What is Multisensory Learning and How to Implement Multisensory Teaching
This post may contain affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links. Please read the disclosure policy for more details.
If you’ve read my blog before you have seen me mention multisensory learning. It’s something I came across years into teaching that I wish I had learned about from the beginning.
Multi sensory learning has been the most effective way to teach my struggling learners, especially those with dyslexia. There are a number of successful reading and spelling programs designed for dyslexia that are multisensory learning based.
SCIENCE OF READING QUICK START GUIDE
Grab your FREE guide with the 5 tools you need to get started with SOR!
*Most school spam filters block my emails, so please use a personal email.
What is multisensory learning?
Multisensory learning is essentially the theory that most individuals learn best when using more than one sense. It has nothing to do with learning styles. Most multi sensory learning programs integrate visual, tactile, auditory, and kinesthetic activities.
Multisensory learning has a lot of research supporting it. Because of this, it is recommended by the International Dyslexia Association and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
According to the IDA:
Multisensory teaching is one important aspect of instruction for dyslexic students that is used by clinically trained teachers. Effective instruction for students with dyslexia is also explicit, direct, cumulative, intensive, and focused on the structure of language. Multisensory learning involves the use of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways simultaneously to enhance memory and learning of written language. Links are consistently made between the visual (language we see) , auditory (language we hear) , and kinesthetic-tactile (language symbols we feel) pathways in learning to read and spell.
International Dyslexia Association
Orton-Gillingham and Lindamood-Bell are two of my favorite multisensory reading programs to use with struggling readers. When I worked at a school for dyslexia, these were the programs we used because they were the most effective for these students.
In my tutoring practice, I have had students who could not say the sounds for all the letters to reading at a first grade level within 6 months using the methods from these programs!
Multisensory teaching doesn’t simply mean you have students use pictures, show video, or have them move while they are working. The key is to use 2 or more senses at the same time. So something like tracing and saying the sound at the same time is multisensory, whereas tracing letters alone is not.
How to implement multisensory teaching
Whether you are a classroom teacher, tutor, or parent you can incorporate multisensory activities on a daily basis. I have used these methods in the classroom, tutoring one on one, and homeschooling my daughter.
Some popular multisensory programs include Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, Barton, Lindamood-Bell, and Woodin Math. These are pretty pricey though so if you can’t afford them, then try adding in the activities below to help your struggling learner(s).
Spelling multisensory activities:
- tapping out letters
- tapping out sounds
- air writing
- sand/salt tray writing
- say sound as you write
- create a picture association
- teach diacritical marks for vowels, consonants, and syllables
- playdough
- games
- whole body spelling activities
Check out this post about my favorite multisensory spelling strategy for spelling lists.
Reading multisensory activities:
- use phonogram cards to develop sound symbol association
- color-coded letters
- tapping out sounds
- air writing
- sandpaper writing
- Elkonin boxes – this post details how to use this strategy
- make words with tiles, cards, magnetic letters
- teach diacritical marks for vowels, consonants, and syllables
- add movements for letter sounds
- use nonsense words
- games
I love this set where students can feel the letter, trace it, and write it all on one card.
Math multisensory activities:
- manipulatives to represent equations and operations
- visual representations of numbers (subitizing)
- drawing
- music
- games
- whole body math facts
Woodin Math is a great multisensory math program.
For more multisensory resources, check out my shop by clicking here.
If you’re looking for more tips on teaching struggling readers, check out these other posts:
- Multisensory Spelling Strategy
- Reading Strategies for Struggling Readers – Elkonin Boxes
- Multisensory Strategies for B & D Reversals
- Systematic Synthetic Phonics for Struggling Readers
Join my list and get access to my vault of freebies, plus weekly emails with tips, new posts, and promotions!
*Most school spam filters block my emails, so please use a personal email.
Want to remember this? Save What is Multisensory Learning and How to Implement Multisensory Teaching to your favorite Pinterest board!
Great article! I really appreciate the detailed explanation of multisensory learning and the practical tips for implementation in the classroom. It’s fascinating to see how engaging multiple senses can enhance the learning experience. I’m excited to try some of these strategies in my own teaching!
I really enjoyed this post! The concept of multisensory learning is so fascinating and seems incredibly effective. I love the practical tips you provided for implementing multisensory teaching in the classroom. Can’t wait to try out some of these techniques with my students! Thank you for sharing!
This post on multisensory learning is incredibly insightful! I love how you explained the different ways to engage multiple senses for a richer educational experience. The practical tips on implementation are especially helpful. I’m excited to try some of these strategies with my students!
This blog post on multisensory learning is incredibly insightful! I love the practical strategies you’ve shared for implementing multisensory teaching in the classroom. It really highlights how engaging multiple senses can enhance the learning experience. I’m excited to try some of these techniques with my students! Thanks for the great tips!
This blog post on multisensory learning is incredibly informative! I love how you explained the different senses involved and provided practical strategies for implementation. It really emphasizes how varied teaching methods can bolster student engagement and retention. I can’t wait to try some of these techniques in my classroom! Thanks for sharing!
This post beautifully highlights the importance of multisensory learning! I love how it emphasizes engaging different senses to enhance understanding and retention. I’m definitely inspired to incorporate some of these strategies into my teaching practice. Thanks for sharing such practical tips!
This blog post really opened my eyes to the benefits of multisensory learning! The practical tips for implementation are super helpful. I can see how using multiple senses can enhance retention and understanding for my kids. Thanks for sharing such valuable insights!
This was a really insightful post! I love the idea of multisensory learning and how it caters to different learning styles. The practical tips for implementing multisensory teaching strategies in the classroom are super helpful. I’m excited to try some of these techniques with my students!
This post on multisensory learning is really insightful! I love how it highlights the importance of engaging different senses in the learning process. The practical tips for implementation are especially helpful. Can’t wait to try them out in my own teaching!
This blog post on multisensory learning is incredibly insightful! I love the practical tips on how to implement multisensory teaching strategies in the classroom. It’s amazing how engaging multiple senses can enhance learning and retention. Can’t wait to try some of these techniques with my students! Thank you for sharing!
ball and bat
This post on multisensory learning is incredibly insightful! I love how it emphasizes the importance of engaging multiple senses in the learning process. The practical tips for implementing multisensory teaching in the classroom are especially helpful. Can’t wait to try some of these strategies with my students!
This post offers some fantastic insights into multisensory learning! I love how it emphasizes the importance of engaging multiple senses to enhance understanding. The practical tips for implementation are especially helpful for educators looking to incorporate this approach in their teaching. Can’t wait to try some of these strategies in the classroom!
This blog post on multisensory learning is incredibly informative! I love the practical tips you provided for implementing multisensory teaching in the classroom. It’s fascinating how engaging multiple senses can enhance retention and understanding. Looking forward to trying out some of these techniques with my students!
I loved this post on multisensory learning! The examples of how to implement multisensory teaching in the classroom were really practical and inspiring. It’s so important to engage multiple senses in the learning process. I can’t wait to try out some of these techniques with my students!
This article opened my eyes to the benefits of multisensory learning! I love how you broke down the different strategies and provided practical tips for implementation. I can’t wait to apply these techniques in my teaching practice to engage my students in new ways! Thank you for such a helpful resource!