Learning is sometimes a difficult task, and whether we realize it or not, we have been trained to learn. From an early age we learned by reading aloud, watching TV or memorizing. We also learned from examples and experiences. An old Chinese proverb says: “Tell me and I will forget; show me and I may remember; join me and I will understand.” With this feeling I will discuss the benefits of multi-sensory learning.
How many times have you sat in a classroom where you were bored? Think back to your many years in elementary school, middle school, or high school. What was the learning format? Was the teacher standing in front of the class lecturing while you tried to absorb the material? Was it so interactive taking notes? As society becomes more high-tech and children are bombarded with more information from more and more sources, many of which are on-demand, I believe teaching strategies need to evolve.
Multisensory learning offers the student the opportunity to remember something by experiencing it. Reading about baking a cake isn’t nearly as productive as baking a cake. The child learns about the ingredients and how they feel and smell. You’ll learn how to stir, how long it takes to bake a cake and how it smells when it’s done. You will also learn how wonderful it tastes. Children with tactile learning abilities or children with disabilities are given the chance to learn the same material as a child who would easily learn just by reading. Gifted children would not be bored as they would also be involved in the learning process. Multisensory learning is a gateway to enhancing the learning process for all children.
Each lesson should include hands-on experience. If the lesson is about fractions, have the children play with plastic cakes with slices to help them understand. If your class is about writing, play games that allow students to recognize better writing skills. Use the computer and online resources to take learning to a new level where they can see and hear and interact. Consider the potential of touchscreens in education, where a child can easily slide objects around on the screen while learning.
Today’s students are Internet savvy and comfortable with on-demand learning. Many of today’s classrooms still attempt to disseminate information when they should engage the student, essentially drawing the student into a lesson. The benefits of multisensory learning are better understanding, better retention, and a more inclusive learning environment that accommodates differences in student abilities. To be successful, teachers must engage their students by creating learning environments that utilize all of the student’s senses.
Thanks to Kimberly Arslan | #Multisensory #Learning #Future #Teaching