There are four different types of learners and each of us has our own preference and natural learning style. Some may only be one type of learner while others benefit from a mixture of all of the different styles. The four main learning styles are; Kinaesthetic, Visual, Auditory and Reading/Writing and we look below at each learning style in more detail, and also why it’s important for you to know yours.
Kinaesthetic
Kinaesthetic is a hands-on, physical approach to learning. This will mean that you learn best by doing, whether this is touching, feeling or experiencing the material at hand. It’s important to note that your learning style may change throughout your education as most students enter the early stages of school as kinaesthetic learners but adapt as they grow older.
However, for the students that remain kinaesthetic learners, they learn best when they are totally engaged in a learning activity. They retain the most information through activities such as field trips, science lab experiments, drama presentations or dance. You may notice that your teacher or lecturer will occasionally introduce a prop or physical object into a lesson, and this is to appeal to the kinaesthetic side in students.
Visual
Visual learners much prefer to see information and visualise the connections and relationships between this information. These types of students prefer using charts, graphics and presentations that are highly visual, meaning connections and images resonate with them more than large amounts of text. Typically, these types of students use to-do lists and assignment logs and work well through drawing or seeing pictures related to the subject topic.
Reading/Writing
In many ways, those who learn best through reading and writing could also be seen as visual learners, although these types of learners work better using written text as opposed to the images that the visual learner finds best. These types of learners will benefit from handouts, textual information and note-taking.
Auditory
Auditory learners prefer to hear information as opposed to reading, seeing or physically engaging with it. Students who prefer this method will find that they work better by reciting information out loud and listening to their teacher talk, as well as any questions or answers their fellow students may have. A regulated tone of voice and body language will also affect how well these particular types of learners are able to retain information.
Why Is It Important To Know Your Type?
Typically you’re likely to work best through a mix of each type, which is why teachers will spend some time talking, perhaps using a presentation at the same time, have the class engage with answers and set homework or classwork that may involve essays or diagrams. However, you will have a particular style that is more prevalent than the others, and it’s important to know which is yours. This will allow you to know how best you should not only learn but also how you should revise and indeed engage with any task throughout your life.
There are many online assessments such as this one here that ask some basic questions to help you find out which kind of learner you are. Once you know your learning style, factor this into how you approach your learning. If you need any help with adjusting your work to suit your learning style, get in contact with us.