As (my son) grew older, sometimes he would set up a worktable to do repair work on electronics as I read aloud. As he seemed to be concentrating so hard on what he was doing, I would stop every so often to ask him a question about the material I had been reading. He knew the answer.
The next day, before continuing the book we were studying, I would ask him what had been happening in the story when we stopped the day (or two) before. He knew. (I couldn't recall as much as he could!)
If his hands were busy, his mind was free to listen and absorb what his ears heard. Otherwise, his brain was too busy thinking of something for his hands to do for him to be able to pay attention."
This pattern of children who move having better attention than when they are stationary is a hallmark of the kinesthetic learner. For the kinesthetic movement activates the thinking process and thinking activates movement. They make great athletes and surgeons. But if their teacher has a different learning style they often get diagnosed as ADHD.
How do you know your learning style and your child's? For simplicity lets use the 3 learning styles: kinesthetic, auditory and visual. Kinesthetics learn through movement and touch. If you live with a kinesthetic you will see a trail of items touched and left behind throughout the house. Visuals like their world neat and tidy. They start every project by cleaning up. Kinesthetics drive them crazy. Auditory learn from hearing. They are great for lectures and discordant noises really distract them. They can go to a movie once and repeat the dialogue line for line.
My workshops are usually filled with visual moms with kinesthetic kids. I never realized how much our movement irritated them until I started working with my artist wife (high visual) on projects. When my movement starts to distract her she tells me to get out of her visual field. (I pace behind her, but not near the door where I might just keep walking.) If she can see that she won't need me for a while, but doesn't want me to disappear, she has me sit on the bed. These simple adaptations go a long way to a happy relationship.
By the way if you see these things happening in your home and you are not the kinesthetic parent then your spouse is. The learning style trait is highly genetic. So what works for your child will work for your spouse.
There is one other issue that is very important - your child's gender. Studies show that until the age of 7 or 8 boys brains are developing targeting and spatial thinking. All these things require movement no matter what their learning style. During the same years the female brain is developing social skills which makes them much more verbal.
In Boy's Adrift Leonard Sax, MD points out that younger boys get turned off to school because to learn they must sit down. Fortunately, there is a homeschool curriculum that allows children to learn to read while running around. So if you are seeing this problem with your son coming home complaining school is dumb consider pulling him out of school until he is 7 or teaching him at home. If by seven it is clear he is still kinesthetic your choices are Montessori school or homeschooling. Any other choice will simply teach the child that he is wrong for being kinesthetic and no amount of drugs or behavioral therapy will help him.
I would like to leave you with one more parent testimonial.
"I listened to your talk and I was so impressed! The next day, when my 6-year-old son was standing in his chair looking at and feeling a clock face, [what kind of learner is the son?] I thought, "Why not see if the doctor is right?"
So instead of saying my usual "turn around, sit down, look at me, and listen, "[what kind of learner is the mom?] I asked him the questions in his book, never in a million years thinking that he was hearing me. Without even turning around, he'd answer the question and continue touching the clock. When I would say, "Now do (whatever action was next),” he'd get down, do the required action, climb back up and look at the clock. We did his entire lesson (5-10 minutes) that way and he never missed an answer. I couldn't believe it! We're doing a lot more physical activity with his letters now and he's finally "getting it!" (Or maybe I'm finally getting it.) Sincerely, J. G."
Sometimes all it takes to make homeschooling a dream come true is understanding of your child's learning style.
Note: Dr. Guffanti has spoken at WHO's annual convention the past two years on the topic of ADHD and learning styles, with attendees responding, “This is a life- changing class,” and “The best and most helpful of all.”
A medical doctor, tutor, teacher, author, and homeschool parent, Dr. Guffanti was born with a passion for education. Dyslexic and a kinesthetic learner, he has served as the medical director of a clinic specializing in learning disorders, and has focused on creating education that meets the needs of all children. He is the author of Rocket Phonics and Is It Really ADHD?
Stephen Guffanti, MD
CEO of Children's U.com
Home of Rocket Phonics
www.rocketphonics.com
