VAK Learning style model

The Visual-Auditory-Kinesthetic learning styles model, usually abbreviated to VAK, provides a simple way to explain and understand your own learning style (and learning styles of others). However, 'learning style' should be interpreted to mean an individual style as everyone has a mixture of strengths and preferences. Nobody has just one single style or preference.

Visual
A bulk of what we learn (roughly 80%) is learned through our vision, and children are no exception. One of the signs that a child is a visual learner is if they are tidy and organized in their learning habits. For most children, from a young age, they acquire a lot of valuable information about the environment through their eyes. Therefore, most schools develop methods that cater to visual learners.

Visual learners tend to learn more from pictures and other visual materials. Thus, visual learners prefer paintings, crafts, and other art-related activities. They also have a wonderful imagination and are known to be very creative. As such, in order to cultivate their in-born skills and utilize their potential, provide them with more opportunities for art-related activities.

Auditory
For some children, their sense of sound allows them to gather large volumes of information and have them processed accordingly. One of the signs that a child is an auditory learner is if he/she is good at listening to instructions and is sensitive to variations in spoken words. Auditory learners gain most of their knowledge from conversations and lectures. As listening requires more concentration than seeing, auditory learners can be more discerning, being more attentive in class and distinguishing different ideas just by listening to them. Furthermore, as information revealed through speaking are not usually recorded accurately in class, the memory capacity of auditory learners exceed those of visual learners. Auditory learners also enjoy studying with music playing in the background.

However, because most schools favor visual learning, auditory learners can find it difficult to excel. In order to not compromise the development of their listening skills, auditory learners should be provided with the opportunity to learn using a medium they are more familiar with by the teacher or parents.

Kinesthetic
Kinesthetic learners just cannot sit still and wait for information to be given. They are able to find things out for themselves without any guidance. Kinesthetic learners are also known to be quite active and their natural curiosity brings them to make new discoveries, making it difficult for schools to limit their movement. Children of this learning style are often mistaken to be rowdy and undisciplined. That however, is a grave misconception. Kinaesthetic learners always seem to be moving around because they see their surroundings differently. For them, the world is just a huge playground full of wonderful things they want to discover and explore.

One of the signs that that a child is a kinesthetic learner is if he/she is fond of tinkering with toys, attempting to figure out how they work. They are quick learners, especially when left alone to examine a particular object. These children can quickly put one and one together and have a great capacity to understand complex processes and procedures. Likewise, as most schools cater to visual learners, kinesthetic learners should also be given opportunities to excel in their studies using their natural skills by teachers or parents.