Kinesthetic Learning Style

Just like individual preferences for clothing or food, Kindergarten and early elementary school students exhibit distinct learning styles. As grade levels and academic expectations increase, many of these learning traits prove to be delightful and appealing; other areas—not so much! Within the same family, one child may seem to be a good fit for parental teaching style, while another seems—let's put it as delicately as possible—difficult. However, in many cases the cause of this difficulty can be attributed, at least in part, to an incompatibility between the parent's style of learning and teaching as opposed to the easiest method for the child. For instance, you may have found it easy to learn to spell in school, just by seeing

Try free apps and online educational games, such as Owl and Mouse (yourchildlearns.com/owlmouse.htm). In many cases, hands-on learners can “show” you how to do a task, but cannot demonstrate this knowledge verbally or using a written test. A child with a strong learning preference for kinesthetic learning thrives when presented with real objects, such as addition and subtraction with geo boards, craft sticks bundled into sets, letter tiles, learning wrap-ups, counting frame/abacus and math blocks. Create your own learning games; find ideas at Kent State University's Parent Made Developmental Toys, literacy.kent.edu/Oasis/PACT/toc.html. Donna Young (donnayoung.org/homeschooling/games/game-boards.htm) offers free printable game boards and dice; take turns moving game markers as your child correctly answers questions (such as math facts). Use pennies or small toys for markers. Doers also shine when presented with word problems, real world learning applications, science projects, and Handwriting Without Tears (hwtears.com) writing activities. In a homeschool co-op setting, they will do best in activity based, hands-on type programs such as Miquon Math's lab using cuisenaire rods.Some learners find it difficult to transition from object and finger counting to abstract concepts--and this trend

Ask your local librarian for more curriculum recommendations. Consider sharing or borrowing books, audio tapes, and manipulative learning materials from a like-minded homeschool family. Many homeschoolers have experienced success with unit study resources which engage all the senses—especially if they teach several children together, each with a different learning style. Find out more about unit studies through resources such as Christian educator Kathryn Stout's designastudy.com. You may like to design your own study; if so, research multi-media materials through free online sources such as americanheritage.org/links. For a multi-sensory approach to reading, try materials available through AVKO (Audio, Visual, Kinesthetic, & Oral) Foundation, avko.org. According to the Chinese proverb:

"I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I