9 Kinaesthetic Study Strategies - The Best Study Tips for You!
Dear kinesthetic learners,
Sometimes it feels like school was just not designed for you; textbooks and lectures seem to be the norm everywhere. The problem is only magnified with home learning, where these are often the only study tools given. I hope you know you’re not doomed to a life of boredom and confusion at school, though. Believe me - I feel your pain. I am one of you! In this article, I’ll lead you through some simple strategies and activities to help kick-start your brain into action!
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First of all, what IS a kinetic learner?
A kinetic learner is someone who finds the physical act of doing things the best way to learn. This is the human who LOVES actions and any tactile learning mechanism…and may often find it difficult to sit still through an entire study session.
Students with this learning style tend to initially struggle the most with home learning since textbooks, audio and video are usually the only curriculum given. It’s up to the student to figure out how to add kinetic learning elements if needed.
BUT ADDING KINETIC ELEMENTS MYSELF JUST SOUNDS SO OVERWHELMING!
Believe me, finding what works for you probably isn’t as hard as you’d think.
The thing with kinetic learners is that the activity ITSELF doesn’t necessarily always have to be where the learning comes from. While learning things hands-on can obviously be useful, it can often be just as helpful to add movement to the curriculum you’re already following. Think of your brain like an engine that just needs some “movement gas” to keep it going.
Once you take out the idea that the movement ITSELF needs to be academic in some way, it opens up a lot of simple solutions. It’s really easy to add general movement into your studies. In fact, not being at school makes adding movement even EASIER because you’re not limited to doing just what the class is doing.
Here are 9 simple ways kinetic learners can add movement into their studies without changing the curriculum
1) Take notes
Sometimes at-home students forget this step because all the information is available at all times (as opposed to a live class where it disappears once the explanation is over). Don’t forget this step, though, because it’s quite possibly the most valuable thing you can do. While typing notes can be prettier (it’s usually best to type them out at SOME point because studying is easier from a typed document), writing out notes by hand can be a kinetic learner’s best friend. Are you wondering WHY I’m recommending hand-written notes? Check out my other blog post here.
2) Pace around the room while you’re reading
If you find yourself falling asleep while reading, or worse, re-reading the same paragraph for hours on end, it’s time to get up and do something with that reading project. One thing you can do is pick up the book and walk around with it while reading. It may seem unconventional, but you may be surprised at how quickly the activity switches your brain back to “on”. Make sure to find an unobstructed path - you don’t want to bump into things while reading! If you find yourself walking in a circle, switch up the direction every few loops so you don’t get dizzy.
3) Chew gum
I’m not going to lie, this one isn’t for me personally (I don’t like gum). It IS a common enough recommendation that it must be useful for people, though, so it’s definitely worth trying. It’s pretty self explanatory: chew gum while you’re working. The constant movement , even though it’s small, can be enough to keep one’s brain turned to “on”. This works in a similar way to fidgeting, but I do think it’s probably a little more engaging.
4) Sit on a yoga ball
If you’re struggling at a desk all day, try sitting on a yoga ball instead of a chair. Sometimes the act of sitting is just too passive to maintain one’s attention. Sitting on a yoga ball will engage more muscles and therefore keep you more alert (since you’re essentially constantly trying to not fall on your face).
Check out this Exercise Ball on Amazon
It even comes with a base, so you can put the ball aside without it running away!
5) Make flashcards
Flashcards are a fabulous way for anyone to memorize material, but homemade ones are even more beneficial for kinetic learners. Just like how hand-written notes are great kinetic review, making flashcards forces you to physically write out any important information again. You can even colour code your flashcards as per my blog post here.
Check out these Coloured Index Cards on Amazon
6) Move during your memorization
Find any excuse to add movement into memorization exercises. This doesn’t have to be as complex as proper actions (but certainly can be if you come up with something). It can be as simple as standing up and sitting down as you review certain things. As a kid, I was known for my odd spelling memorization technique, but I’m telling you, it WORKED. I would stand when the word was read to me, and I’d sit down when I said every letter (and stand up again in between). I’m sure my mom got dizzy watching, BUT IT WORKED! Little did I know that was just my little kid kinetic brain chiming in saying: “I need to move so I can learn this”! I’m not saying you have to get AS obsessive as that example, but you may find that adding movement patterns to anything that needs to be memorized will make a world of difference.
7) Read things aloud and use hand gestures
Just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you suddenly need to sit still and be quiet. In fact, because there’s no teacher in front of you, you may find that you need to fill that void. If something isn’t clicking, try reading it out loud and use your hands like you would if you were talking. If there’s a diagram, physically point to the page and follow the path of whatever you’re saying. Sitting and reading/watching are static activities and sometimes you need to make up for that yourself.
8) Take consistent, short breaks
Don’t let yourself sit still for too long - usually the longer you stay in one place, the harder it is to concentrate. Whenever you notice your focussing ability start to slow, take that as a cue to get up and do something distracting. If you tend to forget, set alarms to remind you to move. My FitBit is my favourite thing for this one - it makes sure I walk around at least 250 steps every hour. It does this because your body goes into a sleep-type mode when you sit for too long…and if your body is sleeping, how on earth do you expect your brain to be awake? If you’re looking for ideas of how to add little bursts of movement to your day, read my other blog post here.
Check out my favourite FitBit on Amazon
9) Download video content and go for a listening walk
If you’re looking at a loooong video and you don’t need to take notes because you’re also going to eventually cover the same things through another source (like a textbook), download the video and go for a walk. Listen to it just like you would a podcast. While this won’t work in EVERY situation (because you can’t easily take notes while you’re walking…yet?), it’s certainly an option worth trying in the cases where it DOES work. This will have the added benefit of working in some proper exercise into your day instead of just the occasional movement break.
What do YOU do to add movement into your studies? If you have any other great ideas, feel free to reach out to add to the list!
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