TEACHING STRATEGIES

Kinesthetic Learning Success: Empowering Students Through Movement

11 December 2024/ By Zineb DJOUB

As a kinesthetic learner, I’ve always preferred movement and hands-on experiences to understand and retain new information fully. Yet, I was in a traditional classroom where passive learning predominated and kinesthetic learning was almost unheard of. Adapting to the “banking education” model, in which teachers poured knowledge into us without much interaction, was difficult.

As a child, I would go home and rewrite lessons on a homemade board, acting as a teacher to process what I’d learned. I didn’t know it at the time, but those were my attempts to match my learning style to what was lacking in my classroom. Reflecting on this, I realize how important it is for teachers to recognise and accommodate different learning styles.

Here’s everything you need to know about kinesthetic learning to unlock the potential of your students through movement and activity.

What is kinesthetic learning?

Kinesthetic learning, often called tactile or physical learning, is a style of learning in which individuals gain knowledge and skills through hands-on experiences and physical activities.

Unlike auditory and visual learning, which involve listening to lectures or watching videos, kinesthetic learning emphasizes “touching, moving, and interacting with the environment” (Drago & Wagner, 2004, p. 3).

Instructors use kinesthetic learning activities (KLAs) to involve students in learning by “touching, moving, and interacting with their environment” (Drago & Wagner, 2004, p. 3).

So, this type of active learning allows students to engage directly with materials, manipulate objects, and participate in bodily activities to facilitate understanding and retention of information.

Who are kinesthetic learners?

Studies have shown that learners who learn mostly by manipulating their surroundings often struggle in a traditional classroom (Gage, 1995).

So, it’s crucial to understand how kinesthetic learners learn to create inclusive environments that cater to all learners, ensuring that those who learn best through movement are not overlooked.

Further, kinesthetic learners need to recognize how their learning differs from others to determine the learning tools and strategies necessary to boost their learning engagement and progress. Such awareness can also support them to adapt to classroom expectations.

Key characteristics of kinesthetic learners:

• They learn best by using their hands or by full body movement, so they do well in areas such as repair work, sculpting, art or working with tools.
• They remember best what they do.
• They enjoy hands-on activities (making and creating).
• They express their enthusiasm physically, often through movement and excitement.
• They like tо аdd mоvеmеnt аnd tоuch tо аny lеаrning.
• They often writе, аnd rе-writе their nоtеs.
• They use hаnd аnd fingеr mоvеmеnts tо hеlp rеmеmbеr cоncеpts.
• They use hand and finger movements to help retain information.
• They may drum, tаp their fееt, оr mаrch, whilе rеciting infоrmаtiоn.
• They are often labelled ‘hyperactive’ as they’ve trouble staying still or in one place for a long time.

 

Benefits of kinesthetic learning

Kinesthetic learning has great benefits for all students. Whether you have kinesthetic learners or not, integrating this approach into the classroom can enhance understanding, engagement, and overall student well-being.

Improved understanding and retention

Movement boosts oxygen flow to the brain, enhancing its ability to process and store information (Zadina, 2014).

Kinesthetic-based activities encourage students to be actively involved in their learning, think critically and get more engaged in learning.

Supports emotional and social development

Kinesthetic learning has been positively linked with high emotional intelligence, with up to an 8.35% difference in emotional intelligence between kinesthetic and auditory learners (Leasa et al., 2017).

Active movement was found to lead to a greater ability to disregard stress (Culp et al., 2020) which negatively influences how students learn and interact with others.

Encourages collaboration and positive relationships

Kinesthetic learning activities like projects and experiments promote social interaction and feedback between their student participants.

Engaging in such activities fosters a positive learning environment where students feel appreciated, relaxed, attached to their classmates, and motivated to learn (Culp et al., 2020).

Kinesthetic learning challenges

While kinesthetic learning has many benefits, it also comes with challenges.

You’re right if you’ve ever thought that incorporating movement into lessons might lead to distractions.

Studies show that whenever students leave one task and begin another, there is a dangerous slot of time when they can go off-task (Flippin et al., 2020; Lemov et al., 2015).

The physical setup of the classroom can also pose challenges. Rearranging desks or other parts of the classroom to allow for motion can waste instructional time and distract students.

Additionally, integrating kinesthetic learning and bringing the necessary differentiation requires time and energy to plan, often adding to teachers’ already heavy workloads.

Understanding these challenges is the first step toward addressing them to ensure that kinesthetic learning becomes a productive part of your teaching toolkit.

Kinesthetic learning strategies for the classroom

Ready to bring more movement into your lessons? Here are some practical strategies to integrate kinesthetic learning while balancing with other learning styles.

#Improve attentional focus with physical movement

We all know that students today are more distracted than ever. Maintaining their attention throughout the lesson has become really tough for many of us.

One way to help students refocus is to incorporate movement-based activities into your teaching routines.

Eric Jensen, in his book Teaching with the Brain in Mind (2005), suggests simple but effective strategies like:

• Ask students to stand for a moment.
• Switch to an active game or energizer.
• Take the class outside.
• Give an assignment that involves walking with a partner.
• Lead stretching, dancing, or marching activities.
• Listening to quiet instrumental music

 

Adjusting the activity’s duration depends on the material’s complexity and the student’s readiness. Complex materials require more time setting, compared to simpler ones.

#Teach and reinforce concepts using drawings and hands-on tasks

Building on students’ prior knowledge is essential in understanding a concept. So, start by finding out what students know and ask them to make connections to new learning.

Activities like using graphic organizers—KWL charts, mind maps, and Venn diagrams—can help students visually organize their thoughts before diving into new material.

Further, hands-on tasks, projects or experiments can help students understand and apply what they’ve learned in a variety of contexts.

These activities often involve peer editing, pair sharing, student presentations with audience feedback using videos and audiotapes, and a checklist or rubric for assessment.

So, they don’t just allow practice opportunities but also allow for testing hypotheses, making mistakes, and learning from them.

#Manage the classroom for active learning

To provide opportunities for mobility for students while avoiding distraction and wasting time, there is a need to arrange the physical environment and plan for the materials required.

For instance, if you’re using ball-toss games for review or vocabulary building, rearrange the seating ahead of time so that students sit on opposite sides to toss the ball and interact with their peers.

Providing tools like fidget items and standing desks can also help students stay focused without losing that sense of physical engagement.

You can also consider setting up flexible workstations or spaces for movement where students can do some slow stretching.

Finally, take time to reflect on your classroom management. Adjustments to your environment and routines can make all the difference in maximising the benefits of kinesthetic learning.

By incorporating movement and hands-on activities into your teaching, you are not only delivering lessons, but also creating opportunities for engagement, creativity, and growth. Try a few of these strategies, and watch your classroom come alive with active learning!”

Resources for kinesthetic learning

Jensen, E. (2005).  Teaching with The Brain in Mind.ASCD: USA.

Kuczala, S.S.M, & Lenge, T. (2017). Ready, Set, Go!: The Kinesthetic Classroom. SAGE Publications Ltd: USA.

Michael Kuczala TEDx talk: The Kinesthetic Classroom: Teaching and Learning Through Movement

PhET Interactive Simulations offer science and math activities that engage kinesthetic learners through movement and experimentation.

References

Culp, B., Oberlton, M., & Porter, K. (2020). Developing kinesthetic classrooms to promote active learning. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 91(6), 10-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/07303084.2020.1768178

Drago, W.A. and Wagner, R.J. (2004). Vark preferred learning styles and online education.  Management Research News, Vol. 27 No. 7, pp. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1108/01409170410784211

Flippin, M., Clapham, E. D., & Tutwiler, M. S. (2020). Effects of using a variety of kinesthetic classroom equipment on elementary students’ on-task behaviour: A Pilot Study. Learning Environments Research, 24(1), 137-151. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-020-09321-2

Gage, R. (1995). Excuse me, you’re cramping my style: Kinesthetics for the classroom. The English Journal, 84(8), 52-55.

Leasa, M., Corebima, A. D., Suwono, H., & Ibrohim, I. (2017). Emotional intelligence among auditory, reading, and kinesthetic learning styles of elementary school students in Ambon-Indonesia. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 10(1), 83 91.

Lemov, D., Hernandez, J., & Kim, J. (2015). Teach like a champion 2.0: Techniques that put students on the path to college (2nd ed.). John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Zadina, J. N. (2014). Multiple pathways to the student brain: Energizing and enhancing instruction. Jossey-Bass.