefer to work with others in a cooperative manner. On the other hand, highly conforming students feel secure when they follow recommended instructions.

STRUCTURE. Some students work with specific directions while others work without them. In doing tasks without the need for directions, students find accomplishment and affirmation in the successful completion of their tasks following their own structure. However, there are students who depend on structures and directions given them before starting the tasks at hand.

The author: Henry S. Tenedero is the president of the Center for Learning and Teaching Styles, an affiliate of the International Learning Styles Network, based at St. John’s University in New York. He is a graduate of the AIM Masters in Development management and of the Harvard Graduate School for Professional Educators. He is the author of the following books: Cooking Up A Creative Genius; The HI CLASS Teacher, Breakthrough Ideas in Education; and Using Passion and Laughter in Your Presentations. He can be reached at htenedero@yahoo.com