Are you homeschooling a kinesthetic learner who finds it difficult to sit still when it is necessary to do work that requires concentration? Have you tried giving your child the chance to move before doing work and the opportunity to fidget while doing work, but found that some activities are still difficult? Your child might need a different approach. Sometimes, even though you have tried these other strategies, a kid still needs to move.

~Try to plan work that incorporates as much movement into the project that you are working on. For instance, have your child use index cards to create a sentence web instead of writing the web on a piece of paper (allowing your child to move the index cards around). Or if you cannot find another way to add movement to your lessons, simply have your child retrieve supplies from another room.

~Some children need the work to be broken into smaller chunks of time. Make sure that breaks are worked into the time that you are devoting to the project.

~Use a “to do” list so that your child can check off tasks as they are completed throughout the project. It can be very motivating to visualize progress.

~When your child has worked hard on completing a task, offer a movement break as a reward. Your child could go check the mail, go get a snack, or let the dog out. After the break, get back on track with your project.

I hope you and your kinesthetic child can learn together more harmoniously with these tips. Happy learning!

Colleen Felz is the Homeschooling Coach. Read her blog, Homeschooling Coach, for tips & curriculum ideas as well as stories about the joys & trials of homeschooling. You can also read her blog, Living as a mom, for stories about life as a mother.

Photo by cambodia4kidsorg