3 of 6

Write now Article Tools

How do you learn best? If you've never really pondered this question, it is something to think about, especially when teaching math to young children. Research has shown for years now that people each have their own ways of learning. Some learn best visually, by seeing the problem, pattern, or example. Some learn best by hearing the information, or touching and manipulating objects. Others learn better by a variety of these methods. The multi-sensory approach to learning is using various senses to absorb information for life long learning.

Some children learn best by tasting things, so eating your way through a subtraction problem with Skittles or Cheerios would be the sensory mode for those children. For a child with the need to feel, touch, or manipulate objects, making rows of gummy bears and adding more bears to your rows would be great for learning addition or multiplication. Learning by listening, one of the least used methods would be listening to the teacher explain the problem. Making math real for students help them see the need to know the information for life, and not just for filling out a work page at school. Teachers that use objects for student manipulation in math are providing for that solid learning base of basic mathematical knowledge. Cooking, creating, building, and tasting their way through math, not just in the primary grades, but middle to upper grades also, allows students to become involved in their own learning creating an ownership which means more than just watching the teacher at the board or doing a paper. Teaching students those basic math facts will come alive if you are saying the problem and answers, hearing the problems and answers, seeing the problems and answers and feeling the problems and answers through manipulating items and numbers.

There is a saying, "What I hear, I forget. What I see, I remember. What I do, I know." The multi-sensory approach to learning, not just math, but in other areas, is a great way to learn. Think back to something you learned to do well and was interested in. How did you learn that information or process?

Learn more about this author, Charlisa Allen.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about How to teach math facts to elementary school students using a multi-sensory approach?
We want to hear your view. Write now!