Learning Styles

Primary Learning Styles

Three of your five senses are primarily used in learning, storing, remembering, and recalling information. Your child’s eyes, ears and sense of touch play essential roles in the way children communicate, perceive reality and relate to others. Knowing your children’s preferred learning styles empowers you to ensure that their educational experience benefits them academically, while strengthening their lifelong love for learning.

VISUAL

  • Mind sometimes strays during verbal activities
  • Observes rather than talks or acts
  • Organized in approach to tasks
  • Likes to read
  • Usually a good speller
  • Memorizes by seeing graphics & pictures
  • Not too distractible
  • Finds verbal instructions difficult
  • Has good handwriting
  • Remembers faces
  • Uses advanced planning
  • Doodles
  • Quiet by nature
  • Meticulous, neat in appearance
  • Notice details

AUDITORY

  • Talks to self aloud
  • Enjoys talking
  • Easily distracted
  • Has more difficulty with written directions
  • Likes to be read to
  • memorizes by steps in a sequence
  • Enjoys music
  • Whispers itself while reading
  • Remembers faces
  • Easily distracted by noises
  • Hums or sings
  • Outgoing by nature
  • Enjoys listening to activities

KINESTHETIC

  • Likes physical rewards
  • In motion most of the time
  • Likes to touch people when talking to them
  • Taps pencil or foot while studying
  • Enjoys doing activities
  • Reading is not a priority
  • Poor speller
  • Likes to solve problems by physically working through them
  • Will try new things
  • Outgoing by nature; expresses emotions through physical means
  • Uses hands while talking
  • Dresses for comfort
  • Enjoys handling objects

Students who have equal modality preferences are more flexible learners and are already using may studying techniques rather then just a few.  

TEACHING to the LEARNING STYLE

Create optimum learning in the classroom and at homework time by integrating the following aids to match your child’s learning style

VISUAL

  • Use guided imagery
  • Form pictures in your mind
  • Take notes
  • See parts of words
  • Use “cue” words
  • Use notebooks
  • Use color codes
  • Use study cards
  • Use photographic pictures
  • Watch TV
  • Watch filmstrips
  • Watch movies
  • Use charts, graphs
  • Use maps
  • Demonstrate
  • Draw or use drawings
  • Use exhibits
  • Watch lips in front of mirror

AUDITORY

  • Use tapes
  • Watch TV
  • Listen to music
  • Speak / listen to speakers
  • Make up rhymes / poems
  • Read aloud
  • Talk to yourself
  • Repeat things orally
  • Use rhythmic sounds
  • Have discussions
  • Listen carefully
  • Use oral directions
  • Use theater
  • Say words in syllables

KINESTHETIC

  • Pace / walk as you study
  • Physically “do it”
  • Practice by repeated motion
  • Breathe slowly
  • Role play
  • Exercise
  • Dance
  • Write
  • Write on surfaces with finger
  • Take notes
  • Associate feelings with concept/information
  • Write lists repeatedly
  • Stretch/move in chair
  • Watch lips move in front of a mirror