Often, kinesthetic learners are misunderstood. Their need for movement is viewed as a behavior problem. These are often the students who are constantly being told to "sit and be still" in their desks. Unfortunately the more we urge them to sit still, the more they seem to need to move.
Once we understand that movement IS a learning style, the more success we will have with these very special learners. We can learn to make the need to move work FOR us.
Once we understand that movement IS a learning style, the more success we will have with these very special learners. We can learn to make the need to move work FOR us.
WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS OF THE KINESTHETIC LEARNER?
WHAT ARE GOOD TEACHING STRATEGIES FOR KINESTHETIC LEARNERS?
1. Give them plenty of outdoor time. A small study of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder last year found that walks outdoors appeared to improve scores on tests of attention and concentration. (Taken from a NY Times article by Tara Parker-Pope)
2. Let them move! They will learn more quickly and effectively if you let them stand at their desk, swing their legs, pace the floor - as long as they are not disrupting other students.
3. Break up long lessons into smaller chunks, change teaching location (sit on rug, sit in desks, go outside, switch seats, etc.)
4. If you are teaching steps for solving a problem, have students imagine themselves following the steps.
5. Their attention follows their hands. Encourage them to draw sketches or diagrams of what they are hearing in a lesson, or when doing a sheet of math problems, teach them to point to each problem they come to. Let them use flashcards with information they are learning
- Learns best through movement
- Will focus on the whole picture
- Learns best with 3-D materials
- Needs to move while processing new information, but with very little external stimulation that would distract (let the body move but limit objects and visuals in the environment that would capture their focus away from the lesson)
- Needs to learn using hands-on activities to process learning
- Is often highly intuitive
- Needs to physically process what they are learning - let them actually do the work rather than listen to how it is done
WHAT ARE GOOD TEACHING STRATEGIES FOR KINESTHETIC LEARNERS?
1. Give them plenty of outdoor time. A small study of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder last year found that walks outdoors appeared to improve scores on tests of attention and concentration. (Taken from a NY Times article by Tara Parker-Pope)
2. Let them move! They will learn more quickly and effectively if you let them stand at their desk, swing their legs, pace the floor - as long as they are not disrupting other students.
3. Break up long lessons into smaller chunks, change teaching location (sit on rug, sit in desks, go outside, switch seats, etc.)
4. If you are teaching steps for solving a problem, have students imagine themselves following the steps.
5. Their attention follows their hands. Encourage them to draw sketches or diagrams of what they are hearing in a lesson, or when doing a sheet of math problems, teach them to point to each problem they come to. Let them use flashcards with information they are learning