Different Learning Types

Many people recognize that each person prefers different learning styles and techniques. 

Learning styles group common ways that people learn.

Everyone has a mix of learning styles.

Some people may find that they have a dominant style of learning, with far less use of the other styles.

Auditory

If you are an auditory learner, you learn by hearing and listening. You understand and remember things you have heard. You store information by the way it sounds, and you have an easier time understanding spoken instructions than written ones. You often learn by reading out loud because you have to hear it or speak it in order to know it.

As an auditory learner, you probably hum or talk to yourself or others if you become bored. People may think you are not paying attention, even though you may be hearing and understanding everything being said.

Here are some things that auditory learners like you can do to learn better.

1. Sit where you can hear.
2. Have your hearing checked on a regular basis.
3. Use flashcards to learn new words; read them out loud.
4. Read stories, assignments, or directions out loud.
5. Record yourself spelling words and then listen to the recording.
6. Have test questions read to you out loud.
7. Study new material by reading it out loud.

Remember that you need to hear things, not just see things, in order to learn well.

Visual

If you are a visual learner, you learn by reading or seeing pictures. You understand and remember things by sight. You can picture what you are learning in your head, and you learn best by using methods that are primarily visual. You like to see what you are learning.

As a visual learner, you are usually neat and clean. You often close your eyes to visualize or remember something, and you will find something to watch if you become bored. You may have difficulty with spoken directions and may be easily distracted by sounds. You are attracted to colour and to spoken language (like stories) that is rich in imagery.

Here are some things that visual learners like you can do to learn better:

1. Sit near the front of the classroom. (It won’t mean you’re the teacher’s pet!)
2. Has your eyesight checked on a regular basis?
3. Use flashcards to learn new words.
4. Try to visualize things that you hear or things that are read to you.
5. Write down keywords, ideas, or instructions.
6. Draw pictures to help explain new concepts and then explain the pictures.
7. Colour code things.
8. Avoid distractions during study times.

Remember that you need to see things, not just hear things, to learn well.

Tactile

If you are a tactile learner, you learn by touching and doing. You understand and remember things through physical movement. You are a “hands-on” learner who prefers to touch, move, build, or draw what you learn, and you tend to learn better when some type of physical activity is involved. You need to be active and take frequent breaks, you often speak with your hands and with gestures, and you may have difficulty sitting still.

As a tactile learner, you like to take things apart and put things together, and you tend to find reasons to tinker or move around when you become bored. You may be very well coordinated and have good athletic ability. You can easily remember things that were done but may have difficulty remembering what you saw or heard in the process. You often communicate by touching, and you appreciate physically expressed forms of encouragement, such as a pat on the back.

Here are some things that tactile learners like you can do to learn better:

• Participate in activities that involve touching, building, moving, or drawing.
• Do lots of hands-on activities like completing art projects, taking walks, or acting out stories.
• It’s OK to chew gum, walk around, or rock in a chair while reading or studying.
• Use flashcards and arrange them in groups to show relationships between ideas.
• Trace words with your finger to learn to spell (fingerspelling).
• Take frequent breaks during reading or studying periods (frequent, but not long).
• It’s OK to tap a pencil, shake your foot, or hold on to something while learning.
• Use a computer to reinforce learning through the sense of touch.

Remember that you learn best by doing, not just by reading, seeing, or hearing.