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In our classroom, we will administer a learning styles inventory to gain an understanding of each students learning style in order to better meet the needs of learners. We will use the data from the inventory to assist in developing lesson plans that meet the needs of each of the learning styles necessary for students.
Identifying style of learning can actually save students from wasting time learning and studying the wrong way by giving students a way to learn and study smarter rather than harder. While each style of learning uses a different part of the brain, they are all very effective—the trick is figuring out which one applies best to each student.
Click on the Learning Styles link and complete the brief survey to determine your primary learning style. Once the learning style has been determined, teachers, parents and students can use the recommended study tips below to assist in creating the most effective learning environment.
With visual learners, it's all about seeing things in order to learn them. This can take many forms, from spatial awareness, colors and tones, brightness and contrast, and other visual information. Visual learning examples include watching a video or in-person demonstration of cooking a meal, following a diagram to build furniture, looking at a graph to understand statistics, writing instructions on a whiteboard for people to follow, and more. Visual learning focuses on what we can see, so anything that is looked at or watched is part of visual learning.
Auditory Learners best understand new information through hearing, listening, and speaking in situations such as lectures and group discussions. These students remember things they have heard. They store information by the way it sounds and have an easier time understanding spoken instructions than written ones. They often learn by reading out loud because they have to hear it or speak it in order to know it. Aural (Auditory) learners use repetition as a study technique and benefit from the use of mnemonic devices.
Kinesthetic Learners best understand information through the tactile representation of information. These students are hands-on learners who learn best through figuring out by hand (i.e. Understanding how a clock works by putting one together). Tactile learners like to take things apart and put things together and tend to find reasons to tinker or move around when they become bored. These students may be very well coordinated and have good athletic abilities.
Organize work and living space to avoid distractions.
Sit in the front of the room to avoid distraction and away from doors or windows where the action takes place.
Sit away from wall maps or bulletin boards.
Use neatly organized or typed material.
Use visual association, visual imagery, written repetition, flashcards, and clustering strategies for improved memory.
Reconstruct images in different ways try different spatial arrangements and take advantage of blank spaces on the page.
Use note pads, PostIts, todo lists, and other forms of reminders.
Use organizational format outlining for recording notes.
Use underlining, highlighting in different colors, symbols, flow charts, graphs, or pictures in your notes.
Practice turning visual cues back into words as you prepare for exams.
Allow sufficient time for planning and recording thoughts when doing problemsolving tasks.
Use test preparation strategies that emphasize the organization of information and visual encoding and recall.
Participate actively in class or group activities.
Develop written or pictorial outlines of responses before answering essay questions.
Work in quiet areas to reduce distractions, avoiding areas with conversation, music, and television.
Sit away from doors or windows where noises may enter the classroom.
Rehearse information orally.
Attend lectures and tutorials regularly.
Discuss topics with other students, teachers, and parents. Ask others to hear your understanding of the material.
Use mnemonics, rhymes, jingles, and auditory repetition through tape recording to improve memory.
Practice verbal interaction to improve motivation and selfmonitoring.
Use tape recorders to document lectures and for reading materials.
Remember to examine illustrations in textbooks and convert them into verbal descriptions.
Read the directions for tests or assignments aloud, or have someone read them to you, especially if the directions are long and complicated.
Remind yourself to review the details.
Use time managers and translate written appointment reminders into verbal cues.
Use verbal brainstorming and tape recording writing and proofing.
Leave spaces in your lecture notes for later recall and 'filing'. Expand your notes by talking with others and collecting notes from the textbook.
Read your notes aloud.
Practice writing your answers using old exams and speak your answers.
Keep verbal discourse short and to the point.
Actively participate in discussions.
Use all of your senses sight, touch, taste, smell, hearing.
Use direct involvement, physical manipulation, imagery, and "hands-on" activities to improve motivation, interest, and memory.
Organize information into the steps that were used to physically complete a task.
Seek out learning that has laboratories, field trips, etc., and lecturers who give real-life examples.
Use case studies and applications (examples) to help with principles and abstract concepts.
Allow for physical action in solving problems.
Read or summarize directions, especially if they are lengthy and complicated, to discourage starting a task without instructions.
Use taped reading materials.
Use practice, play-acting, and modeling to prepare for tests.
Allow for physical movement and periodic breaks during tests, while reading, or while composing written assignments.
Roleplay the exam situation.
Teach the material to someone else.
Write practice answers, paragraphs, or essays.