If your child is really struggling to grasp some concept or skill, you might want to try a multisensory approach to teaching him.
Multisensory teaching is a way of presenting information to a child that incorporates two or more senses. As I explained in Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic Learning Styles, children (and adults) take in information through their five senses. Three of them, vision, hearing and touch, are used the most. When you teach using a multisensory approach, you share information with your child in such a way that two or three of these senses are involved, hence the term “multisensory.”
This technique builds multiple pathways in the brain simultaneously which is one of the reasons why it works so well. We’re going to look at other reasons as well as tips on when to use it.
Why Multisensory Teaching Works
One of the major reasons why multisensory teaching enhances memory and learning is that it builds multiple pathways in the brain. When a child uses his vision to learn, he creates visual memories. When he listens to something, he creates auditory memories. When he does a hands-on activity, he creates kinesthetic memories. Doing a combination of these makes multiple connections and paths in the brain which can make it easier to recall information. Take a nature study for example. When a child goes outside and experiences nature, he may see flowers, hear birds singing, and feel the wind on his face. All of these sensations make an impact on the child’s mind in a way that single sensory input cannot.
These multiple connections can benefit a child with special needs. When a child has a learning disability, one pathway to a chunk of knowledge may be blocked. Therefore, creating many routes to a piece of information increases the likelihood that a child will be able to recall it. Here’s an analogy that will demonstrate this concept. Suppose you lived in a big city and you needed to drive from your house to the library which is a few miles away. Would you prefer to have only one possible route or many? Take into consideration that on any day of the week there could be a traffic jam or road construction along the way. You’d probably want to have at least two or more possible routes, wouldn’t you? That’s how it is in the brain as well. More pathways mean increased likelihood of memory recall.
Finally, the more ways a child can experience a concept, the more likely he is to remember it. This is why field trips are so beneficial. Take the study of dinosaurs for example. Reading books and visiting internet sites will probably give your child some knowledge of these gigantic beasts from the past. On the other hand, if you also take him to a museum where he can see how big a dinosaur really was and feel a real fossilized bone, that will make a much bigger impression on his mind than reading alone can.
When a Multisensory Approach is Useful
Although multisensory teaching can be a useful technique in most learning situations, it isn’t always practical or necessary to use when teaching every subject. Here are some occasions when you’ll find it a handy tool.
- When your child is stuck. If your child is really struggling to understand a certain concept, try implementing multisensory teaching. It will help to create more connections in your child’s brain thus making it more likely that he will understand it.
- When you are teaching a child with special learning challenges. If you have a special needs child, you’ll probably find this technique to be effective. Many Special Education teachers use it to help their students.
- When you want to solidify the learning of an important concept or skill. When you want your child to have a really solid understanding of a concept that you want him to carry over into other lessons or subjects, like knowing phonics for example, you may want to use this method.
- When you are teaching one lesson to various types of learners. If you are teaching a lesson say on Science or History to a group of children with different learning styles, you can utilize a multisensory approach. It will make it easier for you to reach all of the children with your teaching.
When you’re ready to start using multisensory teaching in your homeschool, you might want to check out this post:
How to Use Multisensory Teaching in Your Homeschool
Oh, and one last thing. In case you weren’t aware of it, I thought I’d share this tidbit of knowledge:
The Montessori method uses a multisensory approach to learning. That’s probably one of the reasons why it is so effective. 
Many blessings,
