What Kind of Learner Do I Have?

“What kind of learner do I have?” A parent from Westchester, NY asked me recently. I was working with her fifth grade son, helping him with organization and study skills. Like so many students his age, he was disorganized, had trouble focusing and became quickly frustrated when trying to come up with writing ideas.

It is important to know what kind of learner you have before getting a child extra help or tutoring. Many schools are very helpful with highlighting what works best with certain students. But often, schools tend to teach the same way to all students and this can be very frustrating for a student who does not fit into that mold of learning.

Visual Learners

A visual learner is one who takes in information best when they see it. Pictures and diagrams help settle the information into this type of learner’s brain. Often they have trouble taking in verbal or what we call auditory clues. This is the type of student who when told to write down the assignment, finds himself halfway through the instructions and then has to ask the teacher to repeat herself. If, on the other hand, the information were on the board or projector, the student would have little trouble looking and copying the instructions. Later, it would be easier for them to remember the assignment.

Essay writing can be especially difficult because a visual learner has difficulty recalling what he heard. Cues like highlighting, remembering visually what was on the page and where it was placed on the page, are very helpful tools. I often tell students to write down information such as a timeline or some important facts and people on a scrap paper before they start a test.  Other strategies that help visual learners are working in quiet, making lists and mapping outlines and information. Using any kind of color such as highlighting, different color index cards for flashcards or different color pens when note taking is also helpful. Visual learners also retain more information when they can watch a video or see pictures from history or a story. Again, the idea is to help these students stamp the information on their brain, and the more visual and eye catching, the better chance of retaining the information.

Auditory Learners

These are the students who learn best when they hear information. They may read a passage and have trouble remembering details but if they are read to or can listen to information, they can remember much of the story and facts. They like to participate in class discussion and are often good at explaining information. In explaining and speaking, they are helping to place the information in their memory. Auditory learners often seem distracted or can appear as if they are not listening but in fact are. They can stare out the window but hear and remember what is being said in class. They are very aware of the tone and affect of voices.

An auditory learner benefits from any form of hearing information, so watching videos and listening to lectures help. Often a student will want to repeat or summarize out loud what has been said and this acts to stamp the information in the student’s brain. Auditory learners are very good in group discussions and participating in class since this is another way of retaining the information for them. Using word associations also helps this kind of learner. At home, he may benefit from reciting study notes that will be on a test, repeating math facts or telling a story out loud in order to learn a sequence of events in history. It might appear as if this type of student is talking too much and not “studying” as we know it, but in fact using his verbal skills is the most efficient way of using his study time.

Kinesthetic/Tactile Learner

This type of learner likes to be active and learns best when he is doing or participating in the information. Sitting at a desk for stretches of time is very frustrating but if a kinesthetic learner can get up or move around, he will do much better retaining the information. Group work, labs, study discussions are all helpful to this kind of learner. With some of my kinesthetic learners, I suggest they use a squeeze or stress ball as they sit in class. A kinesthetic learner can be very frustrating to a teacher since the fidgetiness is distracting to other students. This type of student is probably overlooked the most and thrown into the category of attention or behavior issues.

At one school I worked in, students were allowed to sit on exercise balls instead of chairs. This interactive movement allowed them to get some tactile feedback without being too distracting to the students. It was amazing to see how much longer they could sit and be engaged in the learning. I suggest this to many students for their home desk if schools won’t allow it in the classroom. Putting the information into a game is also very helpful. I put facts on index cards and play a kind of memory game with my students. They have to match the date with the event. The idea is if they are engaged, moving around and actively participating, they will retain and understand the information better. If students are allowed to take short breaks, move around or use some kind of tactile ball or seat, they settle themselves very well and are able to retain information.

Many strategies for learning that help one type of learner can certainly help another. It is not to say that the tools for one will not benefit another but if we can understand what works best or most efficiently, we can help ease the stress of students and help them become independent and satisfied learners.

Kathleen Brigham