Learning Styles

Assessing Your Learning Style.

1. Read an activity in the table below, then read each of the three responses to the right of that activity.

2. Mark the response that seems most characteristic of you.

3. After doing this for each row, add up all the marks in each column and write the total in the corresponding space in the bottom row.

4. The column with the highest total is your primary learning style and the column with the second highest total is your secondary learning style.

Activity	Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
1. While I try to concentrate…	I grow distracted by clutter or movement, and I notice things in my visual field that other people don’t.	I get distracted by sounds, and I prefer to control the amount and type of noise around me.	I become distracted by commotion, and I tend to retreat inside myself.
2. While I am visualizing…	I see vivid, detailed pictures in my thoughts.	I think in voices and sounds.	I see images in my thoughts that involve movement.
3. When I talk to someone…	I dislike listening for very long.	I enjoy listening, or I may get impatient to talk.	I gesture and use excessive movements.
4. When I contact people…	I prefer face-to-face meetings.	I prefer speaking by telephone for intense conversations.	I prefer to interact while walking or participating in some activity.
5. When I see an acquaintance…	I tend to forget names but usually remember faces, and I can usually remember where we met.	I tend to remember people’s names and can usually remember what we discussed.	I tend to remember what we did together and may almost “feel” out time together.
6. When I am relaxing…	I prefer to watch TV, see a play, or go to a movie.	I prefer to listen to the radio, play music, or talk with a friend.	I prefer to play sports, make crafts, or build something with my hands.
7. While I am reading…	I like descriptive scenes and may pause to imagine the action.	I enjoy the dialogue most and can “hear” the characters talking.	I prefer action stories, but I rarely read for pleasure.
8. When I am spelling…	I try to see the word in my mind or imagine what it would look like on paper.	I sound out the word, sometimes aloud, and tend to recall rules about letter order.	I get a feel for the word by writing it out or pretending to type it.
9. When I do something new…	I seek out demonstrations, pictures, or diagrams.	I like verbal and written instructions, and talking it over with someone else.	I prefer to jump right in to try it, and I will keep trying and try different ways.
10. When I assemble something…	I look at the picture first and then, maybe, read the directions.	I like to read the directions, or talk aloud as I work.	I usually ignore the directions and figure it out as I go along.
11. When I am interpreting someone’s mood…	I mostly look at his or her facial expressions.	I listen to the tone of the voice.	I watch body language.
12. When I teach others how to do something…	I prefer to show them how to do it.	I prefer to tell them or write out how to do it.	I demonstrate how it is done and ask them to try.
Totals:	Visual: __________	Auditory: __________	Tactile/Kinesthetic: __________

Techniques to use for learning with your primary (and secondary) learning styles

Visual	Auditory	Tactile/Kinesthetic
Sit close to the teacher	Listen carefully to your teacher’s voice	Highlight important information while reading
Take detailed notes	Read the textbook and your notes out loud	Write out your own notes in class and while reading the textbook
Draw pictures	Tape record lectures and listen to them later	Transfer your notes to another notebook or type into your computer
Make flow charts	Listen during class instead of writing notes	Doodle and draw as you read
Use flash cards	Work in a study group	Hold your book while reading
Focus on the figures, tables, and their captions	Discuss the material with others	Walk or stand while reading
Use visualization		Use flash cards

The information in this handout is adapted from Get Ready for A&P by Lori K. Garrett, Pearson/Benjamin Cummings, 2007.