Students with dyslexia learn best when teachers provide a multisensory approach. But, what does “multisensory approach” mean?
According to Landmark School Outreach which provides professional development for classroom teachers, multisensory means that all classroom material is presented to students using “three sensory modalities: visual, auditory, and tactile.”
Every student benefits when instructors use the multisensory approach. When our senses are engaged, we gather information in a variety of ways. This is vital for dyslexic students but has been proven effective for all students.
When I was in the classroom, my least favorite subject to teach was science. However after determining to use this teaching style, science became the easiest subject to teach. My classes would conduct experiments, record results on a graphic organizers, discuss the results as a class, and write a paragraph about their results or explaining the procedures. Rarely, did I have unwilling participants. As I began to reflect, I wanted to shout from the rooftop or the school intercom- “MULTISENSORY TEACHING works! It really works!”
I had already incorporated the multisensory teaching method in my social studies classes without even knowing it. By introducing different foods from a particular group or culture provided a multisensory activity that was easy and something my students truly enjoyed. Their parents would help by sending food and supplies on designated days. It was really fun when studying the ancient American groups and helped us develop associations and ways to remember each group. And who doesn’t love avocado, chocolate, and corn tortillas? Additionally, the web provided me with an endless supply of ideas for multisensory learning. There were games to play about the Incan Road Runners that carried messages to government officials, ideas about how to make floating gardens, and games that drove-home the concepts of “surplus” and “barter”-just to name a few.
By using the multisensory approach, dyslexic students learn as well as the others in your classroom! Difficult material is suddenly tangible, and learning becomes fun for all students! Even the teacher!
Grab this freebie from our Teachers Pay Teachers store that is multisensory and ideal for Halloween or other holidays.
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sweet-Treats-Marketing-Plan-A-
Graphic-Organizer-3454977
Next time- Multisensory Math- Chris Woodin style.
Link to Landmark Outreach for additional information:
https://www.landmarkoutreach.org/strategies/use-multisensory-approaches/