Tips for Kinesthetic Learners

Jul 12, 2006

Kinesthetic learners are experimenters, builders and players. They learn by doing. Keeping kinesthetic learners organized requires function not form.

If you are a kinesthetic learner, you will learn best when learning takes the form of doing. You need to get your hands dirty and dive right in order to grasp the new concept.

To increase your chances of memorizing information, find a way to make your learning more active. Creating or using games, computer software, puzzles and other hands-on activities will help you to learn through doing. Like visual learners, drawing flow charts and mind maps are useful tools but it is the act of creating them that will cause learning, not the visual tool in the end.

Experimentation is how kinesthetic learners learn. They try things using past experience as a foundation and see how it turns out. If you learn kinesthetically, introduce experimentation where possible and learn from any mistakes. Taking calculated risks is where you'll shine.

Avoid lectures and look for online learning opportunities, especially online courses that utilize multi-media interactivity such as self-assessment quizzes. If you do choose in-person training, look for classes that have labs or other active forms of training (simulations, projects etc.).

Keeping organized may a big challenge for you as your priority is to keep doing, not to stop and organize. Try to find ways to make your organization active. Purchase filing cabinets on wheels, label makers, sorting systems/supplies and create databases to store valuable information. Form and colour are not as important to you as function is so look for office supplies and tools that are designed to be highly functional.

Not sure of your learning style? Try this learning style self-assessment.

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If you liked this blog entry, try Inner factors, Styles and Setting: Learner Focused Delivery