Multi-Sensory Learning

Each child learns in a different way

Although all humans have the same brain mechanisms, each brain works a little differently. In this way, some children remember the information better when they hear it, others again more when they see it. Experts mention three learning styles:

Visual – I remember what I see. Photos, diagrams, video presentations help me. I like to use colors, underline the data, draw mind maps. Walter Burke Barbe, who introduced the model in 1979, also includes in this group those who learn by reading learning style.

Hearing – I remember what I hear. It helps me to hear rhymes, songs. When I read, I move my lips or read half-loud.

Kinesthetic – I remember what I experience. Gestures help me. I like to compose and disassemble, if I touch things, I remember the facts better.

Although it is possible to determine for each child what his / her most successful learning style is, it is betyer – especially in childhood – to develop all styles. In order to acquire knowledge we often use one learning style in one area and another learning style for different subject.

Multi-sensory learning

Multi-sensory teaching means that we offer the same information to the child in many ways as the apple example describes. There are many ways to supplement the transfer of the information. Sometimes this is quite simple, but sometimes we have to use a little imagination.

A number of studies have proven that multi-sensory learning is wastly more successful. This applies to both children and adults. The reason probably lies in the fact that we, as a species, have evolved in an environment that affects all our senses. In everyday life, we use all channels to acquire new information and knowledge, our brains are adapted to this way of learning.

Examples

“An apple is a sweet edible fruit which consisting of a stem, a core with seeds, a fleshy pulp and a skin. “

Someone can explain us this, we can read about it or observe a drawing of it. Understanding can also be gained by carefully slicing and tasting the apple. But we will gain the most comprehensive knowledge if we use all the learning channels.

In this way, we will learn new words and names, understand its composition and support it with a concrete experience, where we will also learn about its hardness, what smell and taste it has, what kind of structure the seeds have, and so on.

“Contour lines are lines that connect points with the same elevation.“

If we create an experiment, the child will quickly understand the concept. He will see why the lines are denser where the slope is steeper. A hands-on activity will also help to memorize the color coding.

And how do I integrate multi-sensory teaching into everyday school work?

Ask yourself the following questions to maximise the effect and include more senses:

Teaching visually

• How could a child draw a picture of this lesson? Maybe he/she can draw a comic book, a mind-map or a chart. Maybe it can design a timeline. Use colors and large size paper.
• Can you provide him/her with visual materials, maybe even videos? Can the lesson be viewed in a real-world environment?

Teaching through listening

• Can we possibly come up with rhymes? Do we know any song about it?
• Have the child say it out loud, have a conversation about it. We encourage him to tell what he has learned to other family members or by asking them questions related to the substance.

Teaching through movement and touch

• Can we prepare an experiment? Can we practice or study while moving: maybe jump while counting or sounding out, clap when we are memorising a rhyme, can we dramatise the subject? Maybe we can go for a walk while we are repeating certain materials?
• The child can write or draw the information on cards, which he then takes into his hands to rearrange them.
• Can the shapes to be learned be made made of plastic? Is there anything else you can use instead of pencil and paper? Maybe it can be written in grainy material (such as sugar, sand) or on the body (back, palm)? Many times, they advise the use of sandpaper to let a child draw on with their finger.

You can find some more ideas for learning letters in a multi-sense way here.

Don’t forget, many multi-sensory teaching aids can be made at home!