Time: 80 minutes Objectives of this lesson

Educational Research Proves Multisensory Instruction Strengthens Reading Skill

The benefits of multisensory learning have been verified by contemporary research in cognitive science. A 2018 study using fMRI technology, which measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow, found that children with the strongest literacy skills had more interactivity between different regions in their brain.[10] This suggests that reading is a whole-brain skill and that future developments in literacy instruction should use a multisensory approach.

One emergent literacy skill that multisensory learning can help teach is connecting print letters with the oral alphabet. Educational researchers have found that multisensory activities can teach students to associate letters or words with sounds faster.[11] As mentioned earlier, this is one of the foundational reading skills that, if you can nurture in young students, can promote strong emergent literacy. Using multimedia activities to engage students is a great way to help students reach their reading potential.

For older grades, multisensory activities can also help teach more complex reading skills like critical thinking or advanced reading comprehension.[12] You could, for example, take turns reading pages from a novel or textbook aloud as a class to engage their auditory and visual senses. Even little activities that involve multiple senses can teach students to use their entire brain while reading or writing.
What this research points to most of all is that there isn’t a “one size fits all” method of teaching literacy. Different students respond to different activities, and the best way to reach all of your students is through multisensory learning. Pay attention to what is or isn’t working for your students, and try to find an activity that clicks for struggling readers.[13] With practice and the right strategy, any student’s reading skills can improve.

Multisensory Spelling Strategies that are Fun and Effective!

Studies from the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development have shown that for children with difficulties learning to spell, a multisensory teaching method is the most effective way for these students to learn. Multisensory teaching means the teacher must tap into all learning modalities – see it (visual), feel it (tactile), hear it (auditory) and move with it (kinesthetic). Here are a few suggestions on how to make spelling lessons fun, creative, engaging with these multisensory spelling strategies.