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Home > The Office of Academic Coaching and Tutoring > Learning Style
What Is My Learning Style?
What is my learning style, and how can understanding it help me improve my study habits?
We all approach learning in different ways, and the study techniques that work well for one person may not work as well for another. Understanding the ways you prefer to learn can help you identify study strategies that make it easier to understand, remember and apply new information.
You may find that you prefer one approach, or that different learning strategies work better for different subjects. Explore the learning styles and study techniques below to discover what works best for you.
Discover Your Learning Preferences
Not sure where to start? Take the Learning Styles Inventory from EducationPlanner.org and then explore the strategies below.
Explore Learning Styles
Select a learning style to jump directly to study strategies you can try.
Verbal Learn through words, reading, writing and discussion. Visual Learn through pictures, diagrams, maps and other visuals. Auditory Learn through sound, listening, rhythm and music. Kinesthetic Learn through movement, touch and hands-on activities. Logical Learn through reasoning, patterns and step-by-step thinking. Social Learn through discussion and working with other people. Solitary Learn independently and prefer studying on your own.
Verbal Learning Strategies
Verbal learners often enjoy reading, writing and expressing ideas through words. If verbal learning strategies work well for you, try incorporating speaking and writing into your study routine.
Study strategies to try:
- Talk yourself through the material you are studying.
- Read important information aloud to help reinforce it.
- Use expression and emphasis when reading aloud rather than reading in a monotone.
- Create rhymes, rhythms or other word associations to connect ideas.
- Rewrite important concepts in your own words.
- Use mnemonic devices to remember phrases, sequences and equations.
Example: “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally” is often used to remember the mathematical order of operations: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition and Subtraction.
Visual Learning Strategies
Visual learners often benefit from connecting information with images, diagrams, maps and other visual representations. For example, when studying history, looking at a map can help connect events with the places where they occurred.
Study strategies to try:
- Create diagrams, charts, timelines or mind maps of the material you are studying.
- Use pictures or symbols to represent important concepts in your notes.
- Look for images and videos related to the subject you are studying.
- Organize information visually so you can see connections between ideas.
- Sketch or doodle concepts while reviewing information if doing so helps you concentrate.
Try this: Turn a page of class notes into a one-page diagram showing how the main ideas connect.
Auditory Learning Strategies
Auditory learners often respond well to sound, spoken information, music and rhythm. You may find that hearing information helps reinforce what you have read or written.
Study strategies to try:
- Say important information aloud as you study.
- Create a rhyme, song or jingle to help remember difficult material.
- Discuss concepts with a classmate or explain them aloud to yourself.
- Use rhythm or sound to help organize and recall information.
- If music helps you concentrate, experiment with using it during study sessions.
- Connect material with sounds or music from the time period or subject you are studying when appropriate.
Try this: After reviewing a chapter, close the book and explain the main ideas aloud as though you were giving a short presentation.
Kinesthetic Learning Strategies
Kinesthetic learners often prefer movement, hands-on activities and physical interaction with materials. Sitting still for a long period of time may be less effective than incorporating movement into study sessions.
Study strategies to try:
- Take short movement breaks during longer study sessions.
- Walk while reviewing information or thinking through a problem.
- Draw diagrams and charts rather than only reading them.
- Use flashcards that you can sort, arrange and physically move.
- Use hands-on demonstrations or models when they are available.
- Try breathing or relaxation techniques to help you focus before studying.
Try this: Put important facts on individual flashcards and physically arrange them into categories, sequences or groups.
Logical Learning Strategies
Logical learners often prefer reasoning, organization and working through information step by step. Understanding why ideas connect may be more helpful than simply memorizing information.
Study strategies to try:
- Work through problems one step at a time.
- Use lists, goals and study agendas to organize your work.
- Focus on understanding the meaning behind your notes rather than simply reciting them.
- Look for connections between the topics you are studying.
- Break complicated material into smaller parts and determine how the parts fit together.
- Create systems, categories or sequences for organizing information.
- Avoid spending so much time analyzing one detail that it prevents you from moving forward.
Try this: Before memorizing a list of facts, ask yourself how those facts are connected and whether they fit into a larger pattern or sequence.
Solitary Learning Strategies
Solitary learners often prefer independent work and may concentrate more effectively when studying alone.
Study strategies to try:
- Set specific goals for each study session.
- Break assignments into smaller tasks that you can complete independently.
- Choose a quiet study environment with limited distractions.
- At each break, review what you have learned by summarizing it aloud or writing down key points.
- Connect course material with topics that personally interest you.
- Keep a list of questions that come up while you study so you can ask your professor or tutor later.
- Reflect on which study techniques were most effective and adjust your routine when needed.
Try this: Before you begin studying, write down exactly what you want to accomplish during that session. When you finish, check whether you reached your goal.
Find the Study Strategies That Work for You
You do not need to rely on only one learning style. Different courses, assignments and situations may call for different approaches. Experiment with several of these techniques and pay attention to which strategies help you understand and remember information most effectively.
Neumann University students who would like additional academic support can connect with the Office of Success Coaching and Tutoring for help developing study skills, managing coursework and identifying strategies for academic success.
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Neumann University’s MS in Education with an Emphasis on Social Emotional Learning prepares educators to build stronger relationships, support student well-being, and create positive learning environments.
Social Learning Strategies
Social learners often study more effectively when they can exchange ideas, ask questions and discuss information with other people.
Study strategies to try:
Try this: Teach one section of the material to your study group. Explaining a concept to someone else can help you determine how well you understand it.