Learning is an important thing that has to be mastered before any child can learn the necessary material for their age. Discovering your child’s learning style can also help your little one discover the best ways they learn, which will benefit them for the rest of their life. A kinesthetic learning style is when a child learns while incorporating movement. This can be hard to accommodate, but these tips will help you nurture a kinesthetic learning style.
Art Projects
Kinesthetic learners remember information when they are actively doing something. This helps the information sink in, which is why art projects are common to the best Montessori school programs. For example, have children make paper mache planets to remember information about them or make dioramas to remember historical events.
Ditch the Desk
The best Montessori schools will understand that a traditional desk isn’t always the best option, especially for kinesthetic learners who need moving. Sitting on large yoga balls instead of in chairs and being free to move around the classroom to change seats is key to helping nurture this learning style. Letting students stand at their desks is another great idea.
More Time Outside
Having more time outside playing is especially important for kinesthetic learners. These children need to move around, and sitting at a desk all day often prevents them from absorbing most of the material. Spending more time playing outside will help them pay attention when sitting at a desk.
Science Projects
Kinesthetic learners need real-life materials as often as possible. That means playing with a circuit board to learn about electricity, growing lima beans to learn about plants, and inspecting flowers or other plants to learn the parts of plants. While completing projects, teachers or parents can explain the lesson, which is what the best Montessori school does.
Frequent Breaks
Kinesthetic learners find it challenging to sit still and focus for long periods of time. Instead, they need breaks to get up and move around. That’s why most kinesthetic learners wind up in a non-traditional school, like a charter academy. Over 168 Montessori public institutions opened between 2000 and 2015, and 82% were charter schools.
Montessori schools continue to excel at teaching kinesthetic learners because they understand the importance of moving at the child’s pace and allow more non-traditional things, such as sitting on a ball. Contact Rowntree Montessori School for more information today!
