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Targeting Learning Styles in your presentation and learning activities can make a huge difference to your students. They will learn faster, understand better, and be less frustrated. This may even help solve some behavioral issues. Proponents of Learning Style Theory say you should see improvements within six weeks of creating a learning environment that addresses learning style preferences.
There are four main physiological preferences: auditory, visual, tactile, and kinesthetic. It is easiest for students to pick up information with their preferred learning style. Then teachers should reinforce material with the other learning styles.
The Auditory Learner:
I remember what I hear. I process information best when I am listening or talking.
Teaching Techniques:
Use direct instruction techniques to teach by lecture. Auditory learners benefit from precise oral directions, so explain assignments out loud. Review progress orally. These students retain the information you say and discuss with them. They will pick up on subtitles in your voice such as tone and pitch. You might hear them mimic you as they study; sometimes they will even pick up accents of those they speak with.
Tools:
Use CDs, podcasts, lectures, YouTube videos, radio broadcasts, Audible, and television to deliver information.
Activities:
These students enjoy listening to you read out loud to them. They like to memorize facts with songs. When they study, you may hear them talking to themselves as they review their notes. They chatter out loud as they solve math problems. It’s a good idea to find audio versions of textbooks and literature books if you can. Having the actual book in front of them as they listen, reinforces the ideas through visual. Answering written questions reinforces concepts through tactile.
Field Trips:
Auditory learners enjoy concerts, plays, movies, lectures, and debates. They push the buttons to listen to written material at museums.
Phonics Tip:
These students can hear the differences between the sounds. Call out sounds and let them find the letter (visual) or write the letter (tactile).
Assessments:
Students will want to demonstrate what they’ve learned through discussions, debates, and oral reports. Some may want to create videos or audio recordings. They should read their written assignments out loud before they turn them in. This will help them find mistakes.
Compliment them for a job well done.
The Visual Learner:
I remember what I see. I process information best when I can look at it or picture it in my mind.
Teaching Techniques:
There are three types of visual learners. Some like words, some like pictures, some like both. Make sure you consider all three.
Provide resources that require reading and seeing. Find math books that have pictures of concepts and diagrams of steps to solve. Science books should have graphs and charts. Closed captioning on movies and instructional videos may assist learning. Teach students to underline with color.
Use precise written directions for these students.
Show them samples of completed assignments. You can display previous student work or find examples in the teacher’s guide/answer key. Examples from Pinterest can also help them “see” what you want them to do.
Tools:
Use Google images, Google maps, photographs, memes, Pinterest, movies, you-tube videos, graphs, single concept books, transparencies, diagrams, magazines, and graphic organizers. Create bulletin boards. Post maps and posters.
Have students take notes and highlight information. Colorful crayons, markers, gel pens, highlighters, and paint help a visual learner remember.
Activities:
Read concept books. Define words in bold print. Find pictures, draw pictures, make a video. Fill in concept maps. Outline. Underline with color. Teach them to read early.
When learning new vocabulary, have them draw a picture that helps illustrate the meaning of the word. Copy work, word puzzles, and word shape worksheets are good for spelling.
Field Trips:
Visual learners enjoy museums, zoos, aquariums, movies, and art shows. They will stop and read the information plaques on nature hikes. They will notice signs and billboards.
Phonics Tip:
These students can look at the letter and identify it. Have them look and say (auditory); look and write (tactile). Search out pictures of items that begin with the targeted letter sound. They can cut them out and glue them on a paper (tactile). Have them mark vowels in red and underline phonemes in blue.
Assessments:
Students will want to demonstrate what they’ve learned through written work, artwork, graphs, charts, PowerPoint presentations, and videos. They may want to prepare a photo essay or create a collage.
Review their progress in written form. Use stars, stickers, and happy faces on their graded papers.
Tactile:
I remember what I touch. I process information best when I can handle it or manipulate it.
Teaching Techniques:
Teach students how to underline and take notes as they read or listen. If possible, let these students do it as you explain it. Use resources that are movable. Flashcards that you flip for an answer, cards that you match up, puzzles, math sticks, abacus, and counters will support these students.
Use realia (the actual object you are discussing) whenever possible. Pass things around so students can handle samples or real items.
Tools:
Use books with texture. Flashcards, pens pencils, highlighters, and manipulatives of every kind will aid learning. Flip chutes, task cards, floor games, and math manipulatives support study.
Activities:
Cut, paste, finger paint, play in sand or rice box. Arts and crafts assist learning. Use yarn, puffy paints, and texture for flashcards. Have students write and take notes. Allow doodling. Play learning games. Do science experiments. If a second preference is visual, paint or draw.
Field Trips:
These students enjoy touch tanks, petting zoos, hands-on museums, hikes, and baking in the kitchen.
Phonics tip:
Make letter cards with puffy paints. Trace letters in the sand. Use matching puzzles. Encourage the use of flashcards. Cut, sort, and/or paste letters with pictures (visual). Call out a letter (auditory) and have the student grab the letter tile or wooden letter (kinesthetic).
Assessments:
These students enjoy making posters, writing reports, and taking tests. They may want to create a scrapbook or diorama. Direct them to render a model from clay or design a board game. They also might enjoy creating a dot-to-dot drawing for other students to complete.
Place puffy stickers or scratch-and-sniff stickers on their graded papers. Stickers with googly eyes are also a hit.
Kinesthetic:
I remember what I do. I process information best when I am physically participating or moving.
Teaching Techniques:
Let these kids jump right in and start activities with as little verbal or written instruction as possible. They will learn as they complete projects and assignments. They aren’t afraid of making mistakes and enjoy problem-solving when they hit roadblocks.
If you are explaining steps to solve a problem, encourage them to take or imagine actual steps. Encourage role-playing and acting out of stories. Model practical and real-world examples.
Show students how they can use their strengths to move appropriately in the classroom without bothering others. Let them sit in the back of the room and stand up if they want. Allow them to swing their legs at their desk or pace the floor to consider ideas. One kinesthetic administrator, I spoke with still wiggles her toes in her shoes when she is thinking.
Change up your teaching and learning locations. Sit on a rug for storytime. Sit at a table for math. Use a standing table for science experiments. Have students switch seats for group work.
Let kinesthetic students work in spirts with frequent breaks. Be sure to give these kids time outside for recess.
Tools:
Encourage students to play learning games and use math manipulatives. Use puppets and flannel graph boards for acting out or role-playing. Models, number lines, globes, puzzles, and computers also benefit these pupils. Thinking putty, chewing gum, and fidget spinners may help these students focus during quiet times or lectures.
Activities:
Teach movements to songs and stories. Let students take things apart and put them back together. Play kinesthetic games like question and answer baseball. Conduct experiments; go on field trips.
Field Trips:
Walking tours, factory tours, concerts, and trips everywhere excite these learners.
Phonics Tip:
Write in the air. Write big on a whiteboard. Jump onto letter cards. Pace while reading or spelling. Clap out syllables. Sit on the floor and roll a ball back and forth for rhyming.
Assessments:
Have students demonstrate something for the class. Build a model. Roleplay, act it out, make a video. Keep an activity notebook or portfolio with pictures. Write and/or play a song to sing.
Smile and give them a pat on the back or a handshake for a job well done.
Conclusion:
It is best to pick and choose strategies from all of the learning style preferences when you instruct. Target student strengths when introducing new material. Encourage an assortment of activities to reinforce your main points. Present instruction in a variety of ways and you will hit the mark with every student. Your audience will appreciate you. They will internalize the information and remember it. They will walk away with a new understanding and feel successful.
More articles on learning style preferences can be found here:
Determining How I Learn Best: An Overview of Learning Styles
Environmental Preferences for Learning
