C.I.T.E.

LEARNING STYLES INSTRUMENT

The C.I.T.E. Instrument (Babich, Burdine, Albright, and Randol, 1976) was formulated at
the Murdoch Teachers Center in Wichita, Kansas to help teachers determine the
learning styles preferred by their students. It is divided into three main areas:
Information gathering includes auditory language, visual language, auditory
numerical, visual numerical, and auditory-visual language, auditory numerical,
visual numerical, and auditory-visual-kinesthetic combination.
Work conditions focus on whether a student works better alone or in a group.
Expressiveness considers if a student is better at oral or written communication.

Scores on the Learning Styles Inventory fall into one of three categories: major, minor,
and negligible. These categories may be defined as follows:
Major: The student prefers this mode of learning, feels comfortable with it, and
uses it for important (to the student) learning. A student does not
necessarily have one and only one preferred style.
Minor: The student uses this mode but usually as a second choice or in
conjunction with other learning styles.
Negligible: The student prefers not to use this if other choices are available. The
student does not feel comfortable with this style.

Frank B. Mann, III, Wyoming County, West Virginia, programmed a computer

application system for the C.I.T.E. Learning Styles Inventory so that students may
respond to the questions using the computer and the computer tallies the scores
automatically. Teachers may obtain copies by contacting Louise Miller at
1-800-766-7372 e-mail: lbmiller@access.k12.wv.us

Definitions and Teaching Techniques for Major Learning Styles

The following are descriptions of learning styles found in every learner to a major,
minor, or negligible extent and teaching suggestions related to each learning style.

Learning Style Teaching Techniques

Visual-Language: This is the student who This student will benefit from a variety of
learns well from seeing words in books, on books, pamphlets and written materials on
the chalkboard, charts or workbooks. several levels of difficulty. Given some
He/she may write words down that are time alone with a book, he or she may
given orally in order to learn by seeing learn more than in class. Make sure
them on paper. He or she remembers and important information has been given on
uses information better if it has been read. paper, or that he or she takes notes if you
want this student to remember specific
information.
 Learning Style Teaching Techniques
Visual-Numerical: This student has to This student will benefit from worksheets,
see numbers on the board, in a book, or workbooks, and texts. Give a variety of
on paper in order to work with them. He or written materials and allow time to study it.
she is more likely to remember and In playing games and being involved in
understand math facts if he or she has activities with numbers and number
seen them. He or she does not seem to problems, make sure they are visible,
need as much oral explanation. printed numbers, not oral games and
activities. Important data should be given
on paper.
Auditory-Language: This is the student This student will benefit from hearing audio
who learns from hearing words spoken. tapes, rote oral practice, lecture or a class
You may hear him or her vocalizing or see discussion. He or she may benefit from
the lips or throat move as he or she reads, using a tape recorder to make tapes to
particularly when striving to understand listen to later, by teaching another student,
new material. He or she will be more or conversing with the teacher. Groups of
capable of understanding and two or more, games or interaction activities
remembering words or facts that have provide the sounds of words being spoken
been learned by hearing. that is so important to this student.
Auditory-Numerical: This student learns This student will benefit from math sound
from hearing numbers and oral tapes or from working with other people,
explanations. He or she may remember talking about a problem. Even reading
phone and locker numbers with ease, and written explanations aloud will help.
be successful with oral numbers, games Games or activities in which the number
and puzzles. He or she may do just about problems are spoken will help. This
as well without a math book, for written student will benefit from tutoring another or
materials are not as important. He or she delivering an explanation to his or her
can probably work problems in his or her study group or to the teacher. Make sure
head. You may hear this student saying important facts are spoken.
the numbers aloud or see the lips move as
a problem is read.
Auditory-Visual-Kinesthetic: The A/V/K This student must be given more than just
student learns best by experience and a reading or math assignment. Involve
self-involvement. He or she definitely him or her with at least one other student
needs a combination of stimuli. The and give him or her an activity to relate to
manipulation of material along with the the assignment. Accompany an audio-
accompanying sights and sounds (words tape with pictures, objects and an activity
and numbers seen and spoken) will make such as drawing or writing or following
a big difference to him or her. This student directions with physical involvement.
may not seem able to understand, or keep
his or her mind on work unless he or she is
totally involved. He or she seeks to
handle, touch and work with what is being
learned. Sometimes just writing or a
symbolic wriggling of the fingers is a
symptom of the A/V/K learner.

WVABE Instructor Handbook, Section 3, 2003-04 2

 Learning Style Teaching Techniques
Social-Individual: This student gets more This student needs to be allowed to do
work done alone. He or she thinks best, important learning alone. If you feel he or
and remembers more when he or she has she needs socialization, save it for a non-
learned by alone. He or she cares more learning situation. Let him or her go to the
for his or her own opinions than for the library or back in a corner of the room to
ideas of others. You will not have much be alone. Do not force group work on him
trouble keeping this student from over- or her when it will make the student
socializing during class. irritable to be held back or distracted by
others. Some great thinkers are loners.
Social-Group: This student strives to This student needs to do important
study with at least one other student and learning with someone else. The
he or she will not get as much done alone. stimulation of the group may be more
He or she values others’ ideas and important at certain times in the learning
preferences. Group interaction increases process than at others and you may be
his or her learning and later recognition of able to facilitate the timing for this student.
facts. Socializing is important to this
student.
Expressive Oral: This student prefers to Allow this student to make oral reports
tell what he or she knows. He or she talks instead of written ones. Whether in
fluently, comfortably, and clearly. The conference, small group or large, evaluate
teacher may find that this learner knows him or her more by what is said than by
more than written tests show. He or she is what is written. Reports can be on tape, to
probably less shy than others about giving save class time. Demand a minimum of
reports or talking to the teacher or written work, but a good quality so he or
classmates. The muscular coordination she will not be ignorant of the basics of
involved in writing may be difficult for this composition and legibility. Grammar can
learner. Organizing and putting thoughts be corrected orally but is best done at
on paper may be too slow and tedious a another time.
task for this student.
Expressiveness-Written: his student can This student needs to be allowed to write
write fluent essays and good answers on reports, keep notebooks and journals for
tests to show what he or she knows. He credit and take written tests for evaluation.
or she feels less comfortable, perhaps Oral transactions should be under non-
even stupid when oral answers are pressured conditions, perhaps even in a
required. His or her thoughts are better one-to-one conference.
organized on paper than when they are
given orally.

WVABE Instructor Handbook, Section 3, 2003-04 3

 C.I.T.E. LEARNING STYLES INSTRUMENT
Babich, A.M., Burdine, P., Albright, L., Randol, P.
Wichita Public Schools, Murdoch Teachers Center

Name: ___________________________________ Date: ______________________

Instructions: Read each statement carefully and decide which of the four responses agrees with how you feel about the
statement. Put an X on the number of your response.

Questions Most Least

Like Like
Me Me

1. When I make things for my studies, I remember what I have learned 4 3 2 1

better.
2. Written assignments are easy for me. 4 3 2 1
3. I learn better if someone reads a book to me than if I read silently to 4 3 2 1
myself.
4. I learn best when I study alone. 4 3 2 1
5. Having assignment directions written on the board makes them easier to 4 3 2 1
understand.
6. It's harder for me to do a written assignment than an oral one. 4 3 2 1
7. When I do math problems in my head, I say the numbers to myself. 4 3 2 1
8. If I need help in the subject, I will ask a classmate for help. 4 3 2 1
9. I understand a math problem that is written down better than one I hear. 4 3 2 1
10. I don’t mind doing written assignments. 4 3 2 1
11. I remember things I hear better than I read. 4 3 2 1
12. I remember more of what I learn if I learn it when I am alone. 4 3 2 1
13. I would rather read a story than listen to it read. 4 3 2 1
14. I feel like I talk smarter than I write. 4 3 2 1
15. If someone tells me three numbers to add I can usually get the right 4 3 2 1
answer without writing them down.
16. I like to work in a group because I learn from the others in the group. 4 3 2 1
17. Written math problems are easier for me to do than oral ones. 4 3 2 1
18. Writing a spelling word several times helps me remember it better. 4 3 2 1
19. I find it easier to remember what I have heard than what I have read. 4 3 2 1
20. It is more fun to learn with classmates at first, but it is hard to study with 4 3 2 1
them.
21. I like written directions better than spoken ones. 4 3 2 1
22. If homework were oral, I would do it all. 4 3 2 1
WVABE Instructor Handbook, Section 3, 2003-04 4
 23. When I hear a phone number, I can remember it without writing it down. 4 3 2 1
24. I get more work done when I work with someone. 4 3 2 1
25. Seeing a number makes more sense to me than hearing a number. 4 3 2 1
26. I like to do things like simple repairs or crafts with my hands. 4 3 2 1
27. The things I write on paper sound better than when I say them. 4 3 2 1
28. I study best when no one is around to talk or listen to. 4 3 2 1
29. I would rather read things in a book than have the teacher tell me about 4 3 2 1
them.
30. Speaking is a better way than writing if you want someone to understand 4 3 2 1
it better.
31. When I have a written math problem to do, I say it to myself to 4 3 2 1
understand it better.
32. I can learn more about a subject if I am with a small group of students. 4 3 2 1
33. Seeing the price of something written down is easier for me to 4 3 2 1
understand than having someone tell me the price.
34. I like to make things with my hands. 4 3 2 1
35. I like tests that call for sentence completion or written answers. 4 3 2 1
36. I understand more from a class discussion than from reading about a 4 3 2 1
subject.
37. I remember the spelling of a word better if I see it written down than if 4 3 2 1
someone spells it out loud.
38. Spelling and grammar rules make it hard for me to say what I want to in 4 3 2 1
writing.
39. It makes it easier when I say the numbers of a problem to myself as I 4 3 2 1
work it out.
40. I like to study with other people. 4 3 2 1
41. When the teachers say a number, I really don’t understand it until I see it 4 3 2 1
written down.
42. I understand what I have learned better when I am involved in making 4 3 2 1
something for the subject.
43. Sometimes I say dumb things, but writing gives me time to correct 4 3 2 1
myself.
44. I do well on tests if they are about things I hear in class. 4 3 2 1
45. I can't think as well when I work with someone else as when I work 4 3 2 1
alone.

WVABE Instructor Handbook, Section 3, 2003-04 5

WVABE Instructor Handbook, Section 3, 2003-04 6
 C.I.T.E. LEARNING STYLES INSTRUMENT WORKSHEET

Name: ______________________________________ Date:

______________________

Directions: Look at each statement number on the worksheet below. Find the
statement number on the Learning Styles Inventory and get the "most like/least
like" number of the response you selected for each statement. Write the number
(1-4) in the blank provided. Total the numbers under each heading. Multiply the
total by two. Look at the scores to decide if this is major, minor or negligible.

Visual Language Social-Individual

5 4
13 12
21 20
29 28
37 45
Total X2= (Score) Total X2= (Score)

Visual-Numerical Social-Group
9 8
17 16
25 24
33 32
41 40
Total X 2= (Score) Total X 2= (Score)

Auditory-Language Expressiveness-Oral
3 6
11 14
19 22
36 30
44 38
Total X 2= (Score) Total X 2= (Score)

Auditory-Numerical Expressiveness-Written
7 2
15 10
23 27
31 35
39 43
Total X 2= (Score) Total X2 = (Score)

Auditory-Visual-Kinesthetic Score: 34-40 = Major Learning Style

1
18 20-32 = Minor Learning Style
26
34 10-18 = Negligible Use
42
Total X 2= (Score)

WVABE Instructor Handbook, Section 3, 2003-04 7