What is multisensory teaching
I am a big believer in Multisensory teaching, and that is because I have seen the results. For that reason, you’ll see the words ‘Multisensory Teaching’ all over my website, but what does that actually mean? Continue reading to find out - what it is, where it came from, how it benefits learners and what it looks like in a Study Nook lesson.
What is Multisensory Teaching?
Multisensory teaching is an approach that engages the senses on multiple fronts. Multisensory teaching, as defined by The International Dyslexia Association, combines visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile elements to enhance memory and learning. For example, your child not only sees and hears the lesson but also feels the connection through hands-on experiences. As affirmed by Dr. Samuel Orton, "using more than one modality helps students better retain information."
The Roots of Multi-Sensory Teaching
This approach traces its origins back to the 1920s when Dr. Samuel Torrey Orton and his colleagues pioneered techniques at a mobile mental health clinic in Iowa. Influenced by kinesthetic methods, they realised that reinforcing visual and auditory associations with kinesthetic-tactile elements corrected issues like letter reversals and sequencing problems.
The 'Orton-Gillingham approach,' established by Dr. Orton and colleagues Anna Gillingham and Bessie Stillman, became the cornerstone of structured, sequential, and multisensory techniques. Their teachings focused not only on sounds and letters but also on the structure of written English, including morphemes and spelling rules.
Why Multisensory Teaching for Dyslexic Learners?
Children with dyslexia often grapple with weaknesses in auditory and visual processing. The multisensory approach allows them to learn alphabetic patterns and words through all three modalities – visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile.
"Dyslexic students need a different approach to learning language from that employed in most classrooms," as put by Margaret Byrd Rawson. The multisensory approach ensures a slow and thorough understanding of language basics – building a strong foundation in phonic association with letter forms through visual presentation and hands-on practice. By doing so, we empower learners to overcome challenges and develop a love for literacy.
Evidence Backing Multi-Sensory Teaching
Recent research, supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), underscores the effectiveness of multisensory teaching. Children engaged in structured, sequential, multisensory interventions, coupled with phonemic awareness training, demonstrated significant gains in decoding skills across various ages and abilities.
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) acknowledges the invaluable contribution of multisensory teaching. This approach, rooted in research, education, and advocacy, aligns with our mission to create a nurturing educational environment for families.
Implementing Multi-Sensory Teaching at The Study Nook
So how do I bring multi-sensory teaching to life at the Study Nook? Below are just a couple of examples:
Example 1 - Structured Literacy:
Kinesthetic/Tactile - Encoding (writing) their words with a dark graphite pencil, whilst saying the word aloud, and feeling the movements of the mouth, tongue, and lips.
Auditory - hearing the sounds as they isolate each part of the word when encoding..
Visual - Decoding (reading) the word after they finish writing it.
Example 2 - Leap into Learning Preschool Activity:
Activity: Making name bracelets to recognise, read, and write their name while developing fine motor skills.
Visual - seeing the letters on the beads as they find the correct bead, and as they thread it.
Auditory - hearing me say the letter sound and then when they say the letter sound whilst threading the bead.
Kinesthetic/Tactile - Threading the bead on to pipe cleaner, whilst saying the letter sound aloud, and feeling the movements of the mouth, tongue, and lips.
At the Study Nook, I believe in the power of multi-sensory teaching, because I have seen the results. It is beneficial for all of our learners, and not only in Structured Literacy but Maths too. In our lessons, I explain why we do certain elements in a lesson and that understanding not only empowers the learner, but it also engages them in the process.
If you would like your child to experience a Study Nook lesson, feel free to book a casual session and come and see what we are all about >> CLICK HERE <<
References
International Dyslexia Association. (2000). "Multisensory Teaching." Fact Sheet #69.
Institute of Multi-Sensory Education. (2022). "Three Components of Multi-Sensory Instruction."
Young, N. (2017). "The Ladder of Reading."
