For centuries, education relied on memorization and recitation --- students absorbing information exactly as it was presented. There was little allowance for questions and differences of opinion. In the 20th century, this began changing as educators sought new methods to reach children growing up in a rapidly changing society. Teachers began looking at how children think and what engages their brain. Tactile learning searches for ways to enable learning through action. Students may do something instead of reading or taking notes about it. Even when learning through traditional reading and writing, a student is allowed greater freedom of movement instead of being forced to remain stationary. A hands-on activity helps focus the lesson, allowing students to learn by doing.
Tactile learning is beneficial to any student. Children are energetic and enjoy participating in tasks requiring more than sitting at a desk and listening. Engaging in a task while learning about it helps students remember more, as there is an experience to connect with. Tactile, or kinesthetic learning is especially helpful for students diagnosed with certain learning disabilities. Learners with any form of attention deficit disorder benefit from the freedom of motion an active lesson promotes. Redirection may still be necessary, but a task focuses excess energy on learning instead of everything else. Students who have difficulty reading or listening for extended periods are also helped by tactile learning. Instead of memorization, students experience the knowledge that is presented, creating a memory.
Including a tactile learning technique in a lesson is as simple as moving students around the room to a set of learning centers. Breaking up the information into smaller chunks while encouraging motion, self-instruction and collaboration is often a welcome change. Students enjoy working together and changes in the daily routine. An even simpler way to allow for kinesthetic learning is giving a fidgety student the freedom to get up and walk around. Making flash cards and walking while studying them burns energy and maintains the focus on learning. Creativity is the only limit to tactile learning. Lessons should incorporate hands-on activities, as they encourage students to work together. A kinesthetic activity is an excellent method to reinforce any traditional method as well.
A tactile lesson plan serves as an excellent change of pace from the day-to-day routine of preparing students for the rigors of today's standardized testing. Students who need more activity are greatly helped by a kinesthetic plan for the day. Other students who do not feel comfortable moving around and interacting also benefit from activating skills they may not otherwise utilize. Activities in the classroom should prepare students for the wide range of situations that will confront them in their professional and personal lives. Tactile learning encourages the use of many important life skills, such as task completion, self-direction and interaction with others. It is the duty of an educator to prepare students for the world outside the classroom. Using a number of instruction methods promotes growth in many areas, helping prepare students for the variety of tasks necessary in life.