Every child is born eager to learn—but how they take in, process, and apply new information can vary widely. Some children love to watch, others to talk, some to move, and many to do all three. These differences are often described as learning styles, and recognising them can be a powerful way to support a child’s early childhood development.

Understanding the learning styles of learners—especially during the foundational years—isn’t about putting children in boxes. It’s about paying attention to what lights them up, what frustrates them, and how they naturally connect with the world. When parents and educarers know how a child learns best, they can tailor support in ways that feel intuitive, engaging, and affirming.

In daycare, creche, and home environments alike, recognising how your child learns—whether visually, verbally, physically, or socially—can make everyday interactions more meaningful. Activities become more effective. Communication becomes smoother. And learning feels less like a task and more like something fun and exciting.

In this article, we explore the different types of learning styles in young children—what they look like in action, how they shape early development, and how you can support them through purposeful play and interaction. We’ll also talk about why these styles matter and why they’re not meant to be limiting.

What Are the 4 Learning Styles for Children?

While every child is unique, research and practice in early childhood education often point to four broad categories of learning styles: visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, and social. These styles reflect how children most naturally take in and process information.

Understanding these learning styles in children offers insight into how to present information, set up activities, and communicate in a way that aligns with each child's strengths.

Visual Learning Style in Early Childhood

Children who prefer the visual learning style understand the world best through seeing. They often notice details others overlook—patterns, colours, facial expressions—and may rely heavily on images to process and remember information. In early childhood, this can show up as a love for picture books, drawing, sorting shapes and colours, or watching how something is done before attempting it themselves.

These learners are typically drawn to:

• Visual routines like picture schedules or illustrated instructions
• Storybooks with rich, detailed imagery
• Colour-coded materials and objects
• Games that involve matching, spotting differences, or categorising
• Watching demonstrations before engaging in a task

Supporting Visual Learners at Home and in Daycare

In both the home and at a daycare in Cape Town, simple visual supports can make a powerful difference. Use charts, diagrams, or daily routine boards to give structure. When introducing new ideas—whether numbers, language, or behaviour—use gestures, props, or illustrated materials to help make abstract ideas concrete.

A child who prefers visual learning might:

• Remember more from watching you complete a task than from listening to instructions
• Thrive when shown visual progress charts for routines like brushing teeth or tidying up
• Respond well to visual feedback, like stickers, smiley faces, or drawing reflections of the day

In a well-equipped educare environment, visual learners flourish through activities like arts and crafts, puzzle-solving, and guided observation. But even at home, small adjustments—like adding labels with pictures to toy bins—can boost comprehension and independence.

Auditory Learning Style in Early Childhood

The auditory learning style is marked by a strong connection to sound, rhythm, tone, and spoken language. Children who favour this style tend to learn best by listening, speaking, and hearing themselves process aloud. They may remember songs easily, enjoy storytelling, or talk their way through new activities.

Auditory learners often:

• Repeat things out loud to remember them
• Ask frequent questions and enjoy conversation
• Enjoy rhymes, chants, and music
• Respond strongly to tone of voice—whether gentle or firm
• Follow verbal instructions with little need for visual prompts

In early childhood, you might see an auditory learner sing their way through a morning routine, or re-tell a story in detail after hearing it once. They often love imaginative play that includes dialogue, and are naturally drawn to rhythm and sound.

Supporting Auditory Learners at Home and in an Educare Centre

In both home and educare settings, auditory learners benefit from environments rich in spoken language. This includes:

• Reading aloud with expressive tone and varied voices
• Singing songs to signal transitions (tidy-up time, handwashing, etc.)
• Asking open-ended questions to prompt thinking out loud
• Using rhythmic clapping or call-and-response games
• Describing steps as you do them (“First we put on socks, then shoes”)

In a group environment like a creche, daycare, and educare centre, these children often shine during group discussions, music time, or dramatic play. Encouraging them to explain their thinking or re-tell their day also strengthens memory, sequencing, and communication skills.

It’s helpful to know that auditory learners may tune out during long visual demonstrations, especially without accompanying narration. They’re at their best when they can hear information, talk it through, and be listened to in return.

Kinesthetic & Tactile Learning Style in Young Children

Children with a kinesthetic or tactile learning style understand their world best through movement, touch, and physical experience. In early childhood, the distinction between kinaesthetic (whole-body movement) and tactile (hands-on exploration) often overlaps—both types of learners thrive when they’re allowed to move, build, manipulate, and engage with real materials.

These children tend to:

• Learn quickly through doing rather than watching or listening
• Prefer role play, building blocks, digging, or dancing over passive activities
• Explore objects by handling, squishing, stacking, or pulling them apart
• Struggle with sitting still for long periods
• Excel in games that involve physical action or imitation

This style is particularly prominent during the early childhood development years, when sensory and motor skills are still forming the bridge to higher-order thinking. For educarers, recognising the kinesthetic or tactile preference can be the key to unlocking deeper learning through play.

Supporting Kinesthetic and Tactile Learners

Children with this learning style benefit from frequent opportunities to move and use their hands. At home or in a daycare in Cape Town, you can:

• Let them count using physical objects like beads or blocks
• Use movement-based songs (“Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”) to reinforce concepts
• Offer sensory bins, textured playdough, or sand and water play
• Incorporate walking, jumping, or clapping into learning activities
• Encourage storytelling through puppetry or dramatic play with props

These learners often think with their bodies, processing information more effectively while in motion. Rather than expecting them to conform to stillness, it’s helpful to design learning experiences around their need for movement.

In an educare centre, tactile learners benefit from well-equipped sensory tables, obstacle courses, and rotation between quiet and active stations. Short bursts of seated focus followed by physical breaks help regulate energy and attention.

By embracing movement and hands-on interaction as valid—and valuable—ways of learning, we show children that their unique ways of engaging with the world are not just accepted, but celebrated.

Social and Group-Based Learning in Early Childhood Development

While not always listed alongside the traditional three learning styles, social learning is especially vital during the early years. Children are inherently social beings, and for many, the presence of others significantly enhances their learning. They pick up cues, mimic behaviours, and absorb information not only from adults but from their peers.

In early childhood development, social learning looks like:

• Observing and copying what others do
• Taking part in shared activities like group games, songs, or storytelling
• Engaging in parallel play that gradually becomes cooperative play
• Learning new words, behaviours, and problem-solving skills through interaction
• Adapting based on social feedback—tone, facial expressions, praise, or correction

These are the building blocks not only of academic readiness but of emotional intelligence, communication, and conflict resolution. Social learners thrive in environments where group dynamics are part of the daily rhythm.

How Educare Centres Support Social Learning

In a well-structured educare centre in Cape Town, children are surrounded by daily opportunities for social engagement. Group play, shared routines, and peer collaboration are naturally woven into the fabric of the day. This supports social learners by:

• Providing predictable, guided opportunities to interact and learn from others
• Teaching turn-taking, listening, and empathy through real-time experiences
• Creating structured activities where children can work together toward shared goals

Educators play a key role here—not by leading every interaction, but by facilitating, modelling, and gently stepping in when support is needed. Social learning is most effective when children feel emotionally secure and respected.

Supporting Social Learners at Home

Even outside group settings, parents and caregivers can support social learning by:

• Encouraging sibling or peer play in collaborative ways
• Using role-playing games to model real-life situations (shopping, visiting the doctor, resolving a disagreement)
• Talking through everyday problems aloud so children hear how adults think and plan

Social learners benefit not only from being around others, but from being included in meaningful dialogue—both child-to-child and child-to-adult. When they feel connected, they are more likely to engage, take risks, and develop the confidence that fuels deeper learning.

Why Is It Important to Understand Children’s Learning Styles?

In the early years, children aren’t just learning what to think—they’re learning how to learn. By recognising the ways in which children most naturally absorb information, adults can offer support that feels intuitive and energising, rather than frustrating or forced. Understanding learning styles in children creates a more meaningful connection between the child and the activity, and can transform everyday routines into powerful developmental opportunities.

Matching Support to Strengths Builds Confidence

When children are taught in ways that align with how they process information best, they tend to feel more competent, more willing to try, and more motivated to explore. For example:

• A visual learner who sees a chart showing the steps of handwashing is more likely to follow through than one who only hears the instruction.
• An auditory learner may better understand a story when it’s read aloud rather than handed to them in picture form.
• A kinaesthetic learner who gets to act out a counting song using their body will grasp the concept more quickly than if they were expected to sit still and listen.

These small shifts in approach have a big impact. They validate how a child’s brain is wired to engage, helping them feel seen and capable.

Reducing Frustration and Power Struggles

When learning styles are misunderstood—or ignored—children may be seen as inattentive, disinterested, or oppositional, when in reality they’re just not being supported in a way that works for them. A child who resists writing might not have a “bad attitude”—they might be a tactile learner who needs more hands-on prep work before being ready to put pencil to paper.

Understanding the learning styles of learners allows parents and educare professionals to respond with insight rather than correction, reducing stress for everyone involved.

Tailoring Environments for Better Engagement

Whether at home, in a daycare, or at a creche, environments that reflect diverse learning styles are more inclusive and effective. When caregivers intentionally create space for movement, visual materials, group play, and verbal expression, all children are more likely to find points of connection.

It’s not about over-customising or isolating children into categories. It’s about creating flexibility—and using that flexibility to nurture attention, joy, and growth.

Learning Styles in Children Are Not Fixed

While recognising how a child prefers to learn can be incredibly helpful, it’s just as important to remember that learning styles are not fixed labels. Children are still developing rapidly—neurologically, emotionally, and socially—which means their learning preferences can shift over time or change depending on context.

A child who thrives on movement might also enjoy stories before bed. A visual learner might surprise you with how much they absorb from a group discussion. These styles are best seen as starting points, not boundaries.

What’s most valuable is to use learning styles as a way to meet children where they are—while also offering them new ways to stretch and explore. By occasionally introducing different types of experiences, children are exposed to broader ways of thinking, problem-solving, and communicating. This builds adaptability, a core skill in both school and life.

In early childhood development, variety matters. So while it’s useful to know that your child leans towards the kinesthetic learning style or prefers auditory learning, the goal is not to limit them to that mode. It’s to build trust and engagement—while gradually helping them expand their range.

Kay-Dee Educare Centre and Daycare Cape Town – Learning That Meets Every Child Where They Are

At Kay-Dee Educare Centre and Daycare in Cape Town, we understand that no two children learn in exactly the same way. That’s why we create a rich, responsive environment where visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile, and social learning styles are not only recognised—but nurtured.

Through intentional play, thoughtful communication, and deep respect for each child’s individuality, we support meaningful early childhood development that prepares children for school and life. Whether your child learns best through stories, songs, movement, or teamwork, we meet them where they are—and help them grow beyond what they thought possible.