Every child gains and develops a different kind of multiple intelligence. Multiple intelligence is a concept developed by Professor Howard Gardner, an expert on education from The United States. He proposed eight abilities that children can develop; verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic, visual-spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic. For now, we will talk about children with kinesthetic ability.
Every child will develop different abilities and this will affect their learning style. How they catch on and understand a lesson will depend on how they absorb and deduce the information. For children with kinesthetic ability, the most effective method to learn something is via body movement, also known as kinesthetic or mover.
Usually, children with kinesthetic ability will do better at sports or things that rely on physical activities. They are also good with instruments that require precision and are good future surgeons or dentists. Want to know more how to get the most of your children’s kinesthetic trait?
Learning principle: hands-on/active learning.
Let’s forget those passive learning methods where children must sit tight and only listen to explanation. They will get bored quickly. Children with kinesthetic ability should learn through hands-on experience, e.g. action, feeling, doing and movement.
They learn from ways such as:
- Object and things manipulation.
- Doing experiments or physical activities.
- Mastering a skill through repetition.
Some practical examples:
Moms can try things written below if your children are of the kinesthetic type:
- Ask them to do physical activities. This can be done by asking them to mimic your movements. The activities can range from doing household chores such as sweeping and making the bed to doing sports. After it’s done, ask your children to tell how they feel about it and explain the process.
- Give them time and space to move. Let them listen to their favorite music and ask them to move according to the rhythm. Place fragile furniture and stuff at a safe place and away from their reach. Try not to place too many restrictions.
- Teach concepts or introduce objects through movements. For example, explaining body parts by pointing or touching.
- Take them to a new environment or place with a big space. During a holiday or free time, take them to a place that enables them to interact with objects or explore by moving around, such as a theme park or art studio.
- Do your children love toys that require them to construct or repair things? Moms can bring them to build houses from sand or plasticine, building blocks or teach them how to fold papers. They will learn with more intensity compared to mimicking something.
- Let the children explore their hobbies, such as encouraging them to take part in a sports competition or art show.
Look, it isn’t that hard, right? Let’s quickly put this into practice at home. Have fun!
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