Let’s say you land a job that’s truly out of this world: You’re flying to the next galaxy to teach Earth 101 to a room full of aliens.
Would you stick to the text-and-lecture format? Of course not! You’re a teacher, so you’d come up with creative ways to bring Earth to life in the minds of these extraterrestrials, building experiments and lessons that let them touch, taste, see and smell our experiences on Earth. As much as possible, you’d want to help them understand our lives through using their senses. Parents call it hands-on learning, and educators refer to it as multi sensory learning.
When it comes time to teach your class some “alien” new concepts, stepping into the 3-D world of the multi sensory approach may help them get their footing.
A real-world connection
Think of multi sensory learning as a way to help students level up. You use movement and senses and other real-world experiences as a way to elevate students from the level of their current understanding.
For example, students work in the abstract every day: when figuring out sums on a page, listing the properties of water and reading a story. We take these for granted, but these abstracts came from a real-world connection. Maybe at home, the student kept a well-organised inventory of LEGO Bricks, and spent years playing in water and sat on Mom and Dad’s lap every night listening to stories.
Who does it help?
You’ll find plenty of material on how multi sensory learning is helpful for students who have attention and learning issues (such as dyslexia), which make it more difficult for students to process the information in the traditional ways (visually and auditory).
But multi sensory learning benefits all the students in the class. New methods can play to their strengths and give them an opportunity to work on their weaknesses. If the subject is challenging, a multi sensory experience does a great job of building a memory with the concept that in turn creates a meaningful connection to the material.
One easy solution
Planning entire lessons around the multi sensory approach is not always practical. But if there’s a tricky concept that needs a firm foundation, one solution is a Bricks 4 Kidz in-school workshop.
We provide the lesson plans, LEGO Bricks and the teachers to come into your room and engage students in the topic of your choice, including laws of motion, space, robotics and more. Contact your local franchise and make learning fun and memorable today!