Do you recall faces before you do names? Do you prefer listening to music rather than watching a movie? These types of questions can indicate what type of learner a person is. There are around seven types of learners, but the most common ones are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (physical). By knowing what type of learner a person is could significantly impact the way they are taught and the methods they use to study. 

Sitting in a classroom and listening to a teacher give a lecture is great for auditory learners, but may not be as beneficial for visual learners who need to see the information right in front of their faces to understand it. Also, physical learners may enjoy science labs and hands-on activities more than anything else, while others find it pointless and would instead read a book or watch a video. 

Below are a list of characteristics and methods for the different types of learners  

Auditory learner characteristics: 

• Talk to themselves frequently
• Listen to music on a daily basis
• Lose concentration easily 
• Read by whispering or saying the words out loud
• Enjoy singing
• Extroverted 
• Enjoy class discussions and lectures 

Auditory learning methods:

• Read out loud 
• Have a discussion about the topic 
• Record lectures and listen to it repeatedly 
• Speak words in syllables 
• Use rhyme or song to memorize 

Visual learner characteristics: 

• Quiet 
• Like to plan events 
• Organized and pay attention to the details
• Can memorize faces easily 
• Are not able to pay attention during lectures
• Need to read the information to understand it 
• Great spellers 
• Some have a photographic memory (being able to recall information or images from only seeing them once) 
• Enjoy reading 

Visual learning methods: 

• Take detailed notes 
• Highlight critical words with colors 
• Take pictures of the information 
• Use flashcards for memorization 
• Use mind maps (diagram used to organize information visually)
• Read from the class textbook 

Kinesthetic (Physical) learner characteristics: 

• Fidgety 
• Have a harder time concentrating 
• Spelling is terrible and so is their handwriting
• Talk with their hands and hand gestures 
• Enjoy trying new foods and going to new places 
• Like to participate in the class 
• They choose their clothes not according to how they look, but how they feel 
• Remember what they did rather then what was said 
• Enjoy physical activities and sports

Physical learning methods:

• Move around while studying 
• Stretch before doing homework 
• Write words repeatedly to remember them 
• Build models 
• Use whiteboards or chalkboards 

Take this quiz to find out what type of learner you are 

http://www.educationplanner.org/students/self-assessments/learning-styles-quiz.shtml