This is post #5 in our Summer Learning series.

I have a friend who loves music. As she works around the house she is constantly humming or singing to herself.  She almost always has music playing.  When we have a discussion and she refers back to a previous conversation, she always remembers who said what.  We went to a movie together and I came out raving about the special visual effects, she hadn’t noticed, but all she could talk about was the sound effects.   My friend is an auditory learner.  She is among 30% of the population who are auditory learners.

Do you know all the words to a whole bunch of songs?  If you seem to remember things by hearing them, whether listening to a lecture or repeating information out loud, then you are likely an auditory learner.

What does Auditory Learner mean?

There are three dominant learning styles:  visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.  A person learns from all three of the various styles, but there is usually a dominant learning style that surfaces in early childhood.

Auditory learners learn best by listening and hearing. Sometimes referred to as “musical learners.” Auditory learners may have trouble reading silently and responding in a quiet classroom. Those with an auditory learning style like to hear others speak and be the speaker in order to learn best.

Personality and learning traits of the Auditory Learner: 

• Great at explaining ideas to others
• Tend to hum, remember words to favorite songs
• Often hums or talks to himself or others when bored
• Have the edge in learning languages, especially the inflection and sound of them
• Notices sound effects in movies
• Notices details
• Enjoys arithmetic, algebra and chemistry
• A good storyteller
• Often is an early bloomer
• Good at writing responses to lectures
• Enjoys listening activities
• Often have musical talents. They can hear tones, rhythms, and individual notes with their strong auditory skills
• Enjoy being read to
• May not coordinate colors or clothes, but can explain what they are wearing and why
• Often have a well-developed vocabulary and an appreciation for words
• They can carry on interesting conversations and can articulate their ideas clearly
• Remembers names
• Follows spoken directions well
• Can't keep quiet for long periods
• Excels at memorization
• Masters languages in classes

Auditory Learners learn best through:

• Songs, for example, putting a concept to a melody, example “Brush Your Teeth” performed by Two of a Kind for Songs for Teachers™
• Oral instructions
• Learns phonics easily
• Group activities
• Video examples
• Oral exams
• Step by step instructions.
• Solving difficult problems
• Participating in class discussions
• Varied and well-modulated voices
• Clear, loud voices
• Calm and organized talk
• Statistics and facts
• Detailed descriptions
• Audiotapes
• Hearing your enthusiasm
• Audio recordings of stories (check out Mystery of History in the Bundle sale this week!)

Ways to enhance their learning:

• Auditory learners may benefit by using the speech recognition tool available on many PCs, tablets and phones
• Using word association to remember facts and lines
• Recording lectures
• Discussion of lecture, etc
• Sitting where they can hear the instructor the best. Usually near the front or in close proximity to the instructor
• Study groups

Ways to Help them learn:

• If you homeschool an auditory learner, you may find that they have a difficult time recalling information that they have read. After reading discuss what they read, have them tell you about the story.
• When teaching various facts, use word association tools to assist the child.
• Sometimes taking notes can distract auditory learners from listening. Either provide the notes or after listening, have the student take the time to write the notes after the discussion.
• Record the lecture so the auditory learner can listen again.
• Encourage them to pay attention. If they are distracted, they miss out on learning.
• Keep sounds to a minimum. Noise is distracting for an auditory learner.
• Read to them.
• While it is beneficial for your child to write notes, you may also encourage them to use a digital voice recorder to read their notes for higher levels of comprehension.
• Regulate your voice tone, inflection, and body language during lectures.
• Allow students with an auditory learning style to listen to approved music while studying in class.
• Allow any struggling auditory learner to take an oral exam instead of a written one.

Techniques/Hobbies for Auditory learners to try:

• Play classical music in the background when studying
• Study in groups or with another person by having people ask you questions aloud.
• Using Speech Recognition Tools
• Music performance
• Peer tutoring
• Read to others.
• Debate or Speech Teams

 Careers for Auditory Learners:

• Pathologists
• Disc jockeys
• Music-related professions
• Translators (foreign languages)
• Journalists
• Poets
• Writers
• Teachers
• Sound engineers
• Audiologists

Most teachers are auditory learners and teach to their own learning style.  Therefore, auditory learners usually do well in the traditional school setting.

While it is important to use your child’s learning style to help them grow and learn new things, they still need to work to develop the other styles since they will be required to learn in a variety of situations.

If you are unsure what type of learner you are you can take a little quiz, Learning Styles Quiz.

I also found a second quiz about Learning Styles.  It asks you questions about your study habits.  Great for upper elementary through high school.  It also provides homework tips pertaining to your learning style once you have completed the quiz.

In the next post in the Summer Learning series, we'll focus on Kinesthetic or Tactile Learners.