Everyone has their own learning style. Eyes, ears, and sense of touch are the three main senses involved in learning and recalling information. They play an integral role in the way you communicate and relate to others. It is important for you to be familiar with the various attributes of learning styles, such as the kinesthetic learner characteristics, to identify them and make the most of this particular learning style.

What are the Common Kinesthetic Learner Characteristics?

Kinesthetic learners are known for trying things out by touching or manipulating objects. Body tension indicates their emotions, and they tend to use their hands a lot while speaking. Moreover, people with kinesthetic learning styles are typically poor listeners as they tend to lose interest in long speeches.

They remember the information that has been applied practically and not the data that has been communicated to them via audio or video. Therefore, if you want kinesthetic learners to retain maximum information, you will have to directly involve them in the learning process.

Keep in mind that kinesthetic learners get distracted quite easily. They face difficulty in paying attention to visual or auditory presentations and tend to fidget while reading or trying to read a book. Kinesthetic learners are also known for making a lot of spelling mistakes.

Following are some of the most common attributes of kinesthetic learners:

  • Lots of movement is involved, especially while studying.
  • Don’t sit still.
  • High participation in practical learning practices.
  • Loves to do things practically instead of reading about them.
  • Don’t like reading.
  • Poor spellers.
  • Good problem-solving skills.
  • Comfort clothing.

Let’s explore these kinesthetic learner characteristics in detail:

Characteristic # 01 – Movement is Crucial

Movement is crucial for kinesthetic learners. They cannot seem to sit still and do various movements like tapping, bouncing, swinging their legs, and moving around while learning. You can expect a variety of movements from kinesthetic learners because they learn through their bodies and sense of touch.

Characteristic # 02 – Good in Sports

Most people with kinesthetic learning styles have quick reactions and excellent hand-eye coordination. They have an impressive sense of their body timing, due to which they tend to be great in sports.

Characteristic # 03 – Love Using Manipulatives

Since kinesthetic learners can learn best through their tactile senses, they prefer getting involved with the different study materials directly to touch and feel them. It is much more fulfilling and beneficial for them instead of filling out worksheets or reading from a textbook. The good thing is that there is a huge variety of manipulatives now available for different lessons and subjects that schools should be used for pupils with kinesthetic learning styles,

Characteristic # 04 – Great Physical Memory

Kinesthetic learners have excellent physical memory through which they are able to learn things quickly and permanently. This is the primary reason why they love to be directly involved in learning processes.

Characteristic # 05 – Extroverts

Most of the students with kinesthetic learning styles are extroverts by nature. They love to enjoy going to the clubs and having an amazing communal experience. They also often like to run errands for the instructors and monitor classes.

How to Maximize Learning as a Kinesthetic Learner?

Following are some of the most important tips that kinesthetic learners should follow to learn and retain information:

  • Walking while studying as movements helps kinesthetic learners to learn better.
  • Perform the things while reading them, if possible,
  • Repeat your movements to practice and remember information.
  • Write words, especially the ones with difficult spellings, to eliminate spelling errors from your writing.
  • Try to relate a particular feeling with information.
  • Use a whiteboard to use muscle movement while learning.
  • Use hands-on activities and manipulatives to learn different information.
  • Use tools like plastic letters, boards, and flashcards to write and commit the information to memory.

How do Kinesthetic Teachers Work?

The majority of kinesthetic teachers prefer using real-life examples to explain things. They often rely on practical work, labs, case studies, and guest speakers to narrate different information. Moreover, different products, prototypes, and actual samples can be used to engage kinesthetic learners.

Conclusion

In order to engage the kinesthetic learners, teachers should give breaks to them whenever possible so they can move around as they cannot keep reading with full attention for a long period. Performing outdoor activities is also a reliable way of maximizing the learning of people with kinesthetic learning styles.

Considering the overall kinesthetic learner characteristics such as various movements and practical application of theory is important to ensure every student with a kinesthetic learning style can achieve his or her learning goals.