The seven styles of learning can be overwhelming. However, it is important to me to help every student get a chance to learn the importance of writing. Writing may seem to skew a little more on the linguistic learning style; with creative and targeted lesson plans, students can enjoy all seven styles while actively learning the concept.
As we all know the 7 styles of learning are:
- Visual
- Aural
- Verbal
- Physical
- Logical
- Social
- Solitary
These 7 styles are vital in the learning experience. One of the things that I loved about so many of my professors was that they knew how to speak to all kinds of learning. This is something I love to do.
No student is fully one learning style. All the students that I have engaged in favor one over the others, but there is usually a primary and secondary preference in learning.
Below, you will see the types of learning styles, and how I try to incorporate them into my lessons.
CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW I ACTIVELY CONNECT WITH MY STUDENTS
Visual Style of Learning
Some articles state that 65 percent of the population are visual learners. However, I am skeptical. Check out this blog post by Jo Cook that might debunk this stat. Regardless of the numbers, we do know that graphics are key to engaging students in eLearning courses. This number also applies to face-to-face or in-person learning. Why? Well pictures, diagrams, mind maps, and colors to help them categorize the lesson plans. To a visual learner, nothing is more boring than reading through a 300-page paper.
This is my favorite photo I found on instagram. I use this to teach students how important it is to use proper spelling.
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As a teacher, for me, this is great. I love color and connecting things that they may or may not see. How do I help push a concept for students in my lesson plans?
I use a variety of techniques. These techniques include:
- Videos
- Pictures
- The Use of Mind Maps
- Colorful Organization Skills
- Diagrams
- Theatrics
I have found that these techniques help keep my students attention, and they help them grasp difficult concepts.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW I USE VISUAL TOOLS IN MY CLASSES.
Aural Style of Learning
Those who learn better through listening to lectures make up 30 percent of the population according to a study regarding the Learning Styles of Medical Students – Implications in Education. Granted, I teach English. Teaching in general is an auditory art. However, this learning style requires a keen sense of understanding. The students get bored with reading, hands on projects, and visual tools.
Sometimes, I have even been known to bring in music, music videos, and other ways to tell stories through musical forms. One of my favorites, which always makes my students laugh, is this old classic:
This student is the kind of learner that can remember up to 75 percent of a lecture.
I help this type of student by – well, talking to them. Additionally these are the techniques I use:
- Lectures
- Discussions
- Repetition
- Group Chats
These techniques help my students who prefer auditory learning to stay engaged in the classroom.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW I USE AURAL TOOLS IN MY CLASSES.
Verbal Style of Learning
When it comes to the verbal learning students it is important to note that these students love language. These are they students that would much rather read the lecture than sit there and listen to it. These students are much more entertained by slides with notes than they are looking at pictures.
Here is how I try to reach their learning style:
- Handouts/downloads to give to my students
- Using Keywords
- Applying Acronyms
- Using Rythm to Teach
- Class Discussions
- Reading Out Loud
- Presentations
These techniques help my students who prefer verbal learning to stay engaged in the classroom.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW I USE VERBAL TOOLS IN MY CLASSES.
Physical Style of Learning
This group of learners make up 5 percent of students. These students are the ones who are bored with class. They often get fidgety. That is perfectly fine. They don’t want to “waste their time” and prefer to actually do things to make them feel they are doing something relevant. This is my personal secondary learning style. I get these students.
Here is how I try to reach their learning style:
- Give them small tasks to accomplish during the lecture
- Improvised Improv lessons
- Write on the board
- I let the students move around
- Using the lecture as a treasure map or game
These techniques help my students who prefer physical learning to stay engaged in the classroom.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW I USE PHYSICAL TOOLS IN MY CLASSES.
Logical Style of Learning
These are my students who struggle, big-time, with abstract concepts. They don’t understand creativity. If they do understand it, they prefer it to make some kind of logical sense. These are the students who prefer science, math, and numbers. They prefer concrete categories and to have things flow nicely.
This is how I incorporate this style of learning into my teaching style:
- Using formulas
- Taking time to explain concepts
- Explaining why this information helps them
- Providing goals
- Explaining how one thing works with another
These techniques help those who prefer logical learning to stay engaged in the classroom.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW I USE LOGICAL TOOLS IN MY CLASSES.
Social Style of Learning
These students like to be, well, social! They are the social butterflies who want to work in groups or with partners. Social learners enjoy getting involved in the discussion and working with people.
The ways I help students that prefer to be social include:
- Letting students work in groups
- Roleplaying games that help students see the process of writing
- Allowing students to brainstorm
- Improv
- Offering one-on-one time with me to help them understand a concept they struggle with
These techniques help my students who prefer sociall learning to stay engaged in the classroom.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW I USE SOCIAL TOOLS IN MY CLASSES.
Solitary Style of Learning
These students prefer to learn on their own. They despise doing group projects, and this type of student is really independent. This student is the one who wants to learn at their own pace and in their own time. This is the student that doesn’t want to be tied down.
This is how I incorporate this style of learning in my classes:
- I try to avoid forcing outside of class group projects
- Provide a set of goals to accomplish
- Allow students to do papers on something they love
- Freewriting/ or writing a letter to me for attendance
- Motivating students passions with the lessons
These techniques help my students who prefer solitary learning to stay engaged in the classroom.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW I USE SOLITARY TOOLS IN MY CLASSES.
