Kinesthetic Perception, Differentiated Instruction, and Thematic Learning
The haptic system is deeply connected with learning achievement. Kinesthetic learners have a specific learning style that requires tactile and kinesthetic input for processing information effectively. The right mode of instruction can assist kinesthetic learners in comprehending and retaining information with a high level of accuracy. Therefore, modern classrooms must incorporate thematic learning and differentiated instruction for the academic success acknowledging different learning preferences.
Many educators believe that students rely on a dominant style of learning, while combining different styles as they may need to do so. To use this theory in a practical setting, teachers must have specialized knowledge, and the required resources and tools to cater to learning presented through different modalities. Modern scientific evidence points at the validity of multisensory teaching as a means to achieve deep learning in a diverse student group. Such an approach may be the way forward to fostering an ability to think about concepts at a complex level and retain content that was learned successfully.
In simple words, the mind-body connection helps us to learn effectively. Problems can be perceived from multiple angles and creative problem solving is a rigorous approach. Kinesthetic learning combines different ways of learning to improve the way we comprehend and retain information. Movement during learning experiences puts students in a “receptive state” to help them learn well. In a learning experience for middle school girls, algebra is taught with movement — doing 3x + y as three twirls and one jump, assuming “where x = twirl, y = jump”. Being able to instantly get a hang of the concept boosts confidence levels for learning success.
Kinesthetic Perception and How It Influences Learning
The kinesthetic processing system is also known as the haptic processing system and interprets, organizes, and stores the meaning of information we take in through touch (tactile) or movement (kinesthetic). Closely related to the kinesthetic processing system is the vestibular system, which oversees balance and spatial organization. How one senses balance influences the information we take in through touch or movement. Information is received through mechanoreceptors located in joints, muscles, tendons, skin, and the vestibular system. To put it differently, exploring objects in space triggers haptic input. The haptic system is very important in learning as it influences reading ability, laterality, directionality, contact, locomotion, sensory integration, and spatial awareness. Therefore, these systems are deeply connected to learning achievement.
Prominent Traits of Kinesthetic Learners
According to Howard Gardener’s theory of multiple intelligences, kinesthetic learners use their whole body for problem solving. His theory implies that one may be stronger in a specific area and demonstrate knowledge and abilities in that area effectively. This helps teachers tailor lessons to the individual needs of learners.
In kinesthetic learners, movement aids their memory, and touching and manipulating objects is their learning style. They have a lot of energy and enjoy hands-on activities. This means that their learning experiences must contain the use of fine and gross motor skills, tactile sensations, and using the material rather than reading and writing. Since writing is a tactile activity, learners may sometimes use it for retention of the material presented during lessons. Props, animations, performances, and the like are the most effective ways to convey subject matter to kinesthetic learners. They engage well with dissecting/taking apart things or putting them together. Role play, experiments, demonstrations, and acting out the concept capture the attention of kinesthetic learners.
Kinesthetic learners have very good hand-eye coordination, agility, great timing, and enthusiasm. They enjoy playing with others. Instruction for kinesthetic learners must ideally incorporate many breaks, a lot of movement, and structure. Although they may seem inattentive or unfocused, a personalized learning strategy addresses most of their concerns. They often like to switch positions, tap or swing legs, use fidget spinners, play with textures, or scratch or doodle while learning. Cooking, outdoor play, chores, beach walks and nature walks, puzzles, physical activity, yoga, and the like are highly desirable for kinesthetic learners.
Incorporating Kinesthetic and Tactile Input in Teaching and Learning
The advantages of physical activity are well known — promoting cardiorespiratory fitness, improving white matter integrity, enhancing communication between brain regions, improving volume of grey matter, and improving cognition and creativity. To connect this idea with learning, recent research points at the role of physical activity in improving academic performance for all types of learners.
Among the different learning styles, preparing differentiated instruction for kinesthetic learners may be a challenging task. Educators need to additionally plan physical movement and tactile activities that go into making a cohesive lesson plan for kinesthetic learners. These lesson plans are targeted at physically active learners who need to move around and engage their body and sense of touch in learning experiences. In other words, kinesthetic learners are more attentive with “hands-on” lessons and find it hard to retain their attention simply using notes, lectures, and even videos.
Lessons incorporating movement and touch could be as simple as associating foot tapping or clapping with concepts. Teachers may simply make hand gestures to help them remember. Some classrooms incorporate physical movement such as pacing or bouncing a ball while learning the concept. Even when the movement may not be thematically relevant to the concept being taught, it addresses the learning needs of kinesthetic learners and helps to get their attention throughout the lesson. Many teachers use handwritten notes for tactile stimulation and incorporate hand-eye coordination or gross motor skills into the learning activity. The best teaching strategy results from a collaboration between students and teachers to arrive at a personalized lesson plan.
The Need for Differentiated Instruction
Schnarr presents research evidence on the value of differentiated instruction for kinesthetic learners. He argues that “differentiated learning” and “individual education plans” give every student a fair opportunity to succeed. Present classrooms look at this differentiation based on the intelligences of learners. In this context, kinesthetic learners have received less attention with respect to personalized lesson delivery.
Schnarr argues that authentic, healthy classrooms must have differentiated instruction to support bodily-kinesthetic learners. These instructions must be organized around specific goals and strategies leading to experiences that build competence and confidence, create opportunities across subject areas, and target predetermined outcomes. In most classrooms, kinesthetic learners seem to be “overshadowed” by visual and auditory learners. The idea of developing multiple intelligences relates to an “individual-centered school” that addresses each student’s unique cognitive profile. This idea implies that people differ in terms of their interests and abilities. Differentiation for learners requires innovation and reflection and leads to learner empowerment.
Kinesthetic Perception and Thematic Learning
Activities guided by a theme serve as a way to make connections between learning activities, integrating skills and subjects during learning experiences. Themes make learning interesting, allow learners to explore, stimulate their natural curiosity, motivate them, all of which lead to deep learning. Children are able to see the world as an interconnected place, see subtle relationships between subjects, which spurs innovation and creativity.
There are a number of ways to incorporate themes into lessons. Themes can be in the form of stories, real-world events, the environment, or anything that makes learning meaningful and gives them a chance to apply the different intelligences inherent in them. Organizing lessons that cover different intelligences targeting one theme allows learners to use their own unique strengths to learn while still enjoying learning together. For example, in a lesson about planes, one may include a range of learning activities including reading about planes, making planes, runways, and airports, watching planes take off and land, role playing car and plane journeys, and reciting poems and watching movies about planes.
A research study that focused on kinesthetic measures such as “space-visuomotor task accuracy” to identify the level of on-task behavior in a thematic learning method concluded that kinesthetic perception with physical activity indicated an improvement in performance in math, science, and reading.
Identifying a link between on-task behavior in thematic learning experiences and the use of physical activity for learners with kinesthetic perception was an important finding from the research (kinesthetic perception and physical activity positively influence on-task behavior). Thematic learning undertakes transdisciplinary and inter-disciplinary approaches to relate to real-life phenomena. Kinesthetic perception was found to have deep links with mathematics.
In essence, every child is made differently with a unique set of strengths. Next-level classrooms need to imbibe this by presenting information through strategies that benefit all types of learners. Kinesthetic learners require instruction through tactile and kinesthetic stimulation, which means expending resources and knowledge towards a cohesive theme that appeals to these learners. The solution proposed is thematic differentiated classrooms to encourage thinking and retention at a new level.
References
https://www.n2y.com/blog/multisensory-approach-for-kinesthetic-learners/
https://bonnieterrylearning.com/research/learning-styles/kinesthetic-perception/
https://blog.outschool.com/the-kinesthetic-learner-strengths-strategies-learning-activities/
https://happytotshelf.com/5-benefits-of-theme-based-learning/
