Schools are embracing new ways to help children absorb and retain information, including multisensory learning. This approach combines sight, touch, sound and movement to help students understand and connect with what they’re learning. Interacting with the material by using their senses allows children to absorb and retain information in a more engaging way. Read on to learn more about multisensory learning.

What is Multisensory Learning?

Multisensory learning involves using more than one sense to absorb the material. For example, it could mean learning a new word by reading it (sight), saying it out loud (sound), handling a model (touch), and acting it out (movement). Multisensory learning can engage all the senses or a combination of a few. When children engage multiple senses, they build stronger connections in their brains, helping them understand and retain information better. 

Why Does Multisensory Learning Work?

Our brains use multiple pathways to process information. Reading information from a textbook repeatedly isn’t always the best way to stimulate our brain functions. The more senses we use to grasp the material at hand, the more pathways we activate, making it easier for us to learn and remember. It strengthens the foundation of a child’s learning, helping them comprehend and retain what they’re taught in a deeper and more long-lasting way.

Benefits of Multisensory Learning

When children learn through multisensory learning, they’re more likely to remember what they’ve learned. For example, when a student listens to a story while watching a reenactment of the scenes, they’re not just hearing the story but experiencing it through multiple senses. This increases their ability to interact with and remember the key details. It also helps children gain a deeper understanding of their studies. Instead of only hearing or reading about shapes, they can touch and play with them, turning abstract ideas into something more tangible. Multisensory learning is a great approach that allows children to actively engage and interact with their learning instead of passively taking in information.

Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of multisensory learning is that it supports different learning styles. Each student has a unique way of retaining information, and multisensory learning provides multiple ways for each student to understand the material. Visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners each get something valuable from this approach, allowing them to connect with the material in their own way.

Examples of Multisensory Learning Techniques

There are endless ways to engage the senses through multisensory learning. Here are a few examples:

• Visual: Using pictures, charts and videos alongside verbal explanations helps students connect what they’re hearing to what they’re seeing. For example, a child learning about nature may watch a video about butterflies while discussing their lifecycles. 
• Kinesthetic: Kinesthetic learning is all about getting students up and moving. This may involve fun activities like building something or acting out a historical event.
• Auditory: Sound is a powerful tool in learning. Listening to a song, following along with an audiobook or coming up with a rhyme helps reinforce lessons and keep students engaged with the material.
• Tactile: Sometimes, the best way to learn is to physically touch and manipulate objects. From using textured materials to exploring 3D models, a tactile experience makes abstract concepts feel more real.

Multisensory learning makes education a more dynamic and engaging experience. By tapping into multiple senses, students absorb information and develop a deeper understanding in a way that helps them retain it long-term. At Lake Forrest Prep, we believe in providing a well-rounded education that fosters individual growth and academic success. That’s why we use different learning approaches to engage our students. If you’d like to learn more about how our Orlando preparatory school instills a solid educational foundation in our students, call us at (407) 331-5144 or contact us online to schedule a tour!