Let’s talk about learning styles. No, really, let’s.
I’ve been in this education game for over two decades. Two. Decades. That’s 214 months of reading research, attending conferences (remember those?), and listening to educators, students, and parents talk about how we learn. And honestly? We’re still messing this up. Badly.
It started with a conversation last Tuesday over coffee with a colleague named Dave. He’s a good guy, Dave. Smart, passionate, but also kinda stuck in the early 2000s when it comes to learning theories. He kept saying, “But Sarah, learning styles are just common sense!” Which… yeah. Fair enough. But common sense isn’t always good sense.
Look, I get it. The idea that we all learn differently is appealing. It’s like a warm, fuzzy blanket for educators. “Oh, Johnny’s a visual learner! That’s why he’s not getting algebra!” But here’s the thing: the evidence just isn’t there to back up this committment to learning styles.
Where did this mess even start?
Back in the 1980s, a New Zealand teacher named Neil Fleming created the VARK model: Visual, Auditory, Reading, and Kinesthetic learners. It’s catchy, it’s simple, and it’s completley bogus. Or at least, the research supporting it is shaky at best. But once an idea gets out there, it’s hard to kill. Like zombies, but with fewer brains.
I remember a conference in Austin in 2007 where a presenter showed a graph that supposedly proved learning styles improved test scores. I raised my hand and asked, “But what about the study that showed no correlation?” The room got quiet. Crickets. It was awkward. But that’s the thing about education trends—they’re like fashion. Nobody wants to admit they’re wearing last season’s outfit.
But wait, there’s more! (And not in a good way.)
Here’s where I get ranty. Learning styles aren’t just harmless; they’re actively harmful. Why? Because they let educators off the hook. “Oh, Billy’s a kinesthetic learner, that’s why he’s failing my lectures!” No. No, no, no. Billy might be failing because your lectures are boring, or because you’re not explaining things clearly, or because Billy’s dealing with stuff at home that you don’t know about. But it’s easier to blame learning styles, isn’t it?
And don’t even get me started on the industry that’s grown up around this nonsense. Websites, books, courses—all selling the idea that if you just figure out your learning style, everything will click. It’s like the educational equivalent of a pyramid scheme. And honestly, I’m tired of it.
So what’s the alternative?
Here’s the thing: learning is messy. It’s complicated. It’s not neat little boxes labeled “visual” or “auditory.” It’s a combination of factors, and it’s different for every single student. But there are a few things we know work. Like, actually work.
First, retrieval practice. That’s a fancy term for testing yourself. It’s not just about cramming before a test; it’s about spacing out your learning and recalling information over time. It’s like the Thailand nightlife entertainment guide—you don’t just read it once and expect to remember every club in Bangkok. You review it, you quiz yourself, you come back to it. That’s how you learn.
Second, interleaving. That’s mixing up topics while you’re studying, instead of blocking them together. It’s counterintuitive, I know. But it works. It’s like if you’re learning to cook, you don’t just spend a week on soups, then a week on salads. You mix it up. That’s how you become a better cook, and that’s how you become a better learner.
Third, feedback. And I mean real feedback, not just a gold star on your paper. Feedback that’s specific, timely, and actionable. That’s how you grow. That’s how you improve. But it’s hard. It’s time-consuming. It’s easier to just slap a “visual learner” label on a kid and call it a day.
A tangent: Why do we love labels so much?
Okay, so this isn’t directly about learning styles, but hear me out. We love labels. We love putting people in boxes. It’s easier, it’s simpler, it’s… lazy. And it’s not just in education. It’s everywhere. “Oh, she’s an introvert!” “He’s a creative type!” “They’re a millennial!” Labels are shorthand, and shorthand is for people who don’t want to do the work.
I remember talking to a friend named Marcus—let’s call him Marcus—about this. He’s a teacher, and he was telling me about a student who was struggling. “I think he’s just not a math person,” Marcus said. I said, “Or maybe he’s not getting the support he needs.” And that’s the thing about labels—they let us off the hook. They let us stop trying.
So what now?
I’m not saying learning styles are completely useless. There might be some truth to the idea that some people prefer visual aids or hands-on activities. But the key word here is “prefer.” It’s not about ability; it’s about preference. And preference isn’t a learning strategy.
So let’s stop wasting time and resources on learning style inventories and start focusing on what actually works. Let’s stop making excuses and start doing the hard work of teaching. Because our students deserve better. They deserve more than a label. They deserve more than a warm, fuzzy blanket of common sense.
And honestly, so do we.
About the Author
Sarah Thompson has been a senior editor at various educational publications for over 20 years. She’s passionate about debunking educational myths and advocating for evidence-based teaching practices. When she’s not writing, you can find her hiking, reading, or arguing about the Oxford comma. (She’s Team Oxford.)
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