Eraser learners tend to be empathetic, intuitive, and learn best through self-reflection and personal attention. They like to make connections and imagine alternative solutions. While they can struggle with details, time limits, and negative feedback, eraser learners enjoy group work, stories with personal feelings, biographies, and activities that allow connecting, sharing, and discussion. Instructional activities for them include cooperative learning, role playing, and music.
1. Eraser Learning Tendencies
Innate Abilities Work Best When They
• Empathetic and intuitive • Can work with others
• Subjective, abstract, affective • Have time for self-reflection
• Read between the lines • Are given a rationale for learning
• Personal information • Receive personal attention and support
• Sensitive, flexible, and amenable • Work in a non-competitive environment
• Use imagination in their work
Challenges They Face What They Need to Work On
• Being detail-oriented and exacting • Picking a plan and staying with it
• Working alone; following detailed • Focusing on time limits
directions, doing one task at a time • Giving attention to detail and precision
• Working with time limits and parameters • Controlling impulsivity
• Being correct/receiving negative • Controlling emotions
feedback • Seeing details
• Memorizing • Including details in decision-making
• Working with difficult people
Inaginative Learner Tendencies
• Wants to know WHY they should learn it • Focuses on what works
• Asks questions, predicts, asks WHAT IF? • Enjoys pleasing others
• Questions content and purposes • Realistic, careful about facts
• Uses feelings and reflections • Works steadily
• Seeks to understand • Can oversimplify
• Wants to make connections • Likes harmony and works at it
• Seeks alternative solutions • Likes praise, is sympathetic
Likes Dislikes
• Group work • Timed tests, computer-assisted instruction
• Passing/fail grades • Debates
• Self-evaluation; time to reflect • “Go for it!”
Reading Preferences Writing Preferences
• Likes stories that have personal feelings • Conversations about feelings and emotions
and interesting people • Discussions about people
• Biographies • Listening to others’ ideas, thoughts, and
• Likes to relate reading to their own lives feelings
• Likes peer-and buddy-guided reading • Think, Pair, Share
Instructional Activities: Cooperative learning groups, webbing, mapping, role playing, music
Activities They Prefer: Connecting, expressing, sharing, interpreting, imagining, discussion
Multiple Intelligences Strengths: Interpersonal, verbal/linguistic