Characteristics of Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic Learners

Three of your senses are primarily used in learning, storing, remembering and recalling information. Your eyes, ears, and sense of touch play essential roles in the way you communicate, perceive reality and relate to others. Because you learn from and communicate best with someone who shares your dominant modality, it is a great advantage for you to know the characteristics of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic styles and to be able to identify them in others.

Visual Learners

Characteristics

  • Mind sometimes strays during verbal activities
  • Observe rather than acts or talks
  • Likes to read
  • Usually a good speller
  • Memorizes by seeing graphics or pictures
  • Not too distractible
  • Finds verbal instruction difficult
  • Has good handwriting
  • Remembers faces
  • Uses advanced planning
  • Doodles
  • Quiet by nature
  • Meticulous, neat in appearance
  • Notices details

Tips

  • Take notes, make pictures, graphs, and charts. Use flashcards and highlight key details.
  • Sit close to the teacher so that you can watch his /her face and gestures.
  • Take notes or make lists as you listen to directions.
  • Carefully check instructions written on the chalkboard and on handouts.
  • As the teacher lectures, pay attention to visual aids such as the following:
    • Drawing, maps, graphs, charts
    • Transparencies, posters, films, books
  • Imagine pictures of the information you are suppose to remember.
  • Use color coding as cues to important information.
  • When possible, read assignments silently.
  • Maintain class notes and outlines of important information to study.
  • Try to read and study in well lit, quiet place.
  • Record homework assignments in a date book, on a note pad, or a specially designed assignment sheet.
  • Keep a note pad with you at all times. Write out everything for frequent and quick visual review.

  • Use sight words, flashcards, note cards and experience stories; don’t try to sound words out, but try to determine if the new word or words has words you already know. For example, the “systematic” has the word “system”, “stem” and“mat” within it.
  • You are a “look-and-say” learner. Look at a word carefully; then say it.

  • Jot down ideas as they form in your mind.
  • Outline your ideas.
  • Make a rough draft, skipping lines. Correct/revise your work.
  • ESSAY TEST: Make quick outlines on scratch paper or in the margin of the test before writing your answer.

  • See the word – close your eyes.
  • Make a picture – then read from your picture.
  • Write the word – match the picture.
  • Check your work immediately.

  • Visualize the problem.
  • Make pictures or tallies of the problem on scratch paper.
  • Write the problem.

Auditory Learners

Characteristics

  • Talks to self aloud
  • Enjoys talking
  • Easily distracted
  • Has difficulty with written directions
  • Likes to be read to
  • Memorizes sequentially
  • Enjoys music
  • Whispers to self while reading
  • Distracted by noise
  • Hums or sings
  • Outgoing by nature
  • Enjoys listening activities

Tips

  • Say aloud the information to be learned/have someone read the information to you/read it into a voice recorder and replay it.
  • Read your work out loud. Record a summary of what you have read.
  • Say words inside your head silently.
  • Brainstorm ideas with others. Form study groups.
  • When possible, learn information through recordings, television, oral reports, rhymes and songs, radio, lectures, book reviews, panel and group discussions, guest lectures, and oral questions and answers.
  • Use a straight-edge marker or guide to assist you in keeping your place while you are reading or working with printed materials.
  • Tape class lectures (Ask instructor for permission).
  • Meet with classmates before and/or after class to discuss material.

  • Plan each sentence you want to write by saying it out loud or silently in your head.
  • Say each sentence several times.
  • Write each sentence as you say it, or talk into a voice recorder, dictating each sentence of your paragraph; then play the recording back – one sentence at a time – and record your paragraph in writing.

  • Listen to the spelling of the word.
  • Say the word – then say each letter out loud
  • Close your eyes and spell the word out loud; check your spelling.
  • Close your eyes and spell the word out loud again; check your spelling.
  • Now write the word, trying to hear it in your mind.
  • Verbally review spelling words and lectures with a friend.

  • Learn math while saying the concept, fact, theorem, etc., aloud.
  • Explain math problems, concepts, facts, etc., to yourself, relating the information out loud.
  • Use a voice recorder and replay the information.

Kinesthetic Learners

Characteristics

  • Likes physical rewards
  • In motion most of the time
  • Likes to touch people when talking
  • Taps pencil or foot when studying
  • Enjoys doing activities
  • Reading not a priority
  • Poor speller
  • Likes to solve problems by physically working through them
  • Will try new things
  • Outgoing by nature; expresses emotions by physical means
  • Uses hands while talking
  • Dresses for comfort

Tips

  • Keep your desk clear of distracting objects.
  • Cover the page you’re not reading.
  • If you are distracted by noise, turn off the radio; wear earplugs or wear an earphone in the learning center to block out the noise. If you want sound, listen to soft music.
  • Divide your work into short study sessions. Get a timer. After 20 minutes or when a task is completed, give yourself a reward, a cookie, a walk around the block, listen to one song, etc.
  • Sit as close to the teacher as possible, or sit in the center of the room by quiet students.
  • When studying, use a multi-sensory approach (hearing, seeing, touching and doing) as much as possible.
  • Get plenty of sleep.
  • Eat a nutritious breakfast and lunch. Snack on fruit or nutritional food if you need extra energy.
  • Study in a carrel or in an office where there is a desk for your text books and notebook.
  • Use models, real objects, and materials that can be touched and moved. For example, learn geography through handling and studying a globe.
  • When possible draw what you are learning.
  • Trace spelling words as you practice them.
  • Record in writing information learned. Keep a supply of paper on hand.
  • When possible, role play, type, take notes, or construct models to learn the information.