Kinesthetic learners are people who learn best through physical activity. Also known as tactile, physical, or kinetic learners, these people prefer hands-on, interactive learning experiences. Everyone has their own preference on the way new information is presented to them. Those with a kinesthetic learning style prefer having new information presented to them in a way they can feel or touch it. That’s how they understand new concepts best.
Experts have studied the human brain’s ability to learn new things. With this research, they have developed various models to describe different types of learners, one of which is the VARK model. VARK includes visual (V), auditory (A), read/write (R), and kinesthetic (K) learning styles. Simply put, VARK explains that people learn things by watching, listening, reading and writing, and/or doing.
Kinesthetic learners prefer to be an active participant when learning, rather than watching a video or listening to a lecture. For instance, say a group of people are learning how to play a new card game. A visual learner would prefer to look at the game’s instructions. An auditory learner would prefer for a friend to explain the game’s rules to them aloud. A kinesthetic learner would prefer to hold the cards and play a practice round in order to understand the game’s rules.
Here are 5 common characteristics of kinesthetic learners:
The primary characteristic of kinesthetic learners is that they love to move! They understand new information more easily when using whole-body movement and their tactile senses. This is why they often wiggle, bounce, swing their legs, sway, tap, and seem unable to sit still. Additionally, kinesthetic learners may move their hands and gesture a lot while speaking.
Kinesthetic learners are likely to find traditional classrooms boring since sitting at a desk isn’t their preferred learning experience. In fact, the word kinetic describes things that are in motion, active, and lively. Movement helps kinetic learners retain information quicker and easier than other techniques. Hands-on experiences, including demonstrations and simulations, allow these students to think more clearly and be more engaged.
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See how simple adding movement can be!
Kinesthetic learners typically have great hand-eye coordination and quick reactions. They often excel at sports and other physical activities, such as dancing. They also have excellent proprioception, which is one’s awareness or sense of their body in space. This phenomenon is also known as kinesthesia.
One of the benefits of kinesthetic learning is that it aids in the development of fine and gross movement skills. By nature, this learning process supports physical coordination!
Students with a kinesthetic learning style engage better with physical, practical examples that they can feel. Theoretical situations or abstract concepts are harder for them to grasp. This is why kinesthetic learners enjoy using manipulatives. Manipulatives are tactile objects that students use in a lesson to explore ideas. This approach allows students to use their tactile senses and feel the new information. Manipulatives can be simple objects like popsicle sticks or cards with numbers or letters.
Kinesthetic learners can get really excited for activities like science experiments in which they can use different tools and instruments. Additionally, they’ll learn from seeing the science lesson demonstrated in a real-life situation. Manipulatives allow students direct involvement with the material that they are learning, which is often preferred over worksheets or reading from a book. Creating hands-on experiences is crucial for this learning style.
Another benefit of being a kinesthetic learner is that you’re likely to have excellent physical memory! Movement-based learning helps people learn better because physical activity boosts blood flow and oxygen levels in the brain. This improves information retention, giving kinesthetic learners a strong memory.
Take a look at these brain scans of students taking a test. The scan on the left shows students’ brain activity after sitting quietly for 20 minutes before the test. The scan on the right shows students’ brain activity after walking for 20 minutes before the test. Which brain do you think is most ready to retain and recall information? (The active one!)
Physical activity while learning boosts cognitive development and performance like no other memorization strategy!
Kinesthetic learners are active in their learning process and the academic problems they are presented with. They like to break down concepts to understand them. They also like to put problems into a real-life context that they can relate to and “experience”. Because of this, kinetic learners find new ways to solve problems.
Just like an active body supports a strong memory, it also supports analytical and critical-thinking skills. Students with a kinesthetic learning style are proficient problem solvers and often think very creatively.
So how can educators bring active learning methods to their classroom and help students learn kinesthetically?
Adding kinesthetic learning to the classroom can be beneficial to all students. Movement-based learning can increase students’ attention spans and keep them focused. Incorporating it into lessons makes learning fun and more engaging.
We know that kinesthetic learners can feel restrained in a traditional classroom. Hands-on activities like science experiments aren’t on the lesson schedule every day. And, of course, not every hour of the school day can be gym class. How can educators bring kinesthetic elements into their every day teaching routine? The answer is to start small.
Active math movements are designed to give students physical exercise while practicing math. These movements do not require any materials and are perfect for short brain breaks and transitions throughout the school day! Read more about our favorite active math movements.
Even with simple movements such as tapping or hopping their fingers or clapping their hands at their desk, your students can reap the benefits of kinesthetic learning. Consider adding a sticker to your students’ desktops that they can use to make lessons more interactive – without ever leaving their seats!
For instance, kindergarten and 1st grade students can practice any math with numbers 0-20 using our Number Line 0-20 Desktop Sticker. Learning addition? Have students hop their fingers up the number line to add. Incorporate auditory elements such as reciting the numbers aloud for a multisensory teaching approach.
Kinesthetic activities can be done right at students’ desks with these mini number lines! Place our number line from 0 to 20 right at the top of students’ desks as a quick reference. Ideal for kindergarten and 1st grade. Available as a desktop sticker or a printable PDF.
You now know that your students can benefit from small finger and hand movements at their desks. But now, imagine your students have large-scale number lines to walk across and move their entire bodies over.
That’s where Math & Movement comes in! We have created a series of kinesthetic educational materials designed to get students active and learning. Our products, including floor mats and stickers, allow students to learn by walking, stepping, jumping, tracing, crawling, and more. We also carry a variety of manipulatives to use with your students, including large dice and play money.
Educators can fully embrace the kinesthetic learning style with our interactive materials. Plus, Math & Movement offers a variety of resources to support teachers adopting kinesthetic teaching methods, including a database of activities and virtual training offerings.
Why should educators cater to the kinesthetic learning style in their classrooms? Because data speaks to the benefits! Take a look at the results of a 2-week movement-based math intervention for a 3rd grade class in Florida.
Hundreds of schools across the country have added the Math & Movement program to their curriculum. Could your school be next?
You can also read more research about kinesthetic learning on our partner’s website, the National Math Foundation.
Image by Joshua Choate from Pixabay.
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