
At our school, we assist children with multiple learning disabilities helping them to feel confident and happy as they learn. One of the reasons that we are successful in teaching these amazing children, is our focus on behavioral therapy and different learning styles.
For this we turn to the book, 7 (now 8) Kinds of Smart: Identifying and Developing Your Multiple Intelligences by Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
For the next eight weeks we will focus on each of the eight kinds of intelligence, beginning with bodily-kinesthetic learners.
THE 8 KINDS OF INTELLIGENCE
- Bodily-Kinesthetic
- Interpersonal
- Intrapersonal
- Linguistic
- Logical-Mathematical
- Musical
- Naturalist
- Spatial
A bodily-kinesthetic learning style generally relies on physical interaction. These children like using their hands, exploring, and discovering new things. Many children with learning disabilities are also kinesthetic learners.
Kinesthetic learners tend to:
Excel at art, science, dance, and shop class,
Tap their feet or clap their hands rhythmically while concentrating
Get very fidgety when sitting for long periods of time
Have trouble learning concepts explained visually or audibly
Be better listeners when interaction is involved
Grip their pen or pencil tightly and push down hard when writing
Kinesthetic learners do better at school when they can fidget or chew gum. It helps if they take notes during lecture-style teaching, and they need to take frequent breaks.
The theory of different intelligences is that each person learns in different ways. And although it is a theory, we see evidence every day at Rockwood Prep that there is truth in these principles.
If you’re concerned about your student’s academic, social, or behavioral progress at school, don’t wait to get help. You are always, first and foremost, your child’s best advocate.