Effects of Kinesthetic Learning

1. Effects of Kinesthetic Learning Elizabeth Gianni

2. Problem Classrooms in today�s society are becoming more and more diverse Teachers are left with the responsibility to differentiate instruction Only 40% of teachers receive instruction on differentiated instruction in college (Edwards, Carr, & Siegel, 2006)

3. Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence Proposed by Howard Gardner One of the Multiple Intelligences Definition: ��the ability to solve problems or create products using the whole body or parts of the body� (Green, pg.683, 1999)

4. Purpose The purpose of my research is to observe the effects of kinesthetic instructional strategies on learning in an elementary school classroom. According to Howard Gardner all students have a cognitive expertise which should be acknowledged by teachers

5. Hypothesis A kinesthetic teaching approach will increase a students� enthusiasm for school and their academic achievement.

6. Experimental Study Sister Marie Grant observed the effects of kinesthetic learning versus a conventional approach Conventional teaching- auditory and visual methods of instruction Learning Modalities? auditory, visual, and kinesthetic Test results indicate kinesthetic learning is more beneficial Students retained more skills for a longer period of time Physical movement was appealing to children More enjoyable and effective Experimental group scored higher than the control group

7. Need for additional research Though there is not a lot of experimental research indicating the benefits of kinesthetic learning educators have played a big part in this�

8. Research by Educators Ayana Touval and Dr. Galeet Westreich implement kinesthetic learning during mathematics For example, students were taught to form angles with hands, legs, and feet

9. Research by Educators Sandra Minton demonstrates the importance of movement literacy or active learning Movement Literacy: �translating sensations and perceptions from the environment into movement�[and]� also being able to read and interpret the movements of others� Susan Griss believes an individuals first thought or sense of a meaning begins in the body Before schooling children use their bodies to learn A child�s natural instinct is to learn through nonverbal language for example feeling, pushing, or pulling (Griss, 1994)

10. Kinesthetic Approach: Water Cycle Lesson First it is important to understand the dominant characteristic of the water cycle How the water cycle moves in a clockwise circle Students can now visualize the movement and perform the process Example: hand gestures to symbolize rain, evaporation etc.

11. Visual Representation

12. Audio Representation

14. Can you think of any other reasons why kinesthetic strategies are beneficial in the classroom? Class management technique Allows students to get up from their desks throughout the day Great for students with certain learning disabilities Brain Break

15. Experiment Participants: elementary school students Classroom A (conventional approach) Classroom B (kinesthetic approach) Procedure: Taught the same lesson different approach and then tested

16. Results It is anticipated that the experimental group (kinesthetic classroom B) will score higher on the content based assessment and have more fun.

17. Other thoughts� It is anticipated that� a kinesthetic teaching approach will increase a students� enthusiasm for school and their academic achievement students will find kinesthetic learning strategies are not only more fun but a more effective learning technique classroom B scored higher then classroom A