Top 10 Ways to Help Auditory Learners

These tips will be helpful for parents of younger auditory students, who need help learning how to learn.

1. Read instructions aloud together. He’s not being lazy and obstinate; he really needs to hear it.
2. Do question and answer sessions orally, and use oral discussions to determine if students understand lesson concepts, plot twists, character traits, etc.
3. Allow the student to hum, drum, beat-box, and make other noises, because stifling those sounds also stifles his brain. This can also include loud and rhythmic typing on a computer keyboard.
4. Put this child in a room by himself or allow other students to leave the room for the sake of peace, harmony, and clear thinking.
5. Allow the student to read and review notes aloud. Let him hear it and say it.
6. Use oral explanations of difficult concepts, lesson directions, etc. This can go beyond basic lesson instructions to allowing the child to talk it through to the point of understanding.
7. Stop taking away his iPod. Allow the student to use background music as “white noise” (headphones at low volume work well to avoid disturbing others). Ask if there are other distracting sounds that could be turned off to help him concentrate.
8. Allow him to answer for himself, especially when relatives or friends ask how school is going.
9. Give him time to think all the deep thoughts going on in his head. Allowing his “off-topic” comments and questions enables him to “erase the blackboard of his mind,” providing a clean slate for the next lesson.
10. Give him experiences in the other 3 styles to improve his overall learning abilities.

For further help, visit these links:
Learning Styles v. It’s a Syndrome
“Auditory Learning” topic (including all of this “Auditory Learning Week” series)
“Learning Styles” topic