Summary: Find out what style of learning fits you best in this article.
When you studied in school, did you need to use flash cards? Did you prefer writing out facts to remember them, or did you need a visual diagram or to create a song to help your memorization? Everyone has a different learning style. While you may not still be in school, knowing your learning style can make a difference when it comes to your current work.
There are seven different types of learning styles and it’s important to remember that you may fall into more than one category, have a dominant style but still find others helpful as well, or use different types of learning styles with different circumstances.
The Seven Learning Styles:
- Visual (spatial): you use pictures, images and spatial understanding. Tools like mind maps are diagrams are helpful, along with highlighting key terms when reading.
- Aural (auditory, musical): you use sound and music. Tools like rhyming and sound recordings help aural learners remember things.
- Verbal (linguistic): you use words, both spoken and written. Consider reading things out loud or rewriting them to help you remember.
- Physical (kinesthetic): you use your body and hands and love to take things apart and put them back together. Flashcards can also help physical learners because you are moving the cards.
- Logical (mathematical): you use logic, reasoning, and systems. Lists, statistics and associations are especially helpful to logical learners.
- Social (interpersonal): you learn best in groups and should aim to work in groups and have collaborative meetings and workshops.
- Solitary (intrapersonal): you learn best alone and should study/work on your own.
If you’re unsure of your learning style, you can take this quiz at Learning Styles Online. If you teach or manage other people, it’s helpful to know your students or employees learning styles as well to help everyone succeed.