The Kinesthetic Learner

Definition: A kinesthetic learner is one that processes learning through movement and feeling. This one is my challenge. Why? I am not entirely sure. It may be a mixture of lack of creativity and laziness. Either way, I have to face the fact that I have a kinesthetic learner or two and have to make sure she/he doesn't get left behind. My daughter tested high in this category, so I find this research very beneficial. I hope you will too!

Let's identify them. If your child is primarily a kinesthetic/tactile learner, you should see him/her exhibit many of the following characteristics:
(By the way, I read somewhere that all kids are kinesthetic in the early years and around 1st grade or so, you begin to see their true learning process.)

• Loves to take things apart and put them back together. (This may mean her closet or all of the clothes in her drawer several times a month. :))
• Enjoys conducting experiments
• Relates to people more in body and action than verbally (Be sure to give lots of hugs and kisses!)
• Is fidgety or a wiggle worm
• Prefers to read books or hear stories that are action packed
• Tends to be untidy and have a messy appearance
• Touching, holding. and feeling something is very important to the kinesthetic/tactile learner, rather than just looking at something
• Is perpetually in motion and rarely sits still
• Playing games is a favorite activity
• Enjoys drawing and writing with chalk or on a dry-erase board
• Prefers standing or walking around while studying or memorizing facts
• Is skillful at using various tools
• Using a word processor, typewriter, calculator and computer is enjoyable
• Loves working with his/her hands and building constructions out of blocks and commercial toys made specifically for this purpose
• Enjoys and has skills in dancing, athletics, and acting

The kinesthetic/tactile learner does NOT usually like:

• Sitting for a long time
• Large writing projects
• Participating in activities that do not hold his/her attention
• Activities strictly in workbooks or on worksheets
• Long reading projects
• Activities that require a great deal of just listening

General Suggestions for Teaching the Kinesthetic/Tactile Learner:

1. Allow your learner to physically participate in tasks.
2. Encourage your child to use the computer as a method of learning and retaining new information.
3. Frequently change writing tools so that a different feel/grip is obtained.
4. Provide lots of paper on which your child may write and draw.
5. Allow your child to stand and move around while studying.
6. Encourage frequent breaks.
7. Use role-playing and acting to introduce concepts.
8. Instruct your student to take notes and highlight information while listening to instructions or when reviewing pertinent information.
9. Remind your kinesthetic/tactile learner of the need to complete projects in all subject areas and to understand and master concepts being taught.

Suggestions for Teaching Mathematics:

1.  Allow your learner to become familiar with the use of calculators as a way for them to work and experiment with numbers. However, avoid using them strictly for solving their math problems.
2. A tape measure should be made available for your student to use.
3. Consider utilizing one or more manipulative formats for teaching the concepts of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
4. Teaching about time and money can often be accomplished by demonstrations using a watch or clock and real money.
5. Use activities such as running, walking, jumping, and drawing and have your child practice different math functions using all of those activities.
6. Acting and role playing are good tools to use in teaching mathematics.
7. Use a chalkboard or dry whiteboard instead of paper for doing math problems.
8. BE INNOVATIVE: Allow the kinesthetic learner to learn math facts by tracing them in the air, in sand, shaving cream or other non-traditional places. Use common, every day items such as watches/clocks, coins, calendars, and recipes to teach math.
9. The use of computer programs or a math facts drills program can be a great help in teaching the math concept.

Suggestions for Teaching Grammar, Writing, and Spelling:

1. Look for multi-sensory opportunities such as learning spelling words while humming, clapping or knee slapping each letter, walking, running, or bouncing a ball.
2. Suggest that they keep daily journals of what they write and draw. They may also enjoy writing plays, songs, and stories and acting out the characters in the stories.
3. The use of flannel boards that provide sentence strips can be an outstanding tool for teaching the kinesthetic learner about sentence structure and grammar.
4. Spelling words can be traced in the air, in sand, dirt, or whipped cream.
5. Allow these learners to write stories and sentences on the chalkboard/dry-erase board.
6. Spelling words can be practiced by writing them in the air or on each others backs or in some other way that incorporates movement in the learning process.
7. Kinesthetic/tactile learners would enjoy videotaping or photographing plays or stories they have written.
8. Use of the computer keyboard is an excellent way to practice writing, spelling words, and composing stories.

Suggestions for Teaching Science, Geography, and History:

1. Acting and role playing should be incorporated often in teaching History.
2. Consider using map puzzles to teach geography concepts. They can also learn to make their topographical maps.
3. Kinesthetic/Tactile learners should attend many demonstrations, exhibits, and field trips that emphasize material they are studying in these areas.
4. They should be involved in building projects and models to demonstrate comprehension of history, science, or geography concepts.
5. When teaching science, hands on experiments are usually helpful to the kinesthetic/tactile learner.

Suggestions for Teaching Reading:

1. Have your learner pantomime or act out vocabulary words. Also, have them role-play characters in books.
2. Phonics sounds and reading words can be "spelled out" in the air, sand, dirt, or whipped cream. Use finger paints to trace words onto paper.
3. Role play, acting, or dancing are all forms of alternative learning opportunities available to the kinesthetic/tactile learner that allows them to portray parts of stories, plays, and poems as they read them.
4. Computer programs that involve lots of hand manipulations can be helpful to them as well.

Well, this concludes our "Learning Styles" blog series. Hopefully, everyone of you reading these are visual learners :) If you are auditory and  need it said out loud to you, pass the computer over to your child and have them read it to you so they can practice their reading while you are learning at your best.  Then have them either write down a narration of what they learned or dictate it back to you depending on what works best for their learning style. If they are kinesthetic, have them write key ideas on a dry-erase board. :) If YOU are a kinesthetic learner, then you need to type out my blog post 3 times and then give a short dance that describes the essence of the post ;) Also, please forgive the typos, I am Auditory and until I go back and read this out loud, I might have missed something. LOL! Thanks for tuning in!!

*Sourced with permission from The LAMB Company.
Visit their site to learn more, have your child tested and/or have a curriculum customized for your individual child.