There are four main learning styles: Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic. No matter your preference, Learnology tutors have you covered. But, let’s dive a little deeper into how exactly we help the hands-on, tactile, kinesthetic learners.
What is Kinesthetic Learning?
Kinesthetic learners tend to process and remember information when moving and performing hands-on activities. They tend to prefer labs, physical education courses, creating posters and charts, or acting out instructions. If you’re not sure what type of learner you are, try out this free quiz here: https://www.learningstylequiz.com/
How Does Learnology Help Kinesthetic Learners?
Before we begin tutoring, we always ask how you or your child learn best. If you’re not quite sure, that’s okay too! We will try a few different methods until we find one that sticks.
To adhere to kinesthetic preferences, we try to incorporate:
- Whiteboards, so students can stand and move around the room
- Fidget tools to aid focus
- Physical tool kits, like blocks and chemistry-building
- Acting out topics
- Creating mind maps
- Incorporating creativity
- Connecting to real-life examples
While we love pen-and-paper, it’s not the only method for learning. Our tutors understand that, and actively work to accommodate student needs.
What Can I Do At Home?
When studying independently, it can be tough to focus if most academics are based on reading and writing. But, you can try to bring some movement to your studies to aid learning. For instance, you can chew gum or suck on hard candy. Some students find it useful to use a standing desk, or pace around while testing themselves. Another strategy is to craft something, such as a diorama or poster, to help yourself remember the content.
What If I Learn In Multiple Ways?
There’s no single, correct way to learn, and most people have a mix of learning styles! To keep things interesting, students may find it fun to write a portion, read some text out loud, create, and then listen to a video. This incorporates all styles, to keep your brain active.
You can also try different combinations. For example, if you find visual and auditory useful, listen to a video while reading the subtitles!
Can I Have an Example?
Absolutely. In high school, most students learn about how elements (pure forms of matter, like potassium, iron, or sodium) bond with each other, to create compounds (multiple elements).
When learning about how these bonds form, there are many factors to consider including the type of bond, shape of the compound, and where the electrons are.
Conventionally, students learn about this from reading a textbook, or hearing their teacher explain with some visuals.
While this may work for auditory and visual learners, tactile learners may find it a bit more difficult to wrap their heads around the concept.
But, at Learnology, we have a chemistry kit that allows students to piece together “elements” and “bonds,” building the compound themselves. This physical work tends to help with comprehension and retention of this content!
Does Teaching Style Actually Matter?
The science says it does! Numerous studies have found that children are more engaged, and their grades vastly improve, when teaching style matches learning style. For instance, a study by Runn and colleagues found that, on average, kinesthetic learners scored 10-20% higher on tests when their instruction was made more hands-on.
If you or your child are looking for tactile tutoring, book with us here or call us at 780-700-7877.
References:
Roberts, A., Dunn, R., Holtschnieder, D., Klavas, A., Miles, B., & Quinn, P. (2000). Effects of tactual kinesthetic instructional resources on the social studies achievement and attitude test scores and short- and long-term memory of suburban fourth-grade students . https://www.nationalforum.com/Electronic%20Journal%20Volumes/Roberts,%20Anne%20Victoria%20Effects%20of%20Tactual%20Kinesthetic%20instructional%20resources%20on%20the%20social%20studies%20achievement.pdf