Jump to content

Menu

Kinesthetic Learner...what curriculum should I be looking for?


Ghee
 Share

Recommended Posts

My son is a beginning kindergarten level, very kinesthetic, and I am very much NOT kinesthetic. I have a hard time coming up with ideas for this type of learner and I'm too new to homeschooling to know which curriculum would be of benefit here.

 

He is not yet reading, if that factors in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For math we use McRuffy, and they include a lot of manipulatives and games. For reading we use IEW Primary Art of Language, which is a very hands-on program that you may enjoy! You might want to look at Timberdoodle too- they have a great selection of kinestic type of educational toys/curricula.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have you considered reading Cathy Duffy's Top 100 Homeschool Curriculum Choices? I believe you can even get it for Kindle these days. It's very neat because while it doesn't just tell you about ideas it helps you pick something for your child's learning style & your teaching style.

 

I've yet to have it lead me wrong! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I went pretty much curriculum-free with my Kinesthetic girl for K last year. We read lots of books and acted many of them out. ProgressivePhonics.com has some fun and free books for learning to read.

 

Manipulatives that I swear by:

LEGOs

Fridge magnets of letters and numbers (including =,+, and - signs)

Math balance

Cuisenaire rods

tangrams and/or puzzle shapes

Bananagrams tiles and a fun little book called Making Words

Playdoh

Quality paint

Good colored markers and pencils

Portable white board with several different colored dry erase markers

 

We also love the games at PBSKids.org. She doesn't always sit down at a computer for long, but when she does she learns a lot from the games and videos there.

 

I was nervous about letting her go free this year, but she read Green Eggs and Ham to me today (really read it, not memorized), can make double digit math equations with her numbers, and writes small notes to family members simply because it's something she's interested in. Next year will require some more sit down type work, but I know she's ready and motivated for it now. I hope that helps give you some different ideas at least. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We will be using Oak Meadow K for our kinesthetic kindergartener. We will add in Queens Language Lessons For Little Ones 3 for phonics/reading (1 or 2 would be best to start with a not quite reading kiddo )and Singapore Earlybird for math. There isn't a lot of seatwork in this combo but there are tons of fun learnjnv activities.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Buy any curriculum you like and adjust it to suit his needs (although try to avoid lots of workbooks type curriculums) :001_smile:

 

My DD is highly Kinesthetic. I gave up trying to find the perfect curriculum for her and just adjusted what we had to suit her needs. She cannot sit in a seat -she falls out of it at least a dozen times before 30 minutes is up :lol:

 

When she reads to herself she paces the house and jumps on the trampoline.

 

Portable white board with several different colored dry erase markers

 

I highly recommend getting a whiteboard. My DD does her workbook activites orally and standing at the board where she is free to move about at will. It develops upper body strength and allows them bigger movements when writing -she can use her whole body instead of just her arm.

 

When I do work with her that requires her to sit beside me I give her some type of modelling clay(usually just putty I picked up from the dollar store) and she moulds and kneads it as I read or discuss. It helps keep the rest of her body still if she can work purposefully with her hands. It also helps her focus.

 

I also can't say enough great things about this book Activites for Gross Motor Skills Development Your son might not need work on his gross motor skills but all these activities are very adaptable to turn them into learning activities for Kinesthetic learners. For example you might roll a ball back and forth between yourselves and have him recite a math fact on every roll. My DD LOVES doing these activities and they have turned our so far miserable HS experience into a happy one.

 

You can take a look at my blog if you want to see the curriculum we use. It's nothing too exciting -I just adapt it all to suit my DD.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Math

Miquon (If you are willing to go through some self-education to figure it out)

Rightstart

Marilyn Burns books (math lessons based on literature with a project included for each)

Base-10 blocks

Geared clock

 

LA

AAS

Various phonics games - run to the sound, Letter Bingo, flip books, etc.

 

History

SOTW (do the projects from the AG)

Living history events where they can see, touch, smell history

 

Science

GEMS science guides

Supercharged Science

Sonlight Science

Intellego Science units

 

Art

Preschool Art (Maryann Kohl)

Primary Art (Maryann Kohl)

 

Science is probably the easiest because of the experiments and projects. I'm sure there are more history options too, but I have been so happy with SOTW for my kinesthetic learners we haven't really tried anything else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We use sidewalk chalk out in the driveway. Write numbers and have him put the correct number of (pinecones, seashells, rocks, whatever) above or below the correct number. For my 5.5 yo DD, I draw a clock face, find two sticks (one shorter, one longer) and we play around with telling time using the sticks. I introduced my DS1 to greater than and less than by maybe 5-6 by playing around with the symbols using chalk. Draw a bunch of numbers in circles or boxes, and you can go over simple math facts by having him jump to the correct answer. Play with patterns outside-pinecone, pinecone, rock. Pinecone, pinecone, rock (or however complex you want to make it).

 

DD likes spelling out words using a boggle jr. set from a yardsale. We use the cards with the included letter dice, but you could have DC use the cards with a whiteboard and marker, easel and chalk, driveway and sidewalk chalk, letter magnets, etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...