The MCT curriculum’s multi-layered approach naturally suits different learning styles. If you think you might be working with an auditory learner, this blog post will help you adapt MCT to fit your learner’s needs. Not sure if you’re working with an auditory learner? Here are some tell-tale signs:

Auditory learners are those who learn best through listening and speaking. They tend to retain information more effectively when they can hear it rather than when they read it. These learners prefer verbal instruction, discussions, lectures, and listening activities, and they may have a strong ability to recall spoken information or enjoy reading aloud.

Key Characteristics of Auditory Learners:

1. Strong Listening Skills: Auditory learners excel in understanding and remembering information that is conveyed through sound. They tend to be good at recalling details from conversations, lectures, or podcasts.
2. Preference for Verbal Instruction: They learn better when instructions are given orally, and they may prefer to have someone explain things to them rather than reading written materials themselves.
3. A Need to Talk It Out: Auditory learners often process information by talking aloud. They may engage in conversations or discussions to help them understand concepts better. Reading aloud or repeating information also helps them retain knowledge.
4. Musical/Rhythmic Memory: Many auditory learners enjoy using rhythm, rhyme, or music to aid in their learning. They might create songs or rhymes to remember facts or vocabulary.
5. Effective in Group Discussions: These learners often benefit from discussions, group work, or verbal interactions with peers, where they can exchange ideas and hear different perspectives.

Though MCT is naturally a great fit for most auditory learners, we know that many MCT users are looking to go the extra mile in reinforcing the material. Here are our tips and tricks for adapting the Michael Clay Thompson (MCT) language arts curriculum to support auditory learners, leveraging their strength in learning through listening and speaking.

1. Read Aloud, Read Aloud, and Read Aloud!

Try Adding Emphasis on Structure: As auditory learners absorb information through sound, reading sentences aloud with particular emphasis on grammatical structures (e.g., pausing at commas, highlighting subject-verb agreement) can help them recognize patterns and rules. Encourage them to listen for key grammar cues while you read, and then have them read sentences aloud themselves to reinforce learning. And remember to review aloud regularly! Even the simple task of having students repeat a new grammar rule or sentence aloud can reinforce learning.

🌟 Tip: Use different tones or voices to emphasize what you’re working on, whether it’s the parts of speech, the parts of the sentence, phrases, or clauses. This variation makes the learning process more engaging and memorable for auditory learners.

2. Create Rhythm Patterns

Try Rhythm Patterns for Grammar Rules: Auditory learners often respond well to rhythm and repetition. Create simple rhythm patterns or chants for key grammar rules, such as remembering the parts of speech or sentence structures. For example, you could clap along to a beat while reciting, “Nouns are people, places, things!”

🌟 Tip: Incorporate musical instruments or drumming in the form of hand clapping, foot tapping, or something similar when going over grammar rules, turning learning into an interactive auditory experience.

3. Practice Vocabulary through Conversation

Use Verbal Interaction for Vocabulary Mastery: Instead of relying solely on written vocabulary drills, have kids engage in dialogues in which they practice using new words in conversation. Auditory learners thrive when they can hear and say words aloud. Ask them to use vocabulary words in different contexts, such as describing their day or narrating a story using target vocabulary from the MCT curriculum.

🌟 Tip: Encourage students to explain the meanings of words to you or others verbally. This reinforces comprehension and builds auditory memory.

4. Host Grammar Discussions

Engage in Grammar-Focused Discussions: Encourage auditory learners to discuss grammar topics and concepts in a conversational setting. This could be as simple as asking them to explain a rule aloud or to debate the correct usage of different sentence structures. This verbal processing helps auditory learners grasp abstract concepts by talking them through.

🌟 Tip: Turn grammar into a Socratic dialogue, asking open-ended questions such as “Why do we need conjunctions in a sentence?” to stimulate deeper thought and verbal interaction.

5. Use Word Stems in Verbal Games

Try Verbal Games with Word Stems: In MCT’s vocabulary books, word stems are essential. For auditory learners, use verbal games such as “What’s the Stem?” or “Finish the Word” to practice stems. For example, say the stem (such as bio for life) aloud, and have students list as many words as they can think of that contain the stem, or even create new words using it. The more the words are said aloud, the stronger the auditory recall becomes.

🌟 Tip: You can also incorporate wordplay games like puns or riddles that involve the word stems to make the activity more dynamic and engaging for auditory learners.

Implementation Tips for Other Styles

Check out these tips for adapting the MCT curriculum for other learning styles! Remember: The goal isn’t to limit students to their preferred style but to use their strengths as a gateway to developing competency in all areas.

Tips for using MCT with visual learners

Tips for using MCT with kinesthetic learners

Tips for using MCT with reading and writing learners