There are all kinds of learners: those who learn by seeing something written, those who learn by listening to something being said, and those who learn by actually doing something. These types of learners have the technical names of visual learners, audio learners, and kinesthetic learners. The best learning situation is one that includes a strong mixture of all three of these learning types.
The Visual Learner
Teaching a visual learner is simple. The optimal environment for these students includes allowing them to see words written down when the teacher is talking, giving them a picture to illustrate something being described, and having them look at handouts or overheads when listening to a lecture. Some simple things that a teacher can do to help a visual learner includes using time lines to illustrate historical events, writing instructions on the board, using educational bulletin boards, using diagrams, charts, and maps to supplement the learning material.
The Audio Learner
Audio learners are likewise simple to teach. These learners will remember what they hear as well as what they say, and generally study best through verbal repetition. They may be a challenge to teachers, as they are very expressive when excited about learning. They are easily distracted by sound, yet at the same time they find silence distracting and have difficulties working in quiet conditions for any length of time.
The teacher does have a great asset with the audio learners, in that these students may be able to articulate a concept to another student who may be having difficulties. They will also enjoy and pay close attention during interesting lessons as well as music activities. One way to assist an audio learner who is taking tests or doing other activities is to put on soft classical music in the background. This may help the student to concentrate and to learn the material in a more effective manner.
The Kinesthetic Learner
The kinesthetic learner learns by touch and hands-on activities. This is an important style of learning that may require adapting lessons. Paulo Freire, in Pedagogy of the Oppressed [Continuum, 2000], says that “the more active an attitude men and women take in regard to the exploration of their thematics, the more they deepen their critical awareness of reality…” (p. 87). These tactile learners enjoy becoming physically involved in the subject that is being studied, whether that involves writing out spelling words or manipulating items to learn math.
The kinesthetic or tactile learner's memory seems to be attached to the hands, as these learners remember and understand things better after doing something. Strategies for teaching tactile learners include computer work, hands-on projects, and manipulative learning materials. These students may have trouble sitting still for long periods of time, which means that the teacher may need to come up with physical activities to intersperse into each subject that they study during the day. They may also cause a disturbance when they get excited over something because they have a tendency to act out their excitement.
These learning styles are important to understand and to integrate into classroom lessons each and every day. There must be a balance among the three learning styles, and the effective teacher is one who can integrate visual, audio and tactile learning strategies effectively and productively.
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