Much of the existing research suggests that youth at risk prefer to learn by doing, with hands on activities and the opportunity for repetition to ensure mastery. Most studies consulted also note the importance of curriculum that allows youth to learn in a variety of ways, particularly in small group settings, to ensure that the teaching/facilitation meets the learning style of each participant. There were three suggested learning style models, but the basic premise was the same; youth learn best when activities involve physical action, mental rehearsal and repetition, reflection and discussion, and application/creation.
a) For participants in the Peterborough Native Youth Literacy Needs Project (Powell, 1996), the Learning Medicine Wheel was the learning style model employed. This aboriginal approach to learning is holistic, and involves the physical, intuitive, relational and mental capacities of the student. While the student is always to be considered as a whole, the report cites a number of studies suggesting that "a large percentage of Natives have physical (learn by doing) learning styles" that traditional teaching methods do not provide for. Interestingly. when the gender and age of the youth in the Peterborough focus groups was taken into account, the gender split showed that females preferred to read and store information in memory, while males preferred hands-on projects; the age split showed that 15 to 19 year old respondents preferred task repetition while the 20-25 year olds preferred discussions. These results underscore the need for a flexible curriculum incorporating the full range of learning style.