Integrating Career Awareness into the ABE/ESOL Classroom - SABES

L e s s o n 8
Learning Styles
Learning Objective
To help students understand and identify their preferred learning styles,
and become familiar with study strategies that support them
Materials Needed
handout: “Study Strategies by Learning Styles”
Internet access to “What’s Your Learning Style?” at www.usd.edu/trio/tut/ts/stylest.html
Vocabulary
visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile, style, preferred
SCANS Competencies
Personal Qualities: Self-management; Self-esteem
Basic Skills: Reading
Instructions for Conducting the Activity
Explain that learning styles are simply different approaches or ways of learning. Knowing your own learning style will help
you to better understand the educational setting or work environment that is best for you.
Write on the board the three main types of learning styles:
• Visual learners – learn by seeing
• Auditory learners – learn by hearing
• Kinesthetic and tactile learners – learn by doing
Explain that while people may use a combination of these approaches, they generally have one dominant learning style.
Teachers can do one of two activities:
1. Have students take the learning styles inventory found at www.usd.edu/trio/tut/ts/stylest.html.
2. Print out a copy of the inventory and have students take it as a pen and paper version.
When everyone has finished, discuss the results:
• How many students’ primary learning style is visual? Auditory? Kinesthetic and tactile?
• Did any students have a tie between two learning styles?
• Was there anything that you were surprised by?
• Brainstorm examples of how each type learns – for example, visual learners like charts and pictures, auditory learners
like to hear directions, kinesthetic learners like to put something together without directions
• What types of educational settings might be best suited for someone with a particular learning style (online learning vs.
small classes vs. lecture style, etc.)?
3. Hand out copies of “Study Strategies by Learning Styles” and discuss.
Integrating Career Awareness into the ABE & ESOL Classroom | Section IV, Lesson 8: Learning Styles | 115