by Sarah Major, M.Ed
Kinesthetic learners learn best when they are moving. If they are using their hands and bodies in learning, their attention will be focused right on the learning they are doing. Conversely, if they are expected to sit very still and pay attention and listen, they will probably not be successful with the learning. The more they have to sit still, the less they can focus and learn!
In traditional classrooms, children are often expected to sit quietly in their seats, listen, and then learn what they are hearing. Many times there is not the opportunity for students to experience the learning with their bodies and hands, apart from writing with a pencil on paper. Learners who need body movement and hands-on work include tactile, kinesthetic learners, and children who have been labeled dyslexic, ADD, and ADHD.
Some specifics about kinesthetic and tactile learners:
• Kinesthetic learners need to move. They wiggle, tap, swing their leg, bounce, and sometimes just don't seem able to "stay in their seat."
• They struggle with focus unless their hands are working on the learning.
• They benefit greatly from motions that are directly tied to learning.
• They do better if given actual objects to manipulate in learning instead of pencil and paper.
• Their attention follows their hands. If their attention wanders, pointing to the next math problem to be solved helps focus their minds on their immediate task.
• As with visual learners, kinesthetic learners learn best in a way that is highly automatic: that of body motions stored in the body and cerebellum.
• Kinesthetic learners are often gifted performers as athletes, dancers, and activities that use their hands.
• Kinesthetic learners generally are very coordinated and have an excellent sense of body timing.
• Kinesthetic learners learn and remember best when allowed to move.
• They can be taught to not disturb those around them while they move during learning.
• Tactile learners are closely related to kinesthetic learners.
• The tactile style is more moderate, involving fine motor movements, rather than the whole-body movements.
• Tactile learners take in information through the sense of touch and feeling.
• Tactile learners may feel like they have to touch, and explore objects in order to know them.
• Tactile learners learn best with hands-on activities.
Tactile learners enjoy using manipulatives and different media such as finger-paints, art materials, building projects, blocks or objects for math. They also respond to hands-on science experiments, lap-booking (making their own books), games, making models, dioramas, and other hands-on activities. If your child is a tactile learner, you will find a project-oriented method of learning will probably appeal to your child's need to have active hands. Their motto? "Don't TELL me, let me DO it!"
Sarah Major, CEO of Child1st Publications, grew up on the mission field with her four siblings, all of whom her mother homeschooled. As an adult, Sarah has homeschooled a small group of children in collaboration with their parents, and has taught from preschool age to adult. Sarah has been the Title 1 director and program developer for grades K-7, an ESOL teacher, and a classroom teacher. As an undergraduate student, Sarah attended Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. and then received her M.Ed. from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI. In 2006 Sarah resigned from fulltime teaching in order to devote more time to Child1st, publisher of the best-selling SnapWords™ stylized sight word cards. In her spare time Sarah enjoys gardening, cooking, pottery, quilting, and spending time with her family.
Child1st Publications, LLC
www.child1st.com
800-881-0912
PO Box 150226
Grand Rapids, MI 49515
Kinesthetic learners learn best when they are moving. If they are using their hands and bodies in learning, their attention will be focused right on the learning they are doing. Conversely, if they are expected to sit very still and pay attention and listen, they will probably not be successful with the learning. The more they have to sit still, the less they can focus and learn!
In traditional classrooms, children are often expected to sit quietly in their seats, listen, and then learn what they are hearing. Many times there is not the opportunity for students to experience the learning with their bodies and hands, apart from writing with a pencil on paper. Learners who need body movement and hands-on work include tactile, kinesthetic learners, and children who have been labeled dyslexic, ADD, and ADHD.
Some specifics about kinesthetic and tactile learners:
• Kinesthetic learners need to move. They wiggle, tap, swing their leg, bounce, and sometimes just don't seem able to "stay in their seat."
• They struggle with focus unless their hands are working on the learning.
• They benefit greatly from motions that are directly tied to learning.
• They do better if given actual objects to manipulate in learning instead of pencil and paper.
• Their attention follows their hands. If their attention wanders, pointing to the next math problem to be solved helps focus their minds on their immediate task.
• As with visual learners, kinesthetic learners learn best in a way that is highly automatic: that of body motions stored in the body and cerebellum.
• Kinesthetic learners are often gifted performers as athletes, dancers, and activities that use their hands.
• Kinesthetic learners generally are very coordinated and have an excellent sense of body timing.
• Kinesthetic learners learn and remember best when allowed to move.
• They can be taught to not disturb those around them while they move during learning.
• Tactile learners are closely related to kinesthetic learners.
• The tactile style is more moderate, involving fine motor movements, rather than the whole-body movements.
• Tactile learners take in information through the sense of touch and feeling.
• Tactile learners may feel like they have to touch, and explore objects in order to know them.
• Tactile learners learn best with hands-on activities.
Tactile learners enjoy using manipulatives and different media such as finger-paints, art materials, building projects, blocks or objects for math. They also respond to hands-on science experiments, lap-booking (making their own books), games, making models, dioramas, and other hands-on activities. If your child is a tactile learner, you will find a project-oriented method of learning will probably appeal to your child's need to have active hands. Their motto? "Don't TELL me, let me DO it!"
Sarah Major, CEO of Child1st Publications, grew up on the mission field with her four siblings, all of whom her mother homeschooled. As an adult, Sarah has homeschooled a small group of children in collaboration with their parents, and has taught from preschool age to adult. Sarah has been the Title 1 director and program developer for grades K-7, an ESOL teacher, and a classroom teacher. As an undergraduate student, Sarah attended Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. and then received her M.Ed. from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI. In 2006 Sarah resigned from fulltime teaching in order to devote more time to Child1st, publisher of the best-selling SnapWords™ stylized sight word cards. In her spare time Sarah enjoys gardening, cooking, pottery, quilting, and spending time with her family.
Child1st Publications, LLC
www.child1st.com
800-881-0912
PO Box 150226
Grand Rapids, MI 49515
