What, exactly, are learning styles? I’m glad you asked! The term learning style refers to an individual’s preferred avenue for taking in information.  When we know a person’s learning style, we can tailor teaching and study methods to allow for most efficient teaching and improve retention and success.

In a nutshell, there are three main types of learning styles.  These can be combined and they can change over time and in different circumstances.

Visual Learners do best with material they can see, like pictures, charts, graphs, and diagrams.  They may prefer reading to listening to a lecture.

Auditory Learners understand and retain information more easily when it is presented orally. They like to discuss, listen, and even sing.

Kinesthetic Learners learn best through movement. These are the hands-on learners who like demonstrations, experiments, and watching videos.

Here’s my favorite video explanation of learning styles:

You can discover a person’s primary learning style or styles through checklists or questionnaires, or even by observation.  Here’s one example: Learning Styles Questionnaire .  Now, what can you do with this information now that you know it?

Learning Styles Give Clues about What Will Frustrate Kids

Once you know a child’s learning style, you can predict what types of assignments and study strategies will be frustrating to your student. This will allow you to provide support and react in a more productive manner.

For example, your student may be a kinesthetic learner who prefers hands-on learning. This student may well find gathering information from a textbook to be boring or frustrating, since that’s a visual task. You can help by guiding your student to hands-on ways to accomplish the same task, such as copying information or acting out the information.

Learning Styles control how easily information is absorbed.

Your student will learn best if information is presented in the channel that he or she is most comfortable with. You can familiarize yourself with various presentation strategies that match your student’s learning style.  Use your knowledge to reteach or re-present information when you know that the school or class presentation was not a good fit for your student.

Learning Styles show you how to guide study strategies

Teach  your student how to accommodate his or her strongest learning style. School presentations are primarily auditory (lecture-style). Study materials are primarily visual (textbooks and handouts). Show your student how to find the material in the format that is most compatible with his or her primary learning style.  Consider one or more of the study strategies on the following list:

Visual Learners

• Write down important points
• Highlight key information
• Color-code information
• Use diagrams, charts, pictures to organize information
• Write down things to memorize and hang them where they will be seen frequently
• Visualize important information
• Read the text before going to class
• Copy directions before beginning projects
• Use flow charts to recall processes

Auditory Learners

• Use a recorder to record lectures and discussions when possible
• Listen to recorded information while driving/riding, while doing household chores, etc.
• Read in a whisper or aloud when possible
• Discuss with others, quiz orally
• Sing or set ideas to music
• Read text after class (unless assigned ahead of time)
• Interview experts on the topic
• Read directions out loud before beginning a project

Kinesthetic Learners

• When possible, make models, do experiments, act out ideas
• Study for short periods (10-15 minutes) with frequent breaks
• Use a computer to type ideas
• Work on memorization by doing an action with each item, such as an exercise
• Play games such as Memory to match questions and answers
• Try reading or watching while standing up or while using a fidget
• Trace and copy words to learn spellings, vocabulary, and other facts
• Play games modeled after television quiz shows to study, such as Jeopardy

Make sure you are getting in on all of the action and receiving all the tips!  Sign up for the Homework Help group to grab up some goodies and get advice on helping your student tame homework monsters. CLICK HERE to join this free group!