There are three types of learning styles, and the recognition of the learning style a student belongs to will greatly aid in the educational process. Recognizing if a student is a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner can also better set up study techniques. This article will define auditory learning, and explore suggestions as to the best method of auditory studying.
Auditory Learning
Auditory learners learn best while listening to material presented. Complete confusion made by reading a chapter in a textbook can be instantly turned into great understanding when a class lecture is given. Auditory learners are exceptional when it comes to remembering phone numbers, as they can recall the way the numbers sounded when they were spoken.
Auditory learners are also great storytellers, and solve problems primarily by talking through the process. This group is good at writing responses to what they have heard and taking oral exams, relaying information they have heard through oral lectures.
Study Tips for Auditory Learners
When studying, it is best for auditory learners to incorporate sound into their study routine. This can be done in a number of ways, including the following.
- Use a recording device. Recording devices, such as tape recorders, can be used to record lectures given in a classroom, as well as for recording a student's notes.
- Repeat facts and figures. Reciting facts to themselves while studying can help auditory learners better remember.
- Join or start a study group. When an auditory learner is able to explain ideas to others, or hear explanations from others, it aids in the comprehending of information.
- Use words as a memorization technique. The use of mnemonic devices or the creation of songs based on information have proved effective for students within the auditory learning style.
- Watch videos pertaining to the information being studied. Informational videos on subject matter give more audio facts, as well as examples, to the student.
Best Place to Engage in Study
Often, when students study, the best place to do so is the library. However, the auditory learner is discouraged from going to a library to study, mainly because the use of sound can be very disturbing to others. A bedroom or study in the student's home is a more appropriate place, since the student is then able to play back recordings and speak freely, without disturbing others.
Each learning style can be approached in a different way. Reading information may only prove to cause confusion in the minds of auditory learners, which is why some of the above approaches may work well for the study process.
For more information, see How We Learn: Teaching to Different Learning Styles and Study Techniques for the Kinesthetic Learner.
Kristen Brenner - Kristen Brenner is currently pursuing a degree in Elementary Education in Michigan. Although interested in child behaviors and learning ...
