Your Learning Style

Information about Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligence (MI) is helpful for everyone especially for people with learning disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorder.

Knowing your Learning Style will help you develop coping strategies to compensate for your weaknesses and capitalize on your strengths. These pages provide an explanation of what learning styles and multiple intelligence are all about.

What are learning styles?

Learning styles are simply different approaches or ways of learning.

What are the types of learning styles?

There are three main learning styles:

1. Visual Learners;
2. Auditory Learners;
3. Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners.

Visual Learners:

Visual Learners learn through seeing.

Visual Learners need to see the teacher's body language and facial expression to fully understand the content of a lesson. They tend to prefer sitting at the front of the classroom to avoid visual obstructions (e.g. people's heads).

Visual Learners may think in pictures and learn best from visual displays including: diagrams, illustrated text books, overhead transparencies, videos, flipcharts and hand-outs. During a lecture or classroom discussion, visual learners often prefer to take detailed notes to absorb the information.

Auditory Learners:

Auditory Learners learn through listening.

Auditory Learners learn best through verbal lectures, discussions, talking things through and listening to what others have to say.

Auditory learners interpret the underlying meanings of speech through listening to tone of voice, pitch, speed and other nuances. Written information may have little meaning until it is heard. These learners often benefit from reading text aloud and using a tape recorder.

Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners:

Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners learn through , moving, doing and touching.

Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners learn best through a hands-on approach, actively exploring the physical world around them. They may find it hard to sit still for long periods and may become distracted by their need for activity and exploration.

What Can You Do?

If you have been struggling to get ahead spend sometime learning about how you learn - about your learning style. It will make a difference.

Multiple Intelligence

The three main Learning Styles have further been expanded into seven Multiple Intelligences. We can review them in the next page.