Learning Styles
Here is some information from the British Dyslexia Association website: What does dyslexia mean for me?
There are Three main learning styles:
Auditory - using sounds and words
Visual - using your own images, imagining pictures in your mind
Kinaesthetic - active learning, doing, touching, practising things.
If you can identify your learning style you can improve the way you work.
There can be any combination of these, for example, auditory-visual or auditory-kinaesthetic. Everyone needs to think about how they think and learn about how they learn best.
Look at the following lists of activities related to each area of learning.
- Think of your learning experience.
- Try to identify activities which you know would suit you best.
This can provide a rough guide to your learning style.
| Auditory | Visual | Kinaesthetic |
| Audio tape. Dictation. Lectures. Video conferencing. Radio. Discussion. Using mnemonics to remember facts. Taking part in debates. Reading aloud. |
Computer based learning. Videos & TV. Photographs. OHP presentations Pictures. Diagrams. Using interactive CD-Roms. Using mind maps, flow charts. Colour coding your notes. |
Interactive CD-Roms. Field Trips. Computer based learning. Activity-based learning. Visits. Rehearsing and performing. Using movement to stimulate memory. Drawing diagrams and mind maps. Using games. |
Your dyslexia may cause you personal difficulties as well as the more obvious task related problems.
You may not be very self-confident.
It is important that you are able to accept the areas you have strengths and those where you have weaknesses.
Try not to worry if you cannot do a task, everyone has weaknesses.
Having a positive and honest attitude will gain you much respect.
Some general points about dyslexic learners
People remember:
10% of what they read.
20% of what they hear.
30% of what they see.
50% of what they hear and see.
70% of what they say and write.
90% of what they say as they do something.
Learning styles questionnaire
There is an online learning style questionnaire at the Vark web site (http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire) - VARK: visual, auditory, read/write, kinaesthetic. There are 13 multiple choice questions, and it then tells you what your main learning style is and gives you suggestions about how to make the best use of it.
