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Auditory Learning Style

Do you have students with an auditory learning style?

There are specific needs for different learning styles in the classroom that you must know to be an effective teacher.

While most students will either have a visual learning style or a kinesthetic learning style as their primary preferred mode of learning, there are students who truly learn best by hearing.

They are characterized by their strong language skills and ability to remember conversational details. Written information is often difficult for them to create meaning from until they can hear a teacher or another student speak it.

These students can also be highly distracted by extra noise in the classroom. They use active listening skills to interpret:

tone of voice
speed, pitch and other nuances of speech in order to make meaning
process information in the order it is presented

Clear lessons with specific objectives are critical.

Use the observation and instructional strategies below to help you identify and effectively teach your students who are auditory learners.

Observing the Auditory Learning Style

Your student may learn best through hearing if:

You would describe him/her as an excellent listener.

S/he tends to think out loud.

S/he is always eager to participate in class discussions.

S/he has great difficulty copying information from the SmartBoard, whiteboard or blackboard.

S/he has difficulty staying quiet; will think or hum outloud.

S/he can repeat multi-step verbal directions and fulfill them accurately.

S/he enjoys Readers' Theatre, plays, and dramas.

Instructional Strategies for Auditory Learners

Use evidence-based instructional strategies and techniques for teaching to kids' learning styles.

The table below offers 10 specific techniques for students who learn best by listening.

Use audiotapes whenever available

Encourage reading the text aloud

Present information in a progressive, logical order

Allow the use of multi-media for recording lectures

Provide opportunities for quick discussions with "elbow buddies" during floortime

Train students how to work in study-discussion groups

Encourage studying with a friend

Allow presentations of oral reports

Create small groups for discussion of written material

Provide opportunities for repetitive learning with vocabulary acquisition

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