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Information about learning styles and Multiple Intelligence (MI) is helpful for everyone, especially for people with learning disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorder. Knowing your learning style will help you develop coping strategies to compensate for your weaknesses and capitalize on your strengths.
This page provides an explanation of what learning styles and multiple intelligence are all about, an interactive assessment of your learning style/MI, and practical tips to make your learning style work for you.
For ease of use, the page has been divided into six categories:
Learning Styles Explained
What are learning styles? Types of learning styles- Multiple Intelligences Explained
What is Multiple Intelligence? What are the types of multiple Intelligences?
- Take Our Interactive Learning Styles Test
Over 1 million people have taken it - Making Your Learning Style Work for You…
Practical tips on how to use your learning styles to help you learn
- Learning Styles/MI Links
Web Pages on Learning Styles
Please Pick a topic:
What are the types of learning styles?
Learning styles are simply different approaches or ways of learning.
What are the types of learning styles?
Visual Learners:
These learners need to see the teacher’s body language and facial expression to fully understand the content of a lesson. They tend to prefer sitting at the front of the classroom to avoid visual obstructions (e.g. people’s heads).
Visual learners think in pictures and learn best from visual displays including: diagrams, illustrated text books, overhead transparencies, videos, flipcharts and hand-outs. During a lecture or classroom discussion, visual learners often prefer to take detailed notes to absorb the information.
Auditory Learners:
learn through listening…
They learn best through verbal lectures, discussions, talking things through, and listening to what others have to say. Auditory learners interpret the underlying meanings of speech by listening to the tone of voice, pitch, speed, and other nuances.
Written information may have little meaning until it is heard. These learners often benefit from reading text aloud and using a tape recorder.
Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners:
Learn through, moving, doing, and touching…
Tactile/Kinesthetic persons learn best through a hands-on approach, actively exploring the physical world around them. They may find it hard to sit still for long periods and may become distracted by their need for activity and exploration.
Multiple Intelligence Explained
What is Multiple Intelligence?
What are the types of Multiple Intelligence?
Verbal/Linguistic Intelligence
Logical/Mathematical Intelligence
Bodily/Kinesthetic Intelligence
What is Multiple Intelligence?
Conceived by Howard Gardner, Multiple Intelligences are seven different ways to demonstrate intellectual ability.
What are the types of Multiple Intelligence?
Visual/Spatial Intelligence
Ability to perceive the visual. These learners tend to think in pictures and need to create vivid mental images to retain information. They enjoy looking at maps, charts, pictures, videos, and movies.
Visual/Spatial Intelligence skills include:
| Puzzle building |
| Reading |
| Writing |
| Understanding charts and graphs |
| A good sense of direction |
| Sketching |
| Painting |
| Creating visual metaphors and analogies (perhaps through the visual arts) |
| Manipulating images |
| Constructing |
| Fixing |
| Designing practical objects |
| Interpreting visual images |
Possible career interests:
Navigators, sculptors, visual artists, inventors, architects, interior designers, mechanics, engineers
Verbal/Linguistic Intelligence
Ability to use words and language. These learners have highly developed auditory skills and are generally elegant speakers. They think in words rather than pictures.Their skills include:
| Listening |
| Speaking |
| Writing |
| Storytelling |
| Explaining |
| Teaching |
| Using humor |
| Understanding the syntax and meaning of words |
| Remembering information |
| Convincing someone of their point of view |
| Analyzing language usage |
Possible career interests:
Poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, translator
Logical/Mathematical Intelligence
Ability to use reason, logic, and numbers. These learners think conceptually in logical and numerical patterns making connections between pieces of information. Always curious about the world around them, these learners ask lots of questions and like to do experiments.Their skills include:
| Problem-solving |
| Classifying and categorizing information |
| Working with abstract concepts to figure out the relationship of each to the other |
| Handling long chains of reason to make local progressions |
| Doing controlled experiments |
| Questioning and wondering about natural events |
| Performing complex mathematical calculations |
| Working with geometric shapes |
Possible career paths:
Scientists, engineers, computer programmers, researchers, accountants, mathematicians
Musical/Rhythmic Intelligence
Ability to control body movements and handle objects skillfully. These learners express themselves through movement. They have a good sense of balance and eye-hand co-ordination. (e.g. ball play, balancing beams). Through interacting with the space around them, they are able to remember and process information.
Their skills include:
| Dancing |
| Physical co-ordination |
| Sports |
| Hands-on experimentation |
| Using body language |
| Crafts |
| Acting |
| Miming |
| Using their hands to create or build |
| Expressing emotions through the body |
Possible career paths:
Athletes, physical education teachers, dancers, actors, firefighters, artisans.
Interpersonal Intelligence
Ability to relate and understand others. These learners try to see things from other people’s point of view in order to understand how they think and feel. They often have an uncanny ability to sense feelings, intentions and motivations.
They are great organizers, although they sometimes resort to manipulation. Generally they try to maintain peace in group settings and encourage co-operation.They use both verbal (e.g. speaking) and non-verbal language (e.g. eye contact, body language) to open communication channels with others.
Their skills include:
| Seeing things from other perspectives (dual-perspective) |
| Listening |
| Using empathy |
| Understanding other people’s moods and feelings |
| Counseling |
| Co-operating with groups |
| Noticing people’s moods |
| Motivations and intentions |
| Communicating both verbally and non-verbally, |
| Building trust |
| Peaceful conflict resolution |
| Establishing positive relations with other people |
Possible Career Paths:
Counselor, salesperson, politician, business person
Intrapersonal IntelligenceAbility to self-reflect and be aware of one’s inner state of being. These learners try to understand their inner feelings, dreams, relationships with others, and strengths and weaknesses.
Their Skills include:
| Recognizing their own strengths and weaknesses |
| reflecting and analyzing themselves |
| awareness of their inner feelings |
| desires and dreams |
| evaluating their thinking patterns |
| reasoning with themselves |
| understanding their role in relationship to others |
Possible Career Paths
Researchers, theorists, philosophers