Every person has his own unique way of learning. Think about yourself. Do you learn best in a group or by yourself? Do you need quiet? Do you remember better if you see something or if you hear it?

How you answer these questions can help to determine your learning style. Although you may learn in a lot of ways, you probably have one style that is more dominant than the others. There are many theories and many different names, but we're going to look at three learning styles.

Visual Learners Visual Learners remember best what they see. They learn best through images -- pictures, diagrams, timelines, demonstrations and charts are good learning tools. They usually like mazes and puzzles, machines and inventions, and can read a map. Sometimes they're accused of daydreaming in class.

Auditory Learners Auditory Learners think in words. They remember best when they hear and listen. They might be good readers, but may prefer the spoken word more. They are often musical. They are generally good storytellers and solve problems by "talking" about them.

Kinesthetic Learners Kinesthetic Learners (or Active Learners) prefer to learn through their body or their feelings. They are highly active, not able to sit still too long and communicate with body language and lots of gestures. These learners often talk about how they "feel" about things. They learn best when there are hands-on activities.

Now that you know about these three learning styles, it's time to find out what kind of learner you are. Go to Abiator's Online Learning Style Inventory at http://www.berghuis.co.nz/abiator/lsi/lsiframe.html and take one of the tests. Click the button at the end to see which area is your strongest.

For more information about learning styles and for other learning style inventories, check out these sites:

Children's Learning Styles
http://www.fortnet.org/ParentToParent/
Pfellers/par_lern.html

Index of Learning Styles ILS
http://www2.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/
f/felder/public/ILSpage.html

Learning Styles
http://www.studygs.net/memory.htm

Learning Styles Menu
http://www.berghuis.co.nz/abiator/lsi/lsimenu.html

Copyright 2001-2005, Northeastern Educational Television of Ohio, Inc.
All rights reserved.