Kinesthetic learners?

[MamaSam]

School has been really difficult this year..I'm starting to look into the whole learning styles thing and I think ds is at least a kinesthetic learner,but I haven't found much on how to teach him. Our biggest problem is him not comprehending/remembering things I read to him. And he stares off into space a lot...all of this May be normal 6 year old stuff,but how do we get school done!? It's very frustrating...

[MegMarch]

I consider myself one, but haven't been officially declared a K learner by anyone:giggle I do well if I can pace while reading or working flash cards, standing and gesturing wildly while working problems, interacting with reading by mouthing or even reading aloud the words, marking the pages with underlines, notes in margins that summarize a passage, etc. Manipulatives or drawing out problems is helpful for me with math and science type stuff.

So that's what I've discovered after years of education. I don't know if it is useful for you but I wish you luck!

[mamacat]

One thing a Learning styles evaluator told me about my son is to not have sitting in a chair or even sittting at all a requirement and also it is helpful for them to always be doing something with hands so sometimes he would be building with Legoes when I would read aloud to him and take it in much better than if just sitting still.Often they do well with relevant types of learning like using their toys to add and subtract and count.

[Kiara.I]

Do you *need* to do a lot of reading to him? I don't read much to my boys (5 and 7) so I guess I'm not seeing how getting school done requires a lot of listening to reading.

[MamaSam]

See,that's the problem..I chose to follow the charlotte mason method this year so it does require quite a bit of me reading to him and then he's supposed to narrate back to me. So I need to figure out what to change.

I had him walking around while I read this morning and it seemed to help. I'll try Legos/blocks too.

[mamacat]

Def would tweak the curric to work for you.Glad it helped for him to move around and do other things while you read to him

---------- Post added at 05:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:33 PM ----------

My son also liked to play outside quietly with trucks ect sometimes or bounce seated on an exercise ball

[Kiara.I]

See,that's the problem..I chose to follow the charlotte mason method this year so it does require quite a bit of me reading to him and then he's supposed to narrate back to me. So I need to figure out what to change.

I had him walking around while I read this morning and it seemed to help. I'll try Legos/blocks too.

Well, do you need to stick with it for the year? Do you *want* to stick with it for the year?
If the walking/lego helps enough, then maybe that's workable.

[MamaSam]

Well, do you need to stick with it for the year? Do you *want* to stick with it for the year?
If the walking/lego helps enough, then maybe that's workable.

After the first 8 weeks we've had,I plan to make changes ASAP! I like the charlotte mason method,sounds great in theory...I just don't think it is going to work for us right now...:shrug3

[mamacat]

what does the narration part look like? If you could just kind of make it into more of a normal conversation,it might work better

[Kiara.I]

After the first 8 weeks we've had,I plan to make changes ASAP! I like the charlotte mason method,sounds great in theory...I just don't think it is going to work for us right now...:shrug3

Oh dear. Sounds like things have been rough. :hugheart
I haven't explored Charlotte Mason much. I know a lot of people love it, but we're more...unstructured? I guess, is the word. I acquired curriculum as I found something I loved, and we just cobble together our own stuff.

I started with math, then added writing. Then at some point during Grade 1 I think I found some science. And some art. And some history. :shrug

[mamacat]

Yes sometimes have to switch off if certain currics dont work.How about using a FIAR type structure and that would allow you to choose your own books and topic of the week. You could draw form more classical reading lists if you like

[tessiemae]

One thing a Learning styles evaluator told me about my son is to not have sitting in a chair or even sittting at all a requirement and also it is helpful for them to always be doing something with hands so sometimes he would be building with Legoes when I would read aloud to him and take it in much better than if just sitting still.Often they do well with relevant types of learning like using their toys to add and subtract and count.

This is what we've always done, and it works well for us.

We use Oak Meadow which makes a lot of provisions for different types of learners. My boys are just boys -- their learning styles are visual and auditory, mainly -- but they loved walking, running, and creating words with their bodies; math jumping jacks; architectural math with large tape measures, etc.

Homeschooling is such a blessing! We still, as teens, take breaks every 5 problems to do Hulk jumping jacks. Both of my boys will draw, play with toy soldiers, or Lego build during our reading aloud. I think their attention and comprehension and engagement is actually better this way. It works for them. Maybe experiment some?

peace,
tessiemae

[sweetpeas]

When the twins were that age they often played with building toys, colored/drew, on nice days we'd go out and they'd swing while I read, we got them each a bilibo that they could rock in or "surf" on (stand on the edges while it rocks back and forth), those were great because they stacked together to take up very little room, and are still used for various games . . .

I remember one particular day when Lexie was supposed to be learning a memory verse, usually she was quick about it, but it was just NOT clicking, something told me to have her stand up and jump up and down while she said it, I can't fathom doing that, but she did it and instantly had the whole memory verse down. I was amazed . . .

They loved bouncing on the big ball I'd had for sitting on when I was pregnant but that drove ME batty, same with a mini-trampoline, those movements were distracting to me to the point that I had trouble reading to them, and tended to get noisy.

All that said, the 6 yr old who joined us for school part-time last year was different, if I let him play with building toys or anything (a) he couldn't/wouldn't do it quietly, he'd talk to Lina (who was also playing with them) or just talk to himself while playing and (b) it totally distracted him, he wouldn't be able to tell me a word I'd read. So different kids are different :shrug3

Lina struggles with listening to stories, but doesn't really seem to want/need movement to help her listen either. I suspect that, once she's old enough to get an accurate "score", she'll score very low on auditory learning (as I do), and will prefer to read to herself instead of being read to.

A kinesthetic learner learns best by hands-on things. So instead of reading a book about how the solar system works, build a model of it together. . . things like that . . . can be more challenging to teach, especially when they're little and you can't hand them a kit and tell them to go to town. But can be alot of fun too. Maybe it's coincidence, but the men in my life are all pretty kinesthetic (my dad, dh, etc) so I often get them to "teach" the hands on stuff and they have as much fun as the kids :)

For a young kinesthetic learner, math can involve drawing numbers on the sidewalk with sidewalk chalk and have them jump from number to number for counting, skip counting, answering addition problems, etc. . . or use manipulatives to figure it out instead of doing it on paper. . .

[MidnightCafe]

I think, at six, it's hard to know if you have a kinesthetic learner on your hands or if he's just being a kid. What you describe sounds very normal for any six year old. Kids want to work with their hands. They need to move around. Sitting still while listening is not something even most adults like to do, as near as I can tell. :shrug3 When I read aloud at our house, DD (who is 12) crochets, draws, does extreme dot to dots, follows along in her own book, or works on another craft project. DH (who is 38, LOL!), does design work on the computer. If DH reads to us, I crochet, look on pinterest, scroll through photos on facebook, clean, fold laundry, cook, etc... I frequently contemplate crocheting in church because I can pay attention better than way. :yes

At six, I'd try any of the things mentioned above (legos, drawing, bilibo, mini trampoline, exercise ball, etc...). We also made use of clay and a balance board when DD was younger.

And I wouldn't stress it. I have a good friend who was homeschooled through high school, along with her 2 younger siblings (a sister and a brother). Her mom believed that you shouldn't even try to "school" boys before they are at least 8. My friend's brother is now a grown man with 3 kids and a good job. He enjoys reading and is, in general, what one might consider a well-educated person.