Most people know that everyone learns in different ways, but did you know there are four distinct learning styles that are generally accepted as the way we learn? These learning styles can help you become a more effective student and understand how your brain works. The first step to knowing your own learning style is to understand the four types of learning styles.
The Four Learning Styles
Visual
Students who are visual learners prefer to have graphic representations of the information. This can be in the form of graphs, charts, diagrams, and more. This does not mean visual learners learn best from watching movies or videos, but rather from the whole picture that is presented to them by means of a visual representation.
Auditory
Auditory learners remember new information best when they hear it in spoken form. This means that students who learn best by hearing may not necessarily take many notes while in class. Hearing the information uninterrupted is more useful to them than writing what the teacher is saying. These students also learn well in group situations where it is encouraged to discuss and collaborate.
Reading and Writing
The opposite of auditory learners are students who thrive from reading and writing learning. These students prefer to take detailed notes and write out new concepts on paper. They rely heavily on text-rich mediums such as textbooks, research papers, and detailed PowerPoint slide presentations.
Kinesthetic
Kinesthetic learners need a hands-on approach to learn best. They enjoy physically doing an activity in order to learn more about it. These participatory students learn best when they are using all their senses to actively engage in the learning process. Students with a kinesthetic learning style don’t always excel in a traditional classroom setting. They do, however, stand out among their peers in lab-based subjects such as chemistry and biology.
Why Learning Styles Are So Important
Knowing how you best learn will not only help you in class but also in life. Being able to understand how your brain best learns as a student can allow you to spend less time studying, become more organized, and get better grades. Once you go into the workforce, knowing how you learn can help you learn new skills more quickly, expand your current skill set easily, and advance in your career.
Struggling to learn new concepts and skills is something everyone faces from time to time. Knowing how you learn best will give you actionable ways to adapt and learn with ease. If you know you learn by reading and writing best, you want to make sure to take detailed notes in class. If you know that taking a hands-on approach is how you best learn, you can ask your teacher or mentor to give you examples of action steps you could take to learn.
Determining Your Learning Style
To help you decide how you learn best, try to eliminate ways you know you do not learn well first. If you know that you tend to struggle to focus during lectures and do not retain information, then you are most likely not an auditory learner. You could work on taking more detailed notes to see if this helps you learn better. If taking notes and reading new information does not help you retain new concepts, you may be a kinesthetic learner and need to find ways to put an idea into action.
What’s Your Learning Style?
At The Tenney School, we understand each child learns in different ways. Our goal is to promote all types of learning so that every child is able to learn and grow to their full potential. If you would like more information on finding your child’s learning style and how you can help them succeed contact us today.