Auditory Learning Style for Kids- Everything You Need to Know

Think about someone you know who can quote entire scenes from movies, can hear a song once and remember all the words, or you share a good joke and they retell it perfectly?! Those people have Auditory Learning Style Strength. Auditory Learning Style for Kids will help you identify the strengths of your Auditory Learner and help them reach their best potential.

This Auditory Learning style is one of 4 from Neil Fleming’s VARK Learning Style Model.  The other 3 learning models are Read/ Write, Visual, and Kinesthetic. This learning style is all about absorbing information by listening and talking. Lectures, Audiobooks, and Verbal instructions are these learners’ best friends. If you haven’t already taken this quiz to see which learning style your kiddo fits try it out here– Savor the Mom Life’s Learning Style Quiz.

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What is Auditory Learning Style and What does it mean for Teachers and Parents?

These learners love to talk, are good at remembering names, and prefer to hear information instead of reading it. They do struggle with focusing especially where there is a lot of outside noise. They do best when they can laser focus on what they are hearing. Pictures and Practical learning are not helpful if they cannot hear the details and talk about them.

These learners tend to grow up to be writers, journalists, teachers, lawyers, and language specialists.

Where and When Can You Create Auditory Learning Experiences for Your Kids?

Kids with a strong Auditory Learning Style are most likely early talkers. They learn songs and nursery rhymes quickly. These are kids that recite the alphabet song when they are learning letters. They benefit from read aloud and books on tape. Headphones for focus are a great idea since they can be easily distracted by multiple audio streams or external noises.

Life Skills

• These Learners will be quick to remember names, phone numbers, and addresses, etc. Especially when they hear and speak the things being memorized. Create songs and rhymes to make it fun.
• Verbal reminders of schedules and instructions can keep them on track. Having discussions about life lessons are perfect for these auditory learners.

Educational Skills

• Auditory Learners love to listen and talk. Hearing a lecture or an audiobook and then discussing it with a teacher, peer, or parent is a great way to get the information to stick.
• Creating mnemonic devices to memorize spoken information.
• Using the think, pair, and share model after listening to some story or lecture can be engaging to those with Auditory learning strength. (Time to think about what you heard, find a partner, and time to talk with the partner about what you heard.)
• Using beats and rhymes to memorize information is great since they are easy to recite verbally.

Why does Thinking about Your Childs Learning Style Help with Parenting and Learning?

We all tend to learn with a combination of these learning styles. Usually one of them is stronger than the others. When we can find one that a kid favors it can be easier to make learning more fun, engaging, and fulfilling, The Auditory learner is less common than the other styles. Knowing your kiddo and what style they favor can help you create an ideal environment for learning. For example, these Auditory learners are so focused on sounds that extra audio will distract them. But drawing while listening could be just fine.

Auditory Learning Style Affirmations

• “You are such a wonderful listener!”
• “I love how you can follow all the directions after hearing them.”
• “You can tell how much you were listening by the information you are sharing with me.”
• “I like how you paraphrased the topic we discussed.”
• “The way you retell that story, I know you really understand what happened.”

Reading and Writing Ideas for Busy Boxes and Center Play

• Audio Books: Listening to a story while turning the pages and listening is perfect for a busy box.

Check out all the Audio Books available for your kiddos!

• Books with Interactive Sounds: The extra audio will captivate your kiddo and help them focus on the story, as well as become better at retelling.

• Microphone: Kids can read the story into the microphone and hear their voices returned back to them. Bonus motivation to sing a song about what they are playing or reading.

• Recording Device: Kids can make their own audiobooks, instructions for games, or just record their thoughts as they are playing. Fun for them and you to listen again later.

• Discussion Buddy: Including a stuffed animal, doll, etc in the busy box will give them someone to read to or verbal interact with as they are playing.

• Audio Alphabet and Number Toys: Toys with audio of the letters, letter sounds, or numbers.

• Alphabet Charts and Number Lines: Kids can use these to read aloud to themselves, their discussion buddy, or even record themselves reading or singing letters and numbers.

Ways to Become a Stronger or Practice to Become a Better Auditory Learner

If auditory learning is not kiddos’ strength or you just want them to be better at using this method of study here are some ideas to PRACTICE.

• Encourage them to Listen, Retell, and Repeat.
• Truly focus when a child is retelling.
• Read aloud to your kiddo often and with enthusiasm (engaging tone and innovation).
• Block out other stimuli while practicing.