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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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?
