VAKT Learning Styles are “Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic and Tactile.”

The VAKT Learning Styles model is the best known learning styles model. It is based on HOW learners learn.

VAKT stands for “visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile.”

• Visual is learning by seeing images and visuals.
• Auditory learning through language, hearing and reading.
• Kinesthetic is learning through moving and doing.
• Tactile is hands-on learning and touching.

Using all of the senses to teach your child makes learning easier. It also makes learning more interesting. Your child will learn better if your teaching interests him.

There are all kinds of VAKT activities for each learning style.

VAKT Learning Styles: The Big Picture

All children learn through seeing, hearing , activities, and/or touching objects.  Kids also learn through smell and taste, but those senses are not very useful for academic learning.

VAKT Learning Styles focus on using your child’s senses as input for learning. VAKT teaching works best when you uses your child’s strongest senses. Learning is easier when it matches your child’s best way of learning.

Your child will learn better with VAKT Learning Styles Based teaching!

If you KNOW your child’s best VAKT learning style, then you can teach the way he learns.

On the opposite end, if you teach in a way that’s against your child’s natural style, then your child may not learn well. He may not learn at all! Your child may argue and say he hates school. If that’s the case, then you may have to repeat lessons.

Learning problems can’t ALL be fixed if you simply focus on your child’s learning style. However, teaching your child using his best learning style(s) removes one roadblock to learning. Removing the one roadblock is better than blocking learning!

Since using VAKT learning styles teaching is easy, it makes sense to teach using your child’s best learning style.

The Visual Learning Style and Visual Learners

When a child sees things with his eyes, he processes the information in the visual, picture-center of his brain. Anything that is an image is a visual learning activity. WORDs are not images, therefore they are not visuals.

For kids who prefer visual images, teaching by talking or reading doesn’t improve learning.  Teaching is best if you use rich images, charts, graphs, and other visual representations of information. If you use visuals, then your visual learner will process the information quicker and easier. That means he or she will learn faster!

If you want to learn more about the Visual Learning Style, then check out our Visual Learners page.

The Auditory Learning Style and Auditory Learners

If your child loves listening to people talk or reading, then she’s could be a language-based learner. Word-based information is processed in the language center of the brain. That goes for both talking and reading. They’re both auditory activities.

Most classroom teaching is auditory. Talking and reading are used for teaching. Therefore, classroom teaching works well for kids with auditory learning styles. If your child has an auditory learning style, then you’ll have an easier time finding ready-made lessons. Regular classroom teaching materials will meet the needs of your auditory learner.

If you want to learn more about the Auditory Learning Style, then check out our Auditory Learners page.

Kinesthetic & Tactile Learning Styles and Learners

The least common style is the Kinesthetic-Tactile learning style.  Kinesthetic and Tactile learners learn best by actively doing things.  Hands-on activities and body movement are best for teaching Kinesthetic-Tactile learners.

Kinesthetic and Tactile learners are the most challenging to teach in a traditional classroom.  They require the addition of hands-on activities in order to meet their needs.

In a regular classroom, these are the kids who are likely to fidget. They’re in and out of their desks, swinging their legs, and aren’t able to “sit still” for very long.  A child with a Kinesthetic/Tactile learning style doesn’t learn easily if he is not moving.  That can be a problem in a regular classroom!

Want to to learn more about this active and fun Learning Style? Check out our Kinesthetic/Tactile Learners page.

VAKT Learning Styles Explanation Video

You may also like to watch this YouTube video to learn more about VAKT learning styles. The video talks about each of the VAKT learning styles. It also gives some tips for teaching each learning style. The video opens in a new window.

Learning Styles with Lisa – Part 1

VAKT Learning Styles Inventories

To figure out if your child is an Auditory, Visual, or Kinesthetic/Tactile learner, try this quick and easy test: www.schoolfamily.com/school-family-articles/article/836-learning-styles-quiz. This test is easy to understand by most children. It gives you results that rank the primary, secondary, and least useful learning styles for your child.

Below is another quick, easy, and free VAKT Learning Styles test. It is a PDF that you can print. See: www.njea.org/pdfs/LearningStyleInventory.pdf . This test is easy to use. It also gives you a clear, easy to understand result.

Another test can be found at: www.whatismylearningstyle.com/learning-style-test-1.html and www.whatismylearningstyle.com/learning-style-test-2.html. These tests use two different formats. Use the one you like best, because they give similar information. Use both if you like!

By using these tools, you can find your child’s VAKT Learning Styles. Knowing your child’s best learning style will help you teach your child and can really improve learning!

When you know your child’s VAKT learning style, Learn More:

• Auditory.
• Visual.
• Kinesthetic.
• Tactile.

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