On this page, you can read about the experiences of others with a Kinesthetic learning preference.
Why not share your experiences too?
- Do you consider yourself a Kinesthetic person?
- Are there aspects of your life where your Kinesthetic preference is obvious?
- What study strategies do you find helpful, as someone with a Kinesthetic preference?
Leave a comment below to tell us about your experiences as someone with a Kinesthetic preference.
Ntebo said:
Wow this is quite interesting. I did not know i was a kinesthetic learner and i could not agree more on the results i got. I really believe i am a kinesthetic learner because i enjoy and like real things and personal experiences. I would rather watch videos in order to practise or do a new thing because reading for a long time is not my thing as i would lose concentration and focus within a very short period of time. But that does not mean i hate reading or learning from other people.
Christian said:
Hmmmm… Everyone who has commented has said they get distracted easily (or did when they were younger). THAT’S NOT ME AT ALL!! I’m on my 3rd Master’s, and I have never had problems sitting still and focusing on reading/school work. I actually need it pretty silent when I work. But where I might fit in with this kind of “hyperactivity” stance is that I have never been able to stay put in one place, like, one city or house/apartment. I have lived in 8 countries on 4 continents in 50 years. Well, and I said it: I’m on my THIRD Master’s. There may be some deep-seated “restlessness,” always trying to improve my station, hence studying constantly and always moving to a different place.
Wild, but interesting to see that this is how I study. I thought I was more of a reader, and I still hold to that. I had never really thought HOW I get to through the process.
VARK-Learn said:
It is true that many have commented about getting distracted or having trouble sitting still. Many people think that needing to move around is an attribute of the Kinesthetic learner, but really that is not part of VARK – in VARK terms, Kinesthetic is more to do with learning in relation to experience (preferably one’s own) and the “real” world. It could be that some Kinesthetic learners become restless if they are faced with too much theoretical information (often presented in a Visual or Read/write way) that does not interest them though. In your case, it may be interesting to think about what type of things you prefer to read – some written material is well-suited to those with a Kinesthetic preference – for example case studies and material with a lot of real world examples.
Kim said:
I just learnt after years of education I’m a kinesthetic learner. I have a masters degree, love creative writing and reading, reading interesting journal articles… so i thought I was a reader. But reflecting on this I think you’re right. I skim read to the core ideas, and constantly do better in my practicals/role-plays/real-life case study and analysis rather than pure theory. Even with lectures I enjoy discussion and real life examples and practice rather than pure intellectual giberish. Also.. when I was really young I used to get beatings for not being able to sit still and when I did I’d feel bugs on my feet. That’s stopped as I grew up but maybe I’ve learnt to repress that side knowing society prefers learners who sit, listen, read and write to gain information.
Elijah said:
Often times when learning a new skill, whether it’s practical, or just for fun, I like talking with people about it. I enjoy visual learning as well. If I can’t get a video, or talk with someone about how that thing operates, or how to do it, I can’t really concentrate enough to fully grasp the knowledge required for that certain thing.
Krystal Alleyne said:
When learning a new math concept, I first read about the concept and then I do lots and lots of examples. I practice, practice, practice until I get it. If I feel the slightest bit frustrated or hungry or tired, I take a break! No questions asked. Because I understand my problem solving is more effective when I am comfortable and at ease. If I start feeling emotions such as tiredness, or hunger or frustration, those emotions block my ability to think clearly and I end up just getting the problem wrong over and over again vs. when I take a break, come back and am able to solve it with ease….
Also, if I have to sit at a desk and do work for long periods of time, I need to sit near to a window, where I can at least look outside at the sky or feel the breeze or the rain etc.
I’ve timed myself. It seems like I can sit for at least 1 – 2 hours straight of productive math problem solving before I need to take a break. My breaks usually last between 20 minutes to an hour depending on how I feel. Anything past an hour and I will lose focus. And absolutely NO SOCIAL MEDIA (Instagram, phone, youtube, tik tok etc.)
Jacqueline said:
When I am learning a new skill, I like to watch a short video and perform the action. I prefer to jump right into learning how to use a tech device through trial and error. If something is truly out of my wheelhouse, I’ll pull up a video, watch it once or twice, and execute the task perfectly. I don’t mind reading. If there’s a word I don’t comprehend, I’ll look up the word, write it down, and the spelling and definition are committed to my memory forever. I retain information by participating fully in it, so watching or listening to lecture where I cannot find something to apply in an exercise is one I’ll most assuredly tune out. I use my hands when I am speaking a lot to emphasize points or to perform new things I’m learning. I need a lot of room to learn through mistakes.
kyle said:
i relate 100%
Erica Griggs said:
Learning via lectures or reading thick books would cause a loss of focus after a period of time. I need to see, take action, and talk myself through the action to really learn.
Renata Jackson said:
I am one who has to see the work worked out and study it step by step to put into practice. I can’t just read it and comprehend the material I have a discussion about it to retain the information. I read but the information doesn’t seem to stay in my brain.
Elle Blanchard said:
I feel the same way!
Lydia Pledger said:
I had no idea what Kinesthetic was or that it existed until I took this quiz. Reading on it I see relations to over the years in school and in the workplace. I exhausted options until I could fully understand what I needed to know. I had to do hands on, practice and fail and learn from putting things into practical use. When studying I had to read and look at examples and take down notes. I’m glad my college ready guide had this so I can study better when I start.
sakeena said:
Same as everyone else here, I have never been able to read a textbook. I qualified as a doctor with textbooks that I had collected that still look new today. My method of learning involves waching practicle videos, remembering actual practicles and learning from my mistakes. To a lesser degree I find that I remember what was said during lectures for the 15 minutes that I was able to stay awake. can read the same thing over and over and not remember at all but pracs, videos and lectures will teach me for life.
Jasmine Young said:
I have never minded reading or looking at pictures to learn how to do something. However, when learning subjects such as algebra or chemistry, I find it easier to watch someone solve a problem and explain how they solved it before doing one on my own.
Booboo said:
that sounds like me all over
Angie Cosentino said:
I always get my stuff done, one way or another I have been known to stay up all night to finish a project I started.
Cara said:
I am a professional singer. I cannot sit for long periods of time… i find it very draining! I set alarms on my phone for every 20 minutes to get up and move around or do a small amount of physical activity. Even when I’m practicing my singing, I prefer to be walking around my room. I learn best with movement and actually doing the thing!
Batubara said:
Saya tdk tahan duduk monoton di depan buku, atau depan komputer atau sedang menghapal, ketika saya lakukan itu, tdk lama kemudian saya akan bosan, ngantuk Dan tertidur. Saya baru tau dari vark ini. Berarti saya tdk boleh belajar scr diam. Tp harus bergerak terus sampai selesai belajarnya.
VARK-Learn said:
(Translation from Google Translate: I can’t stand sitting monotonously in front of a book, or in front of a computer or memorizing, when I do that, soon I will be bored, sleepy and fall asleep. I just found out from this vark. That means I can’t study quietly. But you have to keep moving until you finish studying.)
Laura said:
I do not enjoy reading long paragraphs of anything I prefer to send audio messages over text written messages. When I watch tv or YouTube I tend to watch based on true story cases. When learning how to use something I don’t know I prefer to watch a tutorial over just reading instructions and I prefer to learn things that I can apply in my life. I avoid abstract concepts and I absolutely enjoy when a teacher or instructor teaches things with a clear, straight to the point concepts that I can apply in my real life. I’m a mild Kinesthetic. However I still enjoy reading as long as what I’m reading is not abstract or too far from reality.
Sheilah Brode said:
I totally agree with this. I also like tv shows that follow real life and I love teachers that can teach things with a clear, straight to the point concepts that I can apply in real life. I am very much a kinesthetic learner and had no idea that was even a thing. I knew I preferred to learn by doing things, but I didn’t know that kinesthetic learner was the term or that it was a thing. I just thought I was more into sports than learning. This has been very helpful and I am looking forward to putting this knew knowledge to use. I am going to try to take breaks form my desk every 15 minutes and move around or switch things up. I am also going to look into more kinesthetic styles of studying.
Jennifer J Summers said:
I can only read and write for a maximum of 15 minutes before I need to physically do something. If I don’t walk, talk, or some other action, I become so drowsy that I can’t comprehend anymore. I cannot play card games or board games. I need to be moving and doing!
Scott said:
I like being shown how to do something better than being told how to do it. I don’t like a lot of writing.
Jakuzi said:
same
Renee said:
I cannot sit still for very long periods of time. When I was at secondary school I always got into trouble for doodling constantly and moving around the room. When I’mtrying to take in information (i.e. for exams)I like to wander around the room as I read it and take it in.
kat said:
100% agreed i often take breaks between studying because I can’t sit still at my desk
Vishnupriya said:
I used to always get complaints from teacher in nursery because I would always get up in the middle and start roaming around… They would think that I wasn’t paying attention but when asked a question I’d end up giving a right answer cuz that was just how I would easily retain information