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THE KINAESTHETIC/TACTILE LEARNER
KINAESTHETIC/TACTILE LEARNER
Foreword
Though I am conscious that distinctions could be made between kinaesthetic and tactile learners – while, for example, a kinaesthetic student may understand in a logical way (kinaesthetic people first perceive with their right hemisphere, then bounce the information off to the left hemisphere for analysis and comprehension, and send it back as a "big picture") and a tactile learner is almost totally dominated by the right hemisphere (which would indicate a tendency to operate in a global way) – I will deal with both of them in this paragraph because, traditionally, researchers put tactile and kinaesthetic learners within the same category.
KINAESTHETIC/TACTILE LEARNER
Most common behaviour found in KINAESTHETIC/TACTILE LEARNERS
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[E2]
[E2]
[E3]
[I1]
[F1]
learn best when they are involved or active.
- They are good at sports and physical tasks.
- They must move; they cannot sit still for long periods of time.
- They need to follow an "observe-reflect-do" sequence to absorb new information.
- They learn best with quiet periods followed by active ones.
- They exhibit some tactile traits (e.g. they like to do things with their hands, write things over and over, touch, fidget, fiddle).
- While knowledge is being presented, they tend to tap on the desk with their pens and pencils.
- They may find it hard to stand still for long periods and may become distracted by their need for activity and exploration.
- They need to move and get physical release of tension through movement.
- They need to see and hear and physically do things in class.
It is important to remember that the word "kinaesthetic" does not only refer to physical movement (kinaesthetic learners need to move and get physical release of tensions through movement), but also to "psychological" characteristics (kinaesthetic learners usually prefer concrete activities, they usually need concrete experiences to process new information, they tend to need to be globally involved in the task, not only intellectually).
Besides this, not only do they usually prefer to be physically and emotionally involved. They also tend to be able to remember what they have personally experienced; they have a tendency to operate in a global way, they are intuitive and they have a preference for adventurous and eventful narrative texts.
SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR THE TEACHERS
- Use role play, drama techniques, races and competitions; make use of physical class tasks (e.g. give out hand-outs to the board) and group work; suggest acting out stories.
- Suggest you students to memorize something with the aid of the rhythm; to study in a comfortable place; to take breaks while studying: to stand up and move a bit after 20/25 minutes; to walk while they read at home; to try to feel comfortable when studying (with lots of light, sitting in a comfortable chair, at a spacious table); suggest them to play music while doing their homework; to study with a friend.
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