Originally Posted On: https://mathandmovement.com/what-is-kinesthetic-learning/

What Is Kinesthetic Learning?

What is kinesthetic learning? What does kinesthetic learning in the classroom look like? Are there any benefits to kinesthetic learning activities?

On Dictionary.com, kinesthesia is defined as “the sensation of movement or strain in muscles, tendons, and joints.” The word is a modern compound of two Greek words: kinein, which means “to set in motion” and aisthēsis, meaning “perception.”

As an educator, accounting for all the different learning styles in your lesson plans can be challenging. Math & Movement is here to explain what kinesthetic learning is all about, why you should prioritize movement in the classroom, and how to do it!

Kinesthetic Learning Means Hands-On and Physical

Kinesthetic learning, also known as tactile learning or movement-based learning, uses physical activity or interaction to teach students new concepts. Think of it as a hands-on approach. Students can learn new information by interacting physically with a subject matter. Meaning and understanding are achieved through movement and touch.

People with a kinesthetic learning style prefer to be active participants rather than observers while learning. For instance, imagine you are teaching people how to ride a bike. Visual learners would learn best from watching you ride a bike. Auditory learners would learn best from you explaining how to ride a bike aloud. Kinesthetic learners would learn best by getting on the bike themselves and practicing balancing and pedaling.

How can educators identify students with a kinesthetic learning style? There are several common characteristics of kinesthetic learners, including being physically coordinated and being drawn to activities using tools, instruments, and other manipulatives.

Benefits of Kinesthetic Learning Activities

Here are 6 benefits of kinesthetic learning activities for your students:

Boosts Comprehension and Retention

Kinesthetic activities allow students to comprehend and retain new information better. There’s science behind why movement works!

Physical activity increases oxygen levels in the blood and blood flow throughout the body. As a result, the brain gets more oxygen and can function at optimal levels for learning.

Additionally, during exercise, the brain produces a protein called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). BDNF improves the function of neurons and encourages their growth. The brain is truly in its prime when the body is moving!

Aids in Cognitive and Motor Skills Development

We just established that physical activity stimulates both your body and your mind. This is especially valuable to young learners. Stimulated, active brain cells have a positive impact on one’s cognitive development. Plus, coordinated movements help young learners develop their fine and gross motor skills.

Increases Student Engagement

Did you know that kinesthetic activities actually boost student engagement? A study by the National Math Foundation found that kinesthetic activities significantly increased student engagement. The study focused on incorporating kinesthetic learning strategies into multiplication strategies for 492 students in 3rd through 5th grade.

Children will inherently find moving around more fun than sitting still at a desk. When educators can combine movement with learning, young students will find learning more fun as well! Lessons can be enjoyable instead of a chore.

Improves Student Behavior

Encouraging students to move can be the key to effective classroom management, instead of trying to force them to sit still and keep their energy pent-up. Kinesthetic activities increase student engagement, and engaged students are less likely to be antsy or disruptive.

Furthermore, kinesthetic activities in the classroom naturally encourage students to interact and communicate with one another. Hands-on activities are a great way to promote community, boost teamwork skills, and increase cooperation. As students move together, they will learn to work together!

Fosters Problem-Solving Skills and Creativity

Kinesthetic learning activities involve hands-on experiences. Students are active in their learning process and often learn from trial and error in their experiences. Kinesthetic learners find new ways of solving problems versus simply observing. Therefore, these hands-on activities are a great way to foster problem-solving skills and creativity in young learners!

Encourages an Active Lifestyle

As we all know, the traditional school day is very sedentary. Show students the importance of moving their bodies by having them do so throughout the day. By incorporating physical activity into lessons, educators can help their students live a more healthy lifestyle.

Kinesthetic Learning in the Classroom

Now you know that there are many benefits to kinesthetic learning in the classroom. But what do kinesthetic activities look like in the classroom? How can educators incorporate movement while delivering productive lessons in subjects like math and literacy?

Some subjects, such as gym, art, dance, music, theatre, and science labs, are already kinesthetic-based. Movement and hands-on activities come naturally during those class times. However, kinesthetic learning strategies can be used for every subject. Math & Movement is here to help!

Active Math Movements

Even small gestures paired with academic concepts can make a big difference. 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 throughout the school day.

Watch the video below to see how students can practice skip counting by 2s while moving like an alligator!

Cross-Body Movements

Cross-body movements engage both hemispheres of the brain. Picture an imaginary line that runs from your nose to the floor. When you touch your right hand to your left foot, you cross that mid-line and engage both sides of the brain. Cross-body movements further stimulate the brain and boost learning comprehension and retention. Many of our active math movements are cross-body movements. Follow the video below to do a simple cross-body movement that practices skip counting by 4s while sitting down!

Our Training Manual for Elementary Schools has over 250 movements like the ones above to energize students. These movements are the perfect addition to a slow math lesson or the ideal break-time activity between subjects. Enter your email below to receive a FREE copy!

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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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See how simple adding movement can be!

Kinesthetic Learning Strategies Using Materials

As previously mentioned, kinesthetic learners like using manipulatives such as tools and instruments. And now you know your students can benefit from small movements at their desks or during breaks throughout the day. But what if your students had large-scale number lines to walk across and move their entire bodies over?

Math & Movement makes that a reality for your students! Many of our program’s kinesthetic activities use manipulatives, like floor mats and stickers, for hands-on learning. Our wide variety of kinesthetic educational materials help educators bring movement to not only math, but literacy, science, and more!

Students learn with our materials by walking, stepping, jumping, tracing, and crawling on them. Combine these movements with our colorful, visually stimulating designs and vocalizations as they move, and you’ll have students who are engaged visually, auditorily, and kinesthetically! Our materials also include smaller handheld manipulatives such as dice and play money.

Math & Movement offers a variety of resources to support teachers adopting kinesthetic learning strategies, including a database of activities and virtual training offerings. Students benefit from “experiencing” new information, so we’re here to help make lessons interactive and educators feel confident with new teaching methods.

Products to Help Your Kinesthetic Learners Thrive

3-5 Math Kit

Get students excited about multiplication, division, fractions, and algebraic thinking with these materials! Learn More 

K-2 Math Kit

Boost number sense with this set of floor mats and books for kinesthetic activities! Learn More 

K-5 Starter Package

A great variety of hands-on tools for elementary math! Use these materials to get started with movement-based learning. Learn More 

K-2 Literacy Kit

Use these popular mats in movement-based activities to teach phonemic awareness, word recognition, reading comprehension, and more! Learn More 

3-5 Literacy Kit

Boost phonemic awareness, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and fluency with movement-based activities using these mats! Learn More 

Physical Education Kit

Easily incorporate math lessons into physical education classes with this kit. Includes materials that cover addition, subtraction, multiplication, and more. Learn More

Final Thoughts

So, what does kinesthetic learning in the classroom look like? It can look like a lot of different activities, including:

• pretending to be alligators while counting aloud
• tapping on desks like drums while reciting multiples of 3
• snapping or clapping after solving an addition problem
• creating a new dance to the alphabet
• acting out this week’s vocabulary words
• hopping down a Skip Counting Mat
• tracing the letters on a Word Hop floor sticker
• playing a game of Race to 100 on the Add/Subtract (1-100) Mat
• rearranging cards on the Factor Fun Mat

What kinesthetic learning strategies will you try in your classroom?