What Kind Of Reader Are You?

One of the most important aspects of deepening reading practice and mindfulness in reading practice is to identify what type of reader you are. Are you an auditory, visual, or kinaesthetic reader? If you are a visual reader you are probably someone who is vividly imagining the images in the story. It may help to consider if you are visualizing in color or in black and white. You can even extend the author’s descriptions of a scene by considering the other elements in the setting: What colors do you see? Where are objects placed? Where are the characters placed on the stage in your mind? It is almost as if visual readers are stage directors of the images that come to life in their imaginations.

If you are an auditory reader then you are most likely someone who enjoys reading aloud to yourself or being read aloud to. You might even have a preference for reading audiobooks. There is so much auditory potential in a book and storytelling elements can come alive in vibrant ways when we play with the different sounds in a story: What do the characters accents sound like? Does this specific character speak loudly or softly? Is there an urgency to what’s being said or do characters speak with ease? Auditory readers, especially teachers, librarians and parents, really enjoy ritualizing the act of reading. You can create a ritual out of your reading experience by sharing ghost stories, reading in a fort or tent, or even passing along the book so that different people can take turns reading aloud to the group. This is a great family bonding tool as well as a go to group reading method in the classroom.

If you are a kinaesthetic reader you are most likely someone who enjoys interacting with your book in a physical way. Kinaesthetic readers enjoy highlighting their books, writing notes in the margins, and carrying a book with them wherever they go. Kinaesthetic readers have fun exploring different ways to engage their bodies during the act of reading. I have heard fun stories from bibliotherapy clients about reading on a swing or in a rocking chair. Some kinaesthetic readers even enjoy reading while working out or stretching in various yoga poses.

So, what type of reader are you or are you a blend of these?

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