Gestures
Overview
Adding motions to complement learning activates more cognitive processes for recall and understanding. Supplementing verbal information with gestures that represent real-world objects, like angles or shapes, can facilitate thinking about mathematical ideas that are not easily described by words alone.
Example: Use This Strategy in the Classroom
Watch how this teacher use hand gestures to increase students' understanding of slope, linear functions, and an overall algebraic problem. As students mimic these gestures with each other, they deepen their understanding of the content material.
Design It into Your Product
Videos are chosen as examples of strategies in action. These choices are not endorsements of the products or evidence of use of research to develop the feature.
Watch how ST Math allows learners to visualize math concepts in an interactive way. Through multimodal instructions and representations, learners increase their math comprehension and, in doing so, become more motivated to learn difficult mathematical concepts.
Additional Resources
Additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.
Factors Supported by this Strategy
More Multisensory Supports Strategies
Short breaks that include mindfulness quiet the brain to allow for improved thinking and emotional regulation.
Brain breaks that include movement allow learners to refresh their thinking and focus on learning new information.
Providing physical and virtual representations of numbers and math concepts helps activate mental processes.
Connecting information to music and dance can support Short-term and Long-term Memory by engaging auditory processes, Emotions, and physical activity.
Incorporating multiple senses with strategies like chewing gum, using a fidget, and sitting on a ball chair supports focus and Attention.
Using earplugs or headphones can increase focus and comfort.
Transforming written text into audio activates different parts of the brain to support learning.
Visual supports, like text magnification, colored overlays, and guided reading strip, help students focus and properly track as they read.
