How to Successfully Integrate Tactile Learning into Your Classroom
December 18, 2024
Students in lecture-based classes are 1.5 times more likely to fail than students in classes that use kinesthetic teaching strategies and multi-sensory learning (Freeman, et al., 2014). Only 21.6% of kids and teens aged 6 to 19 in the U.S. got in 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at least 5 days per week (National Physical Activity Plan Alliance, 2016).
What do both of these things have in common? Students are sitting in class and not exercising their bodies. Their brains are minimally engaged, and their learning is severely limited. With negative effects, these classrooms are not implementing a kinesthetic teaching style.
One key change will greatly shift student success – include movement-based learning activities throughout the school day.
Movement isn't just for recess
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A 2013 report from the Institute of Medicine concluded that “Children who are more active show greater attention, have faster cognitive processing speed, and perform better on standardized academic tests than children who are less active. Of course, academic performance is influenced by other factors as well, such as parental involvement and socioeconomic status.”
The report goes on to say that “a ‘whole-of-school’ approach is needed to obtain maximum benefits for students.” Therefore, schools should implement movement wherever they can. Schools can do this by blending academics and physical education, creating active events for parents, and incorporating kinesthetic teaching strategies during transition times and before or after school.
Studies overwhelmingly show that a kinesthetic teaching style:
Classrooms across the nation have seen positive changes in students’ self-discipline and test scores. The reason why? Their teachers incorporate cross-body movements, chanting, skip-counting, and dance into subjects like math, reading, and even science. When students learn through a kinesthetic teaching style, it strengthens their academic skills and their overall love for learning.
Furthermore, students improve their ability to retain what they learn. Exercise gives the brain oxygen and feeds it neurotrophins (small amounts of nutrients), which increases the number of neurons. Studies show this creates better cognition and memory and reduces the likelihood of depression (Kempermann, 2002). Kinesthetic teaching strategies may help students remember more vocabulary words for a test or general conversation and writing.
When we engage students through movement, the brain releases a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine activates the “reward center” of students’ brains and makes students energetic and happy. For example, if you are teaching a math class lecture style, it may be difficult for some students to release dopamine. Auditory or visual learners may receive some benefit from lectures, while kinesthetic learners struggle.
When students are involved in kinesthetic teaching strategies, their brains release dopamine, and they feel motivated. Movement makes learning new, exciting, and rewarding.
What happens when you combine movement with learning key academic skills? When students get to experience kinesthetic teaching activities at a young age, they’re more likely to be successful throughout the rest of their education. Physical activity can be added to the academic classroom, and academic concepts can be taught in the physical education program.
Two case studies show how consistent movement can enhance the teaching of important math concepts, both in the classroom and in a supplementary program. During physical education classes, students achieve similar results with kinesthetic learning activities.
Both of the schools in these case studies utilized aspects of the Math & Movement program. Math & Movement creates movement-based educational materials, including floor mats and stickers, that allow educators to implement kinesthetic teaching strategies.
The first case study comes from an elementary school in North Carolina. The study took place over an entire school year and included three cohorts of third-grade students.
Cohort A, which had 43 students across two classrooms, consistently participated in kinesthetic teaching activities. During math class, these students used kinesthetic lessons, math stations, interventions, and warm-ups daily.
Cohort B, which had 40 students across two classrooms, only occasionally participated in kinesthetic teaching activities as a supplemental resource rather than a focal point.
And finally, Cohort C, which also had 40 students across two classrooms, did not use movement-based learning activities at all. These students did not participate and acted as a control group.
Each cohort’s end-of-year Measure of Academic Progress (MAPS) state assessment scores are depicted below. The data represents the number of students who met or exceeded their projected RIT score. A RIT score estimates a student’s instructional level and measures student progress in school.
The data indicates that students who participated in more kinesthetic teaching activities, in addition to other math instruction and resources, made higher growth gains in mathematics. Plus, teachers who used a kinesthetic teaching style and the Math & Movement materials said that their students were always active and engaged in math!
The second case study comes from Syracuse, NY. For six weeks, an elementary school implemented the Math & Movement program for their pre-k students.
Math & Movement provided an intensive on-site experience at this school. As part of the supplementary program, Math & Movement staff provided 30 minutes of teaching using their program to two classrooms. The program took place five days per week for six weeks.
Participating students significantly increased their math skills. Most students started with minimal skills and ended six weeks later with solid one-to-one correspondence and the ability to count to ten. They also met the physical education requirement of performing cross-body movements at the shoulder, hip, and knee.
This study shows how quickly young children can learn using kinesthetic teaching activities and how easy it can be to greatly impact student success, including children from low socio-economic status households.
Many other examples from across the country highlight the impressive achievements of effective kinesthetic learning programs like Math & Movement, benefitting students of various abilities and backgrounds. Kinesthetic learning is versatile, accessible, fun, and effective.
Clearly, kinesthetic learning programs, especially when offered consistently, strengthen learning, improve retention, enhance motivation, and engage students. Get started with kinesthetic teaching activities today by downloading our FREE Math & Movement Training Manual!
2016 US Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. National Physical Activity Plan Alliance. Columbia, SC; 2016.
“Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics.” Scott Freeman, Sarah L. Eddy, Miles McDonough, Michelle K. Smith, Nnadozie Okoroafor, Hannah Jordt, and Mary Pat Wenderoth. PNAS June 10, 2014. 111 (23) 8410-8415; published ahead of print May 12, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1319030111
“Why new neurons? Possible functions for adult hippocampal neurogenesis.” Kempermann G. J Neurosci. 2002 Feb 1; 22(3):635-8.
Movement isn't just for recess
Want to get started with movement-based learning right now? Enter your email to get our training manual with over 250 active math movements. No materials necessary!
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