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This Reading Mama

5 Days of Multi-Sensory Activities for Teaching Reading

By thisreadingmama 10 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links.  To read more about this, please see my disclosure policy.5 Days of Multi-Sensory Activities for Teaching Reading | This Reading Mama

I’m honored to join many other amazing bloggers from iHomeschool Network this week as we all post 5-day series.  This week, my topic is Multi-Sensory Activities for Teaching Reading!  I hope you’ll follow along as I think you’ll LOVE the ideas shared each day.

What is Multi-Sensory Teaching?

Simply put, multi-sensory teaching is teaching that is done in such a manner that it appeals to the fives senses.  Instead of just telling someone about an avocado, we let them touch it, smell it, taste it, etc.  The concept was borne out of Dr. Samuel Orton and Dr. Anna Gillingham’s work with special needs students in the 1930’s.  This teaching method is now known as the Orton-Gillingham method or multi-sensory teaching.

Who Benefits from Multi-Sensory Teaching?

“The benefits of involving more than one sense during instruction is not limited to those with pronounced learning disabilities.  Multi-sensory teaching is effective for all learners.” {The Struggling Reader-Phonics Instruction Activities book, pg. 2}  Even adults learn best when taught in a multi-sensory way.  When we have more senses to connect new information to, we can remember things better.

Struggling readers {and learners}, especially those with special needs, may be very weak in one particular area {for example: auditory}.  Marianne Sunderland also says in her book Dyslexia 101, “Research has shown that dyslexics using all of their senses as they learn…are better able to store and retrieve information. Using as many of [them] as possible at once (simultaneously) is best.” {pg. 30} In other words, if we “hit them” with strategies and activities that incorporate all of the senses, they have some way to “file” the new information that makes sense to them.

As a side note: Most people are strong in one specific area.  For example, you might have heard someone say they are a visual learner.  And while it is important to help kids learn through their strengths, we also need to come at them with all the modalities of learning to help them strengthen their weaker areas.  This is especially true with struggling readers. {I’m loosely quoting Kristen of The Struggling Reader.}

 

Here are the topics* and links from this series:

  • Day 1: Kinesthetic Activities for Teaching Reading
  • Day 2: Auditory Activities for Teaching Reading
  • Day 3: Visual Activities for Teaching Reading
  • Day 4: Tasty and “Smelly” Activities for Teaching Reading
  • Day 5: Multi-Sensory Teaching for Struggling Readers {Testimonials}

*While I’m going to post most of the multi-sensory reading activities separately, many of these activities incorporate more than one of the senses; which is a great thing.  The more you can integrate them, the better.

 

Additional Struggling Reader Resources:

HowtoChooseJustRight-325

 

$7.99Add to cart

  • Choosing “Just Right” Books (written with struggling readers in mind)
  • All About Reading: You can read my review here.
  • Google+ Hangout for Struggling and Reluctant Readers
  • How to Plan for a Reluctant Reader
  • 10 Things Struggling Readers Need
  • I also have several Pinterest Boards dedicated to reading that may be of interest.  They have many multi-sensory activities included there, too: ABC Goodies, Sight Words, Comprehension Strategies, and one dedicated to Struggling Readers

 

~Becky

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Filed Under: Struggling Readers

« The Struggling Reader {Review and Giveaway}
Day 1: Kinesthetic Activities for Teaching Reading »

Comments

  1. Lindsay @ Bytes of Memory says

    June 9, 2013 at 1:24 pm

    Looking forward to the series! I just got back from a homeschool convention and got I am all excited about mulch-sensory teaching. So I look forward to “hearing” more ideas and examples!Off to enter the giveaway 🙂

    Reply
  2. Jennifer C says

    August 25, 2020 at 2:51 pm

    Thank you for providing reliable information, tips, and resources for helping struggling readers! I have been a reader since 2010.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The Struggling Reader {Review and Giveaway} says:
    June 10, 2013 at 6:00 am

    […] post is the kick-off to my 5 Days of Multi-Sensory Activities for Teaching Reading.  Please join me this […]

    Reply
  2. Summer Hopscotch | iHomeschoolNetwork says:
    June 10, 2013 at 1:07 pm

    […] the Silhouette CAMEO | Amy at Milk and Cookies Upcycled Crafts for Kids | Angela at Teaching Mama Multi-Sensory Activities for Teaching Reading | Becky at This Reading Mama Using Essential Oils | Carlie at Beautiful Motherhood Bible Study for […]

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  3. Multi-Sensory Teaching for Struggling Readers says:
    June 14, 2013 at 9:39 pm

    […] Network!  If you’re joining me for the first time today, please click on the image above or here to see what’s been going on this week.  Be sure to also enter The Struggling Reader giveaway […]

    Reply
  4. Kinesthetic Activities for Teaching Reading says:
    June 16, 2013 at 6:27 am

    […] Teaching Reading.  If you’d like to read more about multi-sensory teaching, please read my post from yesterday!  You can also enter The Struggling Reader giveaway; a reading program designed to teach reading […]

    Reply
  5. Refer-A-Friend Contest from Child-1st Publications says:
    August 15, 2013 at 2:38 pm

    […] working on my recent 5 Days of Multi-Sensory Activities for Teaching Reading, I googled “right brain learners” just to see what products and/or companies I could […]

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  6. 5 Great Reasons to Read Words OUT of Context says:
    October 11, 2013 at 10:36 am

    […] need to be boring or even include flash cards. It can be fun and interactive! When you can make it multi-sensory, all the […]

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  7. Literacy Terms Defined for Parents says:
    November 14, 2013 at 10:59 pm

    […] multi-sensory teaching- Using as many of the five senses to teach a concept. The goal is to help learning become meaningful for that particular student and that the learner will connect with the literacy skill or text in a meaningful way. {Read more HERE} […]

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  8. We Are All Multi-sensory Learners | Darlene Beck-Jacobson says:
    December 29, 2013 at 7:59 pm

    […] This Reading Mamahttps://thisreadingmama.com/2013/06/09/multi-sensory-activities-teaching-reading/ […]

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Hi! I’m Becky, a homeschooling mama with 4 blessings who keep me on my toes {and knees}. Before homeschooling, I was a classroom teacher (M.Ed.) and reading tutor. Read more about me here.

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