Learning Style

I kinda had an idea of what type of learner I am. I really thought that I was more tactile (hands-on) and less auditory. I wanted to know for sure, what type of learner I was; so, I went to www.educationplanner.org and took a short assessment. The results shocked me!

My results were 45% Auditory, 40 % Visual, and 15% Tactile.  Being an auditory learner means that I learn by hearing and listening. I can remember and understand things that I have heard. I even have an easier time understanding spoken instructions than written ones. I read out loud because I have to hear it or speak it in order to know it. As I read out loud, I also try and visualize the story or the concept being explained to me.

This description is mostly true for me. I certainly had an easier time in certain subjects; like Reading and History because I could hear things out loud and recall dates, people, places, etc. due to my auditory and visual responses to learning various concepts. I had a more difficult time in subjects like Science or Math because I could not always practice with hands-on materials what was being taught or explained to me. I suppose I need to hear, see, and manually practice things in order to learn well.

I had to perform different tasks in order to learn various concepts at home and at school. I practiced using flashcards in Math or Reading, I read stories out loud and sometimes liked to record myself reading or practicing speeches. I also liked to sit up front or near the front of the class so that I could listen better to the teacher. If I took notes, I often repeated the words as I wrote them down. This practice helped me to memorize my notes better and recall the important things I needed to know for tests and other assessments. In Science or Math class, I did better on assignments that were hands-on; as opposed to, taught audibly. It made it easier for me to grasp the material when I could physically experiment with solutions and chemicals; rather than, study the Periodic Table. When class was made fun and interesting, I was more apt to participate and learn better.

This knowledge of myself did not surprise me as much as the fact that I always considered myself a tactile learner more than an auditory learner. I always liked hearing stories, listening to the teacher talk, participate in classroom discussions, but I also need to practice things on my own in order to better understand certain concepts. I thought that I would have scored higher than 15% in this area.

This type of knowledge about myself, certainly can help me inside of my own classroom. I can better plan lessons around the various types of learners that I have. I can "change things up" for those that need more hands-on learning, I can bring in more auditory materials for those who like to learn by listening, and I can add more visual tools to the classroom for those who are more visual learners. I want each student to be successful, but I realize that in order for this to happen, I need to be flexible, creative, and more understanding of the students that I am teaching. Maybe I can take a short inventory of my students at the beginning of the year, to better assess the learning styles of my students. This may help make my planning go easier and create a more successful learning environment.