The term ‘learning style’ encompasses the manner in which individuals learn. It is a process that involves teaching methods that are designed to meet individual learning needs so that students can learn the way they know best. Teachers must assess their students to identify the learning styles of their students and adapt their instructional methods accordingly.
One of the most common and widely-used categorizations of the various types of learning styles is Neil Fleming’s VARK model which explains that people generally fall into three main categories, but everyone uses a combination of all three to learn:
Visual
Visual learners have a preference for observation, they think in pictures. Visual learners:
- Love books and magazines
- Have an excellent memory for things they have seen
- Learn well with graphs, charts and diagrams
- Tend to be detail oriented
- Prefer written instructions over oral
- Tend to be good at spelling
Auditory
Auditory learners best learn through listening. Auditory learners:
- Benefit from reading aloud
- Tend to be more talkative
- Enjoy music and tend to hum and sing to themselves
- Good a grammar and foreign languages
- Enjoy working in a study group
- Read slowly
Kinesthetic
Kinesthetic or tactile learners prefer to learn via experience—moving, touching, and doing. Kinesthetic learners:
- Learn through emotion and touch
- Enjoy manipulating things and building models
- Struggle with spelling
- Enjoy excelling in sports
- Enjoy science experiments and hands-on activities
- Seem hyper-active at times
TANG SOO!
Kevin Case is president of the United Tang Soo Do Association. Visit Master Case’s Association website at www.unitedtangsoodo.com
