Back to School: Leverage Your Learning Style

Everyone learns by seeing, hearing and moving, but each of us has a preferred channel for learning. Knowing what your channel is can help you overcome difficulties in learning information quickly, even if it is not presented the way you like it.

Many people find it difficult to learn in school. Some times they have a label attached: "dyslexic" or "learning disabled" or "runs with scissors" or "doesn't try." When information is taught in ways that don't match a person's main learning channel, it takes much more effort to learn it.

Good teachers will use different methods of teaching to make sure that viewers (visual learners) , listeners (auditory learners), and movers (kinesthetic learners) can all get the lesson and do well. But many teachers were never taught to use these different channels, and very few were taught by teacher who DID use these teaching styles.

Listeners tend to do well in school because much teaching is done by talking--lecturing, explaining. They tend, however, not to be good spellers, unless they practice spelling the words aloud. Their spelling tends to be phonetic, and English has too many exceptions.

Viewers tend to be better spellers than listeners because they remember how the words look, though they may not be as good at figuring out a new word phonetically. Viewers tend to do well in classes that allow them to see patterns and to arrange things visually, such as biology, lab sciences, arts and some vocations.

Movers probably learn spelling best by writing the words over and over, storing the spelling in their finger muscles. Younger children can pretend to write letters in the air, using their whole arm to make the movement. Movers usually excel in classes that allow them to move--gym, vocational classes, the arts.

How can you determine your best learning channel? Do you like to have an explanation (listening), a demonstration (viewing) or do you want to do it yourself (moving). Think about the last time you learned a new task by reading about it. Did you hearing the words in your mind, as if someone were talking to you? (listening) Did you imagine watching how the task was done? (viewing) Did you imagine doing each part of the task as you read about it? (moving).

The next time you have information to learn, think about how you like best to learn.

If you are a listener, consider recording the information on a CD or MP3 and playing it over and over to learn it.

If you are a viewer, draw up a diagram or mind map of the information. Put your drawing in a place where you will see it every day, like in the bathroom or on your office wall. Remember to look at it several times each day.

Movers like to move. Try listening to the information while you are walking around or try to act it out. Try reading for a few minutes and then get up and move to keep from getting restless.

A good strategy is to use all three channels when possible. Read material, say it aloud to yourself, write it down, and draw a diagram or outline. This way you use all your channels, and you will learn more quickly.