There are four predominant learning styles: visual, auditory, read/write, and kinaesthetic. As a teacher, it’s important to develop strategies and lesson plans that help each type of learner absorb and learn information in a way that fits their individual needs. Auditory learners learn most effectively by hearing and listening. They depend on listening and speaking to understand new concepts, and benefit from oral instruction. Check out these strategies for auditory learners so they can succeed at home and school!
What Does It Mean To Be an Auditory Learner?
If you’re an auditory learner, it means you learn more efficiently by listening and talking. You remember information better when it’s delivered by sound or speech, rather than written form.
Auditory learners rely on speaking and listening as their primary form of learning. They experience challenges when they receive information and instruction in written form, but can clearly understand them when the information is auditory.
They often learn new things by reading out loud or pairing them with non-verbal sounds like music or clapping. For example, auditory learners tend to learn the words of songs more quickly than other types of learners. They typically excel in traditional school environments where they use listening as their primary way of absorbing information.
5 Strategies for Auditory Learners in the Classroom
1. Q&A Sessions
As a teacher, ensure to hold Q&A sessions for your students on a regular basis. When auditory learning students can ask questions and listen to the answers, they’re more likely to remember information. Encourage your students to ask and answer questions, and engage in conversations with one another. This can help auditory learners succeed.
2. Record Lessons
Ask your teacher’s permission to create audio recordings of their class lessons. Teachers can consider recording their lessons as well. This way, during class students can focus on listening closely to the lesson, which will allow them to process the information better. This will be more beneficial for them than trying to write down every word the teacher says. Later, they can listen back to the recording and note down the most important information.
3. Read Assignment Instructions Out Loud
Reading instructions out loud will help auditory learners understand expectations for their assignments clearly. This will be much more beneficial than handing them a piece of paper to read off of. It may also be helpful to ask students their preferences for assignments. For example, some students may want to write up a project, while others may prefer to do an oral presentation. This helps students express their knowledge in ways that suit them best.
4. Add Social Activities to Lessons
Auditory learners are great at interacting with others and learn really well this way. Try setting up paired readings, group work, discussions, debates, and presentations so auditory learners can talk to other students while working. This will help them learn and retain information more effectively.
5. Provide Audio Platforms
Make use of audio teaching resources such as audiobooks, podcasts, how-to videos, and TED talks, as they’ll be super useful for auditory learners. When students can watch or hear an audio, it gives them a higher chance of learning the information, as well as succeeding in understanding the instructions for different assignments.
5 Study Strategies for Auditory Learners
1. Find a Study Buddy
Auditory learners will do best with a study group or study partner where they can quiz each other on the content. Verbally reinforcing the information will help them retain it, especially if there are a lot of details to memorize.
2. Play Background Music
If you’re an auditory learner, you may find you learn best when there’s (non distracting) background noise compared to total silence. Background music can help auditory learners concentrate more easily and be more productive. While you’re studying in your room or office at home, try playing light music (preferably with no lyrics) or white noise in the background. Classical music specifically has been found to boost productivity for auditory learners.
3. Get Creative
As an auditory learner, it can be tricky to find ways to remember information. You may have to get creative for things to really stick. Try making up songs or rhymes to remember more difficult information. This will help you recall it during tests or exams. You could also put together a presentation and present it to your family and friends to help you remember the information.
4. Recite Things Out Loud (and With Your Eyes Closed)
Whether you’re studying for a test or are given a homework assignment that involves reading a long chapter, read aloud to yourself in your study space. This will help you remember and absorb the information better than if you just read the material. Repeating facts with your eyes closed will also help. This will help you focus your attention on the auditory process, rather than any visual stimuli in front of you.
5. Mnemonic Devices
Word association devices, such as mnemonics, are beneficial for auditory learners who are better able to make connections when facts are repeated out loud. A mnemonic device is a method of memorizing something difficult by associating it with something easy to remember. For example, many people use the name Roy G. Biv to remember the colours of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet).
If you’re an auditory learner, we hope these strategies help you learn and study to your highest potential.
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