LEARNING STYLES INVENTORY

• GO WITH YOUR FIRST REACTION

• DO NOT OVER ANALYZE
• WRITE THE LETTER OF THE ACTIVITY YOU WOULD
MOST PREFER TO DO.
1. You are writing about colonial days. Which would
you prefer to do?

A. Write about a day in your life as a colonial child.

B. Write a report about one of the 13 colonies.

C. Write about how colonial life is different from your

life.

D. Write a short play with a classmate about a

colonial family.
2. Your class hopes to write and present a
Thanksgiving play. Which would you select?

A. Research the first Thanksgiving so that the play will

be historically accurate.

B. Design accurate costumes for the play.

C. Help some of the actors learn their lines.

D. Compare and contrast the first Thanksgiving with

your family’s Thanksgiving.
3. Your class is going on a field trip. Which activity
would you choose to help make it successful?

A. Divide the children in the class into workable

groups of 5 for each parent to accompany.

B. Using a map of the museum, make a schedule and

route for each group to follow so that the groups do
not overlap.

C. Select 5 areas that you think the class should visit in

the museum. Tell why each is important.

D. Design unique nametags for all students and

parents to wear.
4. You are studying plant life in science. Choose the
activity you would enjoy most.

A. Select a plant that you really like. Tell why it is your

favorite.

B. Make a list of annual and perennial plants.

C. Compare and contrast tropical and desert plants.

D. Design a garden that will attract butterflies and

hummingbirds.
5. Your class is writing a book. Which activity would
you choose?

A. Illustrate each important event in the story.

B. Work in a small group to develop the plot of the

story.

C. Compile a list of words describing the main

character.

D. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of the main

character.
6. The topic is European geography. Which project
would you select?

A. List the countries of Europe and their capital cities.

B. Compare the Rocky Mountains in the U.S. with the

Swiss Alps in Europe.

C. Select your favorite country and write a brochure

about it.

D. Create a new flag for Switzerland.

7. You are learning about a famous American.
Choose the activity you would most enjoy.

A. Make a collage showing important events in the

person’s life.

B. Design a time line of important events in the

person’s life.

C. Investigate other people and events that helped

to shape the person’s life.

D. Analyze the traits that helped to make this person

successful.
8. You are studying sound. Which would you prefer to
do?

A. Create a new stringed musical instrument.

B. Demonstrate the similarities and differences

between 2 kinds of drums.

C. Make a diagram showing the position of each

section of the orchestra.

D. With several friends write your own lyrics to a well-

known song. Sing it to the class.
9. You are studying about early pioneers on the
Oregon Trail. Which activity would you choose?

A. List all of the supplies and equipment the pioneers

needed.

B. Compare and contrast the journey of the pioneers

to the trip of the astronauts to the moon.

C. With a classmate, describe some of the hardships

and dangers faced by the pioneers.

D. Design improvements for the wagons used by the

pioneers.
10. The class is learning about volcanoes. Which
activity would you enjoy most?

A. Make a model of a volcano with a classmate.

B. Make a diagram showing why volcanoes erupt.

C. Make a map showing the locations of famous

volcanoes in the world.

D. Design a new instrument for predicting when

volcanoes will erupt.
11. There have been some accidents on the
playground. How would you teach playground
safety to younger students?

A. Perform a play demonstrating safe playground

practices.

B. Make up new, safer games that the younger kids

would enjoy.

C. Demonstrate safe and unsafe ways to use the

playground.

D. Make signs listing safe playground rules.

12. You are studying the skeletal system of the human
body. Which activity would you prefer?

A. Learn the names of the bones in the body.

B. With a partner, draw a full-sized skeleton identifying

the bones.

C. Make your own model of a human skeleton.

D. Compare a human skeleton to the skeleton of an

ape.
13. In science you are learning about animal habitats.
Which would you choose?

A. Learn about the habitat of your favorite wild

animal.

B. Design a new bear habitat for the zoo.

C. Learn why some animal habitats are being

endangered or destroyed.

D. Learn about different kinds of animal habitats.

14. You are studying important musicians throughout
history. How would you tell about a famous musician?

A. Use a computer and/or books to research a report

about your musician’s life.

B. Compare the musician’s life with the life of your

favorite living musician.

C. With a friend, perform a short play showing an

important part of your musician’s life.

D. Create a poster showing important achievements

in the life of your musician.
15. You need to learn math facts. Which activity
would you prefer?

A. Make up an interesting game to help you learn the

math facts.

B. Practice flash cards of the math facts by yourself.

C. Divide math flash cards into various groups to help

you learn them more easily.

D. Practice flash cards with a friend.

16. You are studying various food groups. What would
you choose to do?

A. Make a compare/contrast poster showing what

happens to the body if it lacks various food groups.

B. Create lists of foods that belong to each food

group.

C. Create a symbol for each food group that could

be used in a commercial about eating properly.

D. Create a menu with examples of each food group

to share with the cafeteria manager in your school.
17. You are practicing measurement with inches and
centimeters. Which activity would you prefer?

A. Design your own new units of measurement and

measure an object.

B. Measure an object using inches and then

centimeters. Compare and contrast your results.

C. Measure an object in centimeters and inches with

a friend.

D. Create a timeline describing the history of

measurement.
18. You are playing basketball in physical education.
Which activity would you choose?

A. Create an interesting new game for 4 people using

a basketball.

B. Write the rules for the new basketball game.

C. Practice the new game and analyze ways to make

it better.

D. Teach 4 students how to play the new basketball

game.
Draw a diagram on your index card that looks like this:

* (ST) + (SF)
Mastery Interpersonal

= (NT) / (NF)
Understand Self-Expressive
Learning Styles Inventory Key – tally your answers on the index
card. For example, if you answered A to question 1, put a tally
mark in the + category (SF/Interpersonal).

A B C D
1. + * = /
2. * / + =
3. + * = /
4. + * = /
5. / + * =
6. * = + /
7. / * + =
8. / = * +
9. * = + /
10. + = * /
11. / + = *
12. * + / =
13. + / = *
14. * = + /
 15. / * = +
16. = * / +
17. / = + *
18. / * = +

Once you tally your answers, you will see where your
learning style preference is focused. If you have a tie,
that is okay. The information below gives you an idea
of what each learning style means.
MASTERY
• good at working with and remembering facts and
details
• able to speak and write directly to the point
• able to complete tasks in an organized and orderly
manner
• able to adapt to existing procedures and guidelines
• concerned with the usefulness of things you have to
do
• focused on immediate results and having goals
• good at knowing what needs to be done and
• generally follows through concerned with accuracy
UNDERSTANDING
• takes time to plan and thinks about the consequences
of actions
• able to organize and synthesize information
• able to look at the facts and make judgments based
on logic
• learns through books and other symbolic forms
• comfortable with activities requiring logical analysis
• able to remember large amounts of knowledge or
information
• interested in ideas, theories, or concepts
INTERPERSONAL
• ready to go and open to impulses, doing what feels good
able to express personal feelings aware of others' feelings
and makes judgments based on personal likes and dislikes
• learns through friendship and personal experience
• comfortable with activities requiring you to express
feelings
• able to persuade people through personal interaction
• good observer of human behavior
• interested in people and trying to help them
SELF-EXPRESSIVE
• good at interpreting facts and details to see the broader
picture
• able to express ideas in new and unusual ways
• able to look at tasks in a variety of ways or in an
exploratory manner
• able to adapt to new situations and procedures quickly
• concerned with beauty, balance, and form
• interested in the future and solving problems of human
welfare
• concerned with creativity