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Tactile Learning

Stephen Rampur
Tactile learning is an effective method of understanding things after doing them. This post focuses on the strategies and facts of this type of learning...
Learning is the most important part of the lives of children. It is a natural process wherein a person gets to know many things.
It is said that experience is the best teacher; both for children and grownups. A similar concept that relates to the earlier belief is tactile learning. This is a method that is very efficient in making children understand various concepts clearly.
In a broad category of learning methods, visual, auditory, and tactile are the most prominent ones. Visual learning relates to understanding by watching or observing carefully, auditory learning means comprehension by means of listening, and tactile learning pertains to actually doing things.
Though this is said to be the most effective, visual and auditory learning techniques also contribute to it greatly.

The Tactile Style

As mentioned earlier, tactile learning is related to experiencing things first, and then understanding them. Another name given to this type of learning is kinesthetic listening.
Children who are good learners by doing or experimenting are known as tactile learners. These learners are more active than others. They involve physical activities in their everyday learning, from which they learn more than from theoretical means.
Good motor skills and hand-eye coordination are two of the best determining factors of these 'do-ers'. They are usually good at sports, martial arts, dancing, and other extra-curricular activities.
On the other hand, they might not do so well in reading and listening activities, such as listening to lectures and going through books. Tactile learners also cannot sit at one place for very long.

Activities

There are many activities that can be used in this type of learning. Tactile learners should be allowed to make charts and drawings instead of writing notes about the lectures. This will certainly help them understand the subject better.
For effective learning, they can even use a computer. Role playing is another suitable method for these type of hands-on learners. In science subjects, along with theories, they should be made to understand using lab experiments.
Skits and school plays are appropriate choices for helping students understand social skills. The study sessions for these students should be short, and efficient, as these students tend to get bored more quickly.
Making models and using music in their learning are also good methods. Field trips relating to the subject truly contribute to enhanced understanding in tactile learners.
Informal learning techniques consist of singing, dancing, group games, drawing, painting, and using various media.
Remember that these are not learning disabilities, but just another way of grasping information. Some comprehend pictures better, some comprehend sounds, and some simply don't get the hang of it until they actually do it! If this trait is identified and nurtured from early on, these children can go on to become wonderful individuals.
If suppressed, though, their learning capability may get hampered, they will easily tire of routine classroom teaching, and may become rebellious.