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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.

Sit where you can hear.

Have your hearing checked on a regular basis.

Use flashcards to learn new words; read them out loud.

Read stories, assignments, or directions out loud.

Record yourself spelling words and then listen to the recording.

Have test questions read to you out loud.

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 color 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:

Sit near the front of the classroom. (It won't mean you're the teacher's pet!)

Have your eyesight checked on a regular basis.

Use flashcards to learn new words.

Try to visualize things that you hear or things that are read to you.

Write down key words, ideas, or instructions.

Draw pictures to help explain new concepts and then explain the pictures.

Color code things.

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 spelling (finger spelling).

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.

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What's Your Learning Style? 20 Questions

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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.

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SMC cycle fostering independent learning

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Throughout my eleven years in the classroom, I have never encountered a class with just one learning style. In most classes I have found myself juggling a plethora of learner types and encountering at least one new type each year. This is the reality of the classroom and one of the more difficult aspects of a teacher's job. We are constantly pursuing the perfect balance of differentiation where all learners reach their full potential. While such a utopia admittedly doesn't exist, teachers can lay a foundation for student success by understanding the different types of learners.
Why it's Important to Know Your Students' Learning Styles
A proactive teacher will start each year armed with plans and strategies that have proven effectiveness. Having a bank of resources is crucial during the thick of the year when time (and indubitably patience) are running thin. This practice is built on the premise that you know what students need to learn in order to be successful, but what happens when you exhaust your bag of tricks and students still cannot write a well-structured essay or multiply 3-digit numbers? A year of blind trial and error is a year wasted, and therefore knowing your students' learning styles is critical.

When you know how your students learn best, you can easily identify the root of the issue when they aren't grasping a concept. You have clear direction when choosing strategies - for example: a rap about figurative language is fun but may not be helpful for your visual learners. When you don't understand your students' learning styles, planning will always be a shot in the dark.

When education is on the line, uninformed instruction is not a gamble that we should be willing to take. Teachers should gather data about student learning styles early and consistently. This can be done through learning profiles, observations, and more. Don't wait until a roadblock manifests to gain understanding of the learners in your classroom. The timing will likely be too late.
Types of Learners
Learners are typically pigeonholed into three categories: visual, auditory, and tactile. Furthermore, a true assessment of education as we know it will show that of the three, our visual and auditory learners receive the most instruction that is relevant to their style. There are, however, multiple learning styles that grace our classrooms. Here are some different types of learners along with information about how to accommodate them in the classroom.
Visual
Our classrooms are typically oversaturated with aids for the visual learners. As the name suggests, these learners retain information by seeing. Things like anchor charts, diagrams, number lines, and word walls are effective for visual learners. Visual learners also retain information that is modeled for them.
Auditory
Auditory learners learn best through hearing. Although these students have an advantage in lectures, there are many, more inventive ways to engage auditory learners. Creating mnemonics, reading information aloud, peer teaching, and incorporating non-obtrusive music (i.e. classical) are ways to cater to auditory learners. Because auditory learners naturally gravitate to sound, they are also easily distracted by excess noise in the classroom.
Linguistic
These learners are often confused for auditory learners. While the auditory learner learns best by hearing, a linguistic learner learns by expression and articulation. These students are typically strong writers and orators. They need time and space to think out loud and on paper. One way to engage linguistic learners is to always have instructions written down. Picturesque charts are useful, but know that your linguistic learners are typically looking for words that tell your expectations. Word problems for mathematical operations, writing to explain scientific concepts, and cloze assignments are all effective for these learners.
Kinesthetic
Also known as tactile learners, kinesthetic learners retain information through action. These students need to learn by physically doing things. Movement and creating things manually are winners for our kinesthetic learners. Activities such as gallery walks that allow students to move about the classroom are helpful. Flexible seating options that allow students to work while standing, laying down, etc. are also helpful. Products like fidget cubes and Bouncy Bands are great ways for kinesthetic learners to discreetly maintain movement while working.
Logical/Mathematical
These are our learners who excel in math but dislike the ambiguity of literary analysis. They learn through methodical logic and love the absolute quality of numbers. Logical learners thrive when structure is abundant and may struggle with creative projects. In order to accommodate these students, provide rubrics and/or checklists with clear expectations. Make goals measurable and provide them with the information and tools necessary to self-monitor progress. Sequencing activities, technology, and building projects are a great fit for these students.
Interpersonal
That student who consistently follows up your instructions with a timely request to work in groups is likely an interpersonal learner. These students thrive during collaborative work because communication is the key to their comprehension. Group work is obviously their strength, but we all know that some assignments must be completed individually. Allowing interpersonal learners to work with others during the planning stages of an individual assignment will go a long way. Activities like think-pair-share, literature circles, and team-building activities also work well with interpersonal learners.
Intrapersonal
The exact opposite of their interpersonal counterparts, intrapersonal learners thrive when working alone. These are the students who, when self-aware, will request to work alone on group projects. Allowing these students to have independent study time and a quiet, secluded workspace are extremely helpful. They do well with self-directed research, so providing resources for them to study independently will be beneficial. When intrapersonal learners must work collaboratively, providing defined roles will help them to identify their best-suited role and work accordingly.

Knowing your student' learning styles is crucial to helping them reach their potential. This requires flexibility and engagement in a constant learning curve. The most effective classrooms are those tailored to the specific needs of the students they house.

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What are the Different Types of Learners? - TeachHUB

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Throughout my eleven years in the classroom, I have never encountered a class with just one learning style. In most classes I have found myself juggling a plethora of learner types and encountering at least one new type each year. This is the reality of the classroom and one of the more difficult aspects of a teacher's job.