The Long Origins of the Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic Learning Style Typology, 1921-2001

This study traces the long early history of the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (VAK) learning style typology. The VAK distinction and vocabulary originated with the psychology of mental imagery and word recall in the 1910s. It was further developed by researchers on remedial reading instruction for students with learning disabilities between the 1920s and 1950s, the teaching of urban youth in the 1960s, and culminated with the construction of formal learning style assessment instruments in the 1970s. By the 1980s, the VAK learning style typology began to get covered in the mainstream media, despite the objections of critics. By the 2000s, the internet made VAK-based assessments available to teachers for free. The author argues the application of the VAK learning style typology from remedial reading to all subject areas was unwarranted and only partially supported by the research.