Auditory learning is a
learning style in which a person learns through listening.
An auditory learner depends on listening and speaking as a main way of learning.
[Kostelnik, M.J., Soderman, A.K., Whiren, AP. (2004). Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum: Best Practices in Early Childhood Education (3rd ed.). Columbus: Pearson, Merrill Prentice Hall.] Auditory learners must be able to hear what is being said in order to understand and may have difficulty with instructions that are drawn but if the writing is in a logical order it can be easier to understand. They also use their listening and repeating skills to sort through the information that is sent to them. They are good listeners when people speak.
The
Fleming VAK/VARK model, one of the most common and widely used categorizations of the various types of learning styles, categorized the various types of learning styles as follows:
visual learners, auditory learners, reading/writing-preference learners, and
kinesthetic learners (also known as "tactile learners").
[LdPride. (n.d.)]
''What are learning styles?''
Retrieved October 7, 2008
Characteristics
Auditory learners may have a knack for ascertaining the true meaning of someone's words by listening to audible signals like changes in
tone. When memorizing a phone number, an auditory learner will say it out loud and then remember how it sounded to recall it.
Auditory learners are good at writing responses to lectures they've heard. They're also good at oral exams, effectively by listening to information delivered orally, in lectures, speeches, and oral sessions.
Proponents claim that when an auditory/verbal learner reads, it is almost impossible for the learner to comprehend anything without sound in the background. In these situations, listening to music or having different sounds in the background (
TV, people talking,
music
Music is generally defined as the The arts, art of arranging sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Exact definition of music, definitions of mu ...
, etc.) will help learners work better.
Auditory learners are good at storytelling. They solve problems by talking them through. Speech patterns include phrases "I hear you; That clicks; It's ringing a bell", and other sound or voice-oriented information. These learners will move their lips or talk to themselves to help accomplish tasks.
Recommended techniques
Proponents say that teachers should use these techniques to instruct auditory learners: verbal direction, group discussions, verbal reinforcement, group activities, reading aloud, and putting information into a rhythmic pattern such as a