According to MindWorks Resources, 5 percent of adults are primarily kinesthetic (also called tactile) learners, even though everyone initially starts out as a kinesthetic learner. Babies and young children learn by touching things and engaging their bodies in activity. Older children and adults who are tactile learners also need to have a hands-on environment and prefer to learn by doing. If a kinesthetic learner gets bored in the classroom or is unable to engage in her preferred learning style, she may start fidgeting and find reasons to move around.
By adulthood, 30 percent of people prefer the auditory learning style. This means they learn by hearing, even if they have to learn by listening to themselves talk. They prefer to hear their professors lecture instead of copying notes from a projector or reading textbook material quietly. If an auditory learner has to sit in a quiet learning atmosphere for too long, he may begin to talk softly to himself or his neighbor.
The majority of adults, 65 percent according to MindWorks Resources, need to observe and watch information in order to digest it properly. Visual learners would rather read information for themselves rather than listen to a lecture or have someone read it to them. They also tend to take detailed, organized notes to refer to later. They may even incorporate different colors in their note-taking to help special or difficult information stand out to them. If a visual student sits in a classroom with no visual stimulation, his eyes may wander around the room or out a window.
Most adults will favor one of the three primary learning styles and have a secondary style that also works for them, just not as well as their first preference. They may also have an even blend of two different learning types, or have an even preference of all three learning styles. This benefits the individuals because it gives them more versatility in their ability to learn from different types of teachers.