The most appropriate way to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching is to ask the patient a question that requires more than just a yes or no answer – such as, what the patient will do after testing the blood sugar. Asking the patient if they are comfortable managing the disease at home is a yes or no question; the patient may find it easier to say yes than admit he or she has questions. Individuals who are unable to read may find it embarrassing and be unwilling to admit to the nurse they cannot read the instructions. Asking the patient their preferred learning style should have been done before the teaching, not after.