The 4 Different Types of Learning Styles: What Are They and Which One Do You Prefer?

Everyone is different, even in the way that they learn. Did you know that there are 4 different learning styles? That means that people don’t digest information using the same delivery method but through multiple diverse ones. When something is presented in a specific way and easily makes sense to someone, it doesn’t mean that it’s clear and understandable to someone else. This is because there are 4 learning styles, and if one style works for you, but your teachers keep using another, you’ll probably struggle.

Knowing your learning style is important because it can help you study and learn efficiently and make the most out of it. There’s no need to exhaust yourself and waste your time trying to learn English by just reading and writing when you need to practice and speak to learn truly.

Educatly will introduce you to the 4 learning styles and help you figure out which one works for you.

What Are The Different Types of Learning Styles?

Visual learning:

This is the most common learning style, as around 65% of the world are visual learners. This means that those learners need to see the information, notes, pictures, or whatever material they’re studying to actually retain the information and learn. Those learners need more than spoken lectures or instructions; they need to actually read and see for themselves. They even like to write down heard things so they can look at them and digest them.

You’re a visual learner if you:

1. 1. Want to see what you’re learning or the math equation you’re about to solve?
2. 2. Learn through reading or seeing images, videos, graphs, etc.
3. 3. Recall memories and learnings through pictures or remembering the shape of a book page.

Auditory learning:

Around 30% of the world’s population are auditory learners. This means that they like to hear information. Whether through a lecture, conversation, podcast, or radio, listening is how they optimally learn something new and understand it. They’ll always prefer hearing something over just seeing it, and they’re the same people who like to read out loud.

Auditory learners would record online lectures to watch them again, while visual learners would record to take notes later to look at. Auditory learners can remember 75% of what they hear! They’re unlike visual learners, who do a much better job recalling information seen and way less heard information. 

You’re an auditory learner if you:

1. 1. Learn when you attend lectures.
2. 2. Read out loud.
3. 3. Like to have or attend discussions as a way to study.

Kinesthetic (tactile) learning:

Those learners must use their whole body and senses to learn optimally. With just 5% of the population being kinesthetic learners, they need to participate physically in the learning process, doing homework or solving a problem. This can be through writing down their learnings or moving around as they read it out loud. They learn better through hands-on experience and by doing, not reading or even listening. It’s like riding a bike without reading or listening to instructions, or how, as a baby, you start walking and falling instead of having someone explain how to move your muscles. Some people work that way!

You’re a kinesthetic learner if you:

1. 1. Can’t stay still while studying.
2. 2. Want to psychically do things.
3. 3. You like to solve problems and find solutions independently by doing it. 

Reading/writing learning:

This type of learning is a hybrid of both visual and kinesthetic learning styles because, as it shows from its name, it’s about reading and writing. It’s the basic learning style we all know and have tried at school. 

You’re a reading/writing learner if you:

1. 1. Read to understand but write down to study
2. 2. Create lists and points
3. 3. Create structure and organize everything while studying

By now, we know that using just one method to teach students wouldn’t work. Gathering a group of 30 people with different learning styles and teaching them the same way will set up some people for failure. This is why it’s important to know which of the 4 learning styles is your favorite to get the most out of your learning experience and optimize it for the best results!

You can read more about education on the Educatly blog. For example, we debunk 7 misconceptions about homeschooling, discuss whether the school system is benefiting the youth, differentiate between learning and studying, and even tell you how to write a motivational letter when applying to university!

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