Creating and Using a Learning Styles Chart

It is just a fact that different people learn in different ways. Trying to teach a classroom full of different learning styles is perhaps one of the biggest challenges that teachers face. But a learning styles chart can help teachers tailor their teaching styles to be able to reach the maximum number of students. Constructivist teachers can use this information to develop “whole brain” curriculum, which reaches both the logical and creative parts of the brain, thus being able to effectively teach the whole class without losing anyone.

Before creating a learning styles chart, it’s important to understand the different learning styles. There are several different learning styles but here we’ll just look at the physical means that students use to learn. These are called the sensory learning styles.

Auditory learners are those who learn best by hearing information and they account for about 30% of the population. They need to interact by speaking and listening to understand what they are learning. They usually need specific questions that have short answers such as true or false or fill in the blank type questions. They also do much better with oral tests.

Tactile learners are the students who are most neglected in traditional classroom settings. Only about 5% of the population are tactile learners, but they are often those left behind. Many tactile learners are also those who have developmental delays or children with other disabilities. They learn best by doing things. These are the physical learners who often will do better in things like woodshop and biology lab then reading or history. Simulation and role playing are often great ways to teach this type of learner.

Visual learners are the most common learners of the population, accounting for about 65% total. These learners can often be neglected as well, but not as much as tactile learners. These are the readers in the group. They will often take heavy notes and like colorful graphics. They often appear unfocused, especially during class lectures, but will create some of the most detailed outlines ever seen.

Now that we’ve covered how each learning style learn, we can talk about a learning styles chart. These charts are all basically the same, but can be tailored to suit your needs. For instance, the learning styles chart you’d use for a kindergarten class certainly would be different from one you would use for a group of high school seniors or adults. It’s also helpful to keep in mind that while older students may be able to take a learning assessment on their own, you may have to do a learning assessment on younger children through observation.

Once you know how your students learn, you’ll be able to adjust your teaching style and curriculum to suit everyone, and you’ll make the experience more enjoyable for them, and yourself.