Tactile-Kinesthetic Word Study

 

The first installment of tactile-kinesthetic word study starts with Lucas' Andy Goldsworthy-esque arrangement above. 

What does tactile-kinesthetic mean? Tactile refers to touch, so tactile learners need to feel and move things with their fingers and hands. Soren arranges a range of Nerf weaponry and household objects to spell his words.

Kinesthetic refers to movement, so kinesthetic learners need to interact with their bodies, instead of simply listening (auditory), and/or watching (visual). As Frenya's finger reveals words in shaving cream, she strengthens her understanding of consonant/vowel combinations.

Spencer contains his creativity on a baking sheet. 

Pierce's approach is (naturally) a bit more decorative...

Lucas takes advantage of fall color...

Andy Goldsworthy's art inspires creative folks who enjoy natural art (and word study). Click here for more.

Sculpting Understanding

Many lessons begin with dry erase boards and markers. Chance selects a classmate who sits with their back to the board as vocabulary is revealed to everyone else. Until last week, students either explained meaning with text, illustrations, or a combination of the two. Now everyone wields Play-Doh. Understanding becomes three dimensional.

This word study is all about prefixes. We explore how uni, bi, tri and quad affect the meaning of root words.

The following tactile interpretations of triathlons and unicorns illuminate diverse learning styles...

Tactile Geography

The class creates major rivers and mountain ranges throughout the U.S. during a tactile geography lesson. First they locate physical maps in their textbooks, then shape the topographical features with hands and fingers. The last step is to label each one with tiny sticky notes.

Batiste admires his creation while searching for more mountains and rivers inside the container.

Aley is thrilled to be finished.

When it comes to geography (and most other things), Carl keeps a poker face.

Lincoln's Rocky Mountains are curiously uniform.

Is Madison eating part of the Mississippi?

Maya's Hershey's Kiss-like Rockies are similar to Lincoln's, but look closely and you'll notice that they're different than the Appalachian Mountains. Maya knows why (Appalachian Mountains are older and more weathered).