Learning Styles and Strengths

Freshman Year · Education · Required Lesson

Learning Styles & Strengths

25–30 minutes Medium Required

Destination

By the end of this conversation, the mentee should be able to name a strength they bring to learning and try one study technique backed by real research.

Stop 1 of 4

Talk

Goal: Help the mentee see themselves as someone with real strengths, not just someone who’s “good” or “bad” at school in general.

“‘Smart’ isn’t one thing. Some people are quick with numbers, some are gifted with people, some can build or fix anything. School usually only tests a couple of these—but that doesn’t mean the others don’t count.”

Choose three to five questions

1. What’s a subject or skill that comes easily to you, in or out of school?
2. Do you learn better by watching, listening, reading, or actually doing something hands-on?
3. Has a teacher or class ever made a subject click for you in a way another class didn’t?
4. What’s something you’re good at that has nothing to do with school grades?
5. What study habits have you tried before? Did they actually work?
Mentor Tip: Many students who’ve struggled academically have never been asked what they’re good at—only what they’re behind on. This conversation is a chance to flip that script.

Stop 2 of 4

Learn

What “learning styles” actually means

You’ve probably heard people describe themselves as a “visual learner” or “hands-on learner.” These are real preferences—some people genuinely enjoy diagrams more than lectures, or notes more than videos.

Worth knowing: Research hasn’t found strong evidence that matching study methods exactly to a “preferred learning style” actually improves how much you remember. What consistently does help is using techniques that are proven to work—regardless of style—which we’ll get to below.

Common learning preferences

VisualEnjoys diagrams, color-coding, charts, and seeing information laid out
AuditoryLearns well from discussion, explaining out loud, or listening to something explained
Reading/WritingPrefers taking notes, reading text, and writing things out
Hands-onLearns best by doing, building, or physically practicing something

Most people are a mix, and knowing your preferences can help you enjoy studying more—even if it’s not the main thing driving how much you actually retain.

Route 21 Big Idea:
You’re not just “good” or “bad” at school—you have specific strengths, and there are study techniques that are proven to work for anyone, regardless of style.

Techniques that are actually proven to work

Evidence-Based Study Techniques
Retrieval practice — testing yourself on material instead of just re-reading it. Flashcards, practice questions, or explaining it from memory.
Spaced practice — studying in short sessions spread across several days instead of cramming all at once, even if the total time is the same.
The Feynman technique — explaining a topic out loud in your own words, as if teaching it to someone else, to reveal what you actually understand.

These work regardless of whether you consider yourself a visual, auditory, or hands-on learner—because the effort of retrieving and spacing out information is what strengthens memory.

Stop 3 of 4

Try

Name your strengths

Fill this in together—real strengths, not just school subjects.

Something I’m good at___________
A subject that comes easily___________
How I prefer to learn new things___________

Practice retrieval, right now

Pick something the mentee learned recently—in this lesson or in school. Close the notes or lesson card, and try explaining it out loud from memory.

What was harder—reading it the first time, or explaining it from memory just now?

Choose Your Route

Pick the video that best fits your time and interest today. You only need to watch one.

Level 1 · Quick Stop

Discovering Your Strengths

Approximately 3–5 minutes

A short, accessible look at different kinds of strengths and intelligence beyond traditional grades.

Watch the Quick Stop
Talk afterward: Which strength described in the video sounds most like you?

Level 2 · Scenic Route

Study Strategies: Retrieval Practice

Approximately 8–10 minutes

From The Learning Scientists—a research-based explanation of why testing yourself works better than re-reading.

Take the Scenic Route
Talk afterward: What’s one way you could use retrieval practice in your next study session?

Level 3 · Open Road

Spaced Practice: A Video for Students

Approximately 10–15 minutes

A deeper look at why spreading out study sessions over time works better than cramming—even with the same total study time.

Explore the Open Road
Talk afterward: How could you break up your studying for one upcoming test using spacing?
Mentor Reminder: Let the mentee choose the route whenever possible. Practicing retrieval on real material matters more than which video gets picked.

Stop 4 of 4

Grow

Reflection

What’s one strength you named today that you don’t give yourself enough credit for?
What’s one study technique you’d actually want to try this week?
Is there a class where trying retrieval practice or spacing could genuinely help?
What questions do you still have?

Start small

Pick one upcoming test or quiz. Instead of re-reading notes the night before, try quizzing yourself out loud a few times across several days leading up to it.

How can your mentor help?

How can Route 21 help?

Would a simple study planner or flashcard tool be helpful to you?
Mentor Wrap-Up:
Did the mentee leave with at least one real strength they could name confidently? Did they try retrieval practice on something real, not just talk about it in theory?