Does anyone else's kid do this?

[swellmomma]

My dd5's newest fun activity is to make up short little word problems and then solve them. Simple addition (as in each number to be added is less than 5). My other kids all used their fingers and wiggled them as they counted them. DD5 touches each one to her cheek. Everytime. I have pulled out manips for her but she would rather use her fingers and touch to her cheek. Not worried about it or anything. Just seeing if this is a form of kinesthetic learning, and if your child did this what other ways you have found to include tactile things into their learning.

 

I have a highly kinesthetic learner, and she is not like him. She doesn't have the need to move to learn. I have an auditory learner and a visual learner, so getting curious what sort of learner she is.

[Tracy]

My dd did not touch her cheek with her fingers, but like your dd, she did not want to use any manipulatives but her fingers. I am not sure that I would categorize this as kinesthetic. In fact, an argument could be made for it being an anti-kinesthetic behavior in that the child does not want to use other manipulatives. In the case of my dd, I have since determined that she is primarily an auditory learner, so that argument works well here. I also think it demonstrates a sense of independence. When my dd used her fingers it gave her a greater sense of being able to do it herself rather than relying on manipulatives to help her. It also makes sense to me that if a kid understands math easily, he is less likely to want to bother with manipulatives (especially if he is not a kinesthetic learner).

[Dmmetler]

My first thought is maybe it would work for her to "write" other things she wants to remember on her arm or something, so she can feel it? I know I've seen special ed teachers "write" on a child's back when they're learning letter formation-the teacher "writes" the stroke on the child's back as the child writes it on paper, so maybe that would be a useful technique here?

[swellmomma]

My first thought is maybe it would work for her to "write" other things she wants to remember on her arm or something, so she can feel it? I know I've seen special ed teachers "write" on a child's back when they're learning letter formation-the teacher "writes" the stroke on the child's back as the child writes it on paper, so maybe that would be a useful technique here?

 

That's a neat idea.

[Peaceful Isle]

My daughter used to touch her fingers to her chin. I thought it was kinda cute. She quickly grew out of it by second grade.