How to Support Homework Based on Your Child’s Learning Style

Homework can be one of the most stressful parts of the day — for both children and parents. But often, the problem isn’t the work itself. It’s how it’s being approached. When a child is trying to learn in a way that doesn’t suit their natural style, it can feel frustrating and overwhelming.

By understanding your child’s learning style, you can adjust how homework is supported at home. This doesn’t mean changing the subject matter or doing the work for them — it means creating the right environment, using the right tools, and guiding them in a way that matches how they process information.

Visual Learners

How they work best:
Visual learners absorb information most effectively when it’s presented in images, diagrams or spatial layouts.

Homework tips:

• Provide highlighters, coloured pens and blank paper for sketching ideas.
• Encourage the use of mind maps, charts or visual organisers.
• Let them draw out their understanding before writing it down.
• Stick visual reminders (like icons or colour-coded checklists) on walls near their study space.

Avoid:
Lengthy verbal instructions without something to see. Give them something visual to refer to.

Auditory Learners

How they work best:
These learners remember information by hearing it. They often benefit from speaking and listening activities.

Homework tips:

• Let them talk through their answers aloud.
• Record voice notes summarising key points for them to replay later.
• Encourage them to read their notes out loud or teach the concept to you.
• Use rhymes or verbal repetition to memorise information.

Avoid:
Silent study sessions. Interaction and sound matter more than complete quiet.

Reading-Writing Learners

How they work best:
They process information through text — both reading and writing. Traditional methods often work well here.

Homework tips:

• Encourage rewriting notes in their own words.
• Let them make lists, summaries and written plans.
• Provide access to printed resources and textbooks, where possible.
• Support them in keeping a written homework diary or revision schedule.

Avoid:
Overly visual or verbal-only instructions. They prefer written material they can return to and reread.

Kinaesthetic Learners

How they work best:
These learners prefer hands-on, physical learning. They may struggle with sitting still for long periods.

Homework tips:

• Break work into short, active segments with movement breaks in between.
• Use physical objects to demonstrate ideas (e.g. building models, acting things out).
• Let them walk while reciting information, or revise using flashcards and movement.
• Consider a standing desk or alternative seating to reduce restlessness.

Avoid:
Long, sit-down study sessions with no interaction. Keep it short and dynamic.

Final Thought

Matching homework support to your child’s learning style doesn’t require big changes — just small shifts that make learning feel more natural. You may find that struggles with focus, memory, or motivation ease up once they’re working in a way that suits them.

Helping your child learn how they learn is a skill they’ll use far beyond school.

👉 Want tailored homework tips based on your child’s learning style?Take the Unify Learning Style Assessment to discover how they learn best and receive practical guidance for home.