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The best gift you can ever give to your child is the willpower to learn and work hard. It is an undeniable fact that every child is different in some way. As a result, every child learns in a slightly different manner. Learning styles describe the ways in which children intake information most effectively. Once Confucius said “Tell me, and I will forget, show me, and I may remember, Involve me, and I will understand.”

It is vitally important to identify the learning style of the children. Because working with learning styles is beneficial for students, teachers and parents.

There are three famous learning styles; visual, auditory and kinesthetic. In this article we will talk about kinesthetic learners, because they are slightly different from visual and auditory learners. On account of being different they face troubles also, and at places cause troubles to teachers and parents when there is need of discipline during studies.

Unlike visual & auditory learners, kinesthetic learners would prefer to have something to do with their own hands. Even if they understand the information through seeing & hearing, they would like to do an exercise, a worksheet or something like that.

Kinesthetic learners find it difficult to sit still for long period of time. It is because their brains are stimulated and stirred up by physical movement or touch. Action is fundamental in their learning process.

Kinesthetic children find the classroom setting challenging where they are expected to sit, read, watch or listen quietly for a long time. Instead such students have habits of doodling, tapping their pens or wiggling their feet. They make best use of their five senses and physical movement during the experiments. Even in their routine life they make experiential learning.

David A. Kolb’s theory of experiential learning centered much on the kinesthetic style. He says in his book “Experiential Learning” p. 38 learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience.

Parents and teachers equally need to understand a child’s behavior during studies, if he does the same things as mentioned above, he should not be rebuked or punished for his actions.

Let him go on his way of learning. Don’t change him. Rather you being parents or teachers have to have plenty of patience to tackle such a child. Kinesthetic learners can become very creative in life provided they are handled and taught skillfully.

Suggestions for teachers at school:

• Make them understand through demonstration
• Make them do practical of the learnt concept over & over
• Make them draw sketches & models
• Make them play role of the dramas
• Make them do different activities in the group
• Make them learn spelling on their fingers
• Make them use computer for studies
• Give them small breaks during studies

Suggestions for parents at home

• Let them play physical games like running & hopping etc
• Let them do different activities with siblings & cousins
• Let them touch & feel the structure and make of the things
• Let them do gardening and watering the plants
• Let them talk, laugh & move while they are doing H.W
• Let them give you helping hand in your house hood chores