Parents who take the time to understand their child’s primary learning style can help set them up for success both in and out of the classroom. Although children learn through a variety of senses, most have a primary learning style in which they absorb and retain information from one particular sense.
Learning Styles
The three primary learning styles are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Visual learners must see it to absorb it; auditory learners need to hear it to master it; and kinesthetic or tactile learners need to move or experience it to understand it.
How to Know if Your Child Has a Kinesthetic Learning Style
Kinesthetic learners learn by moving their bodies to help them take in information. If your child is strong in physical activities, seems to have trouble sitting still, and likes hands-on learning, they may be a kinesthetic learner.
Some Strong Features of Kinesthetic Learners Include
- They need to move while learning
- They are often gifted in sports
- They are very coordinated
- They require variation when they are taught—to break up long periods of sitting
- They benefit from sketching what they are learning
- They learn best during short, intensive teaching moments
- They love to explore and understand how things work (and may even take things apart to learn how they work)
- They learn best by doing
Kinesthetic Learners—5 Strategies to Help Boost Learning
- Ask your child’s teacher if they can be seated where they can swing their legs or pace at their desk without distracting other students.
- Incorporate the sense of touch into learning—
a. Provide your child with a stress ball to squeeze at school.
b. Place a strip of Velcro® under your child’s desk for him or her to touch as lessons are taught.
c. Cut a pool noodle up and get permission for your child to roll their feet on the noodle during class. - Role-playing and acting out lessons can help your child retain information.
- Limit the number of visual and auditory distractions from your child’s learning environment.
- Writing and drawing are great for kinesthetic learners. The hand movements involved in writing and drawing help them grasp and retain concepts.
a. Encourage your child to make flashcards to help absorb information.
b. Kinesthetic learners can create timelines or diagrams to help learning.
Tips for Parents of Kinesthetic Learners
- Understand that kinesthetic learners need breaks. When your son or daughter does their homework, encourage them to take breaks and do something physical for 5-10 minutes. Their attention and concentration will increase when regular breaks are built into their homework time. Something as simple as stretching, jumping rope, dancing, or bouncing on a trampoline can help your child have a productive break from homework, and launch them into some great learning time.
- Develop a strong communication system with your child’s teacher. Be open with your child’s teacher and share what you have discovered that works and doesn’t work for your child’s learning. Ask the teacher what they have found that works for your child in the classroom, and consider duplicating learning strategies so there is consistency in the classroom and at home.
- Get involved in your child’s learning. Explain the goal or final product with your child. Outline the recommended steps and have your child imagine themselves doing those steps. Inquire of your child if they perceive the steps will produce the desired results. Listen to their feedback and adjust the plan as needed for the best learning.
- Encourage your child to visualize what they are learning. Kinesthetic learners also benefit from visual learning, so encourage your child to use their thoughts to visualize things they learn.
Looking for a Tulsa Reading Program? Read Smart Helps Pre-K —6th Grade Students
Many kids don’t read as well as they could. That’s why we designed our reading program to help students master the skills needed to read at an advanced level, strengthening the foundation for all other learning.
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