Multisensory Strategies By : Fakhira Al-Maamary Sultan Qaboos University Multisensory Strategies 1

1.What is meant by Multi-sensory Strategies? 2.Why use a multi-sensory approach to teaching? 3.How does our multisensory system work? 4.What is an effective multisensory program? 5.How to plan a multi-sensory instruction? – Body Focus – Sense engagement – Mind Connection 2

How can senses help children understand the world? How are children similar? How are they different? 3

No two children learn in exactly the same way. It is an effective tool. It offers children varied ways to learn. 4

Our senses have two primary jobs – to take in information from the outside world “ the external sensory system” – To organize external sensory information within our own bodies “internal sensory system” 5

Engages children in learning through their senses externally and internally. Presents strategies that help children use one or a combination of their senses. Addresses the internal needs of children, thus preparing them to learn. Respects and embraces the needs for children to feel safe in taking risks and to feel successful in the classroom. 6

We should consider 3 important elements: 1. Body focus 2. Sense Engagement 3. Mind Connection 7

Do your teachers have classroom rules? When do they set these rules? How do they make sure that their students know them? 8

Physical warm-ups. -Physical Stretches. -Magic Globe. -Going on a treasure hunt. 9

Begin new lessons by helping the children make a connection to the lesson. Be clear about your purpose. Teach new information in chunks. Teach students to make mental images. Model thinking by thinking aloud. 10

Stop to process with students during lessons. Stop and debrief what is happening and allow students to ask questions or stop and ask your students to turn to their partners and talk about the lesson. Review the lesson purpose at the end of the lesson. Use pictures and words to help you! 11

It means that students are paying attention and actively using their external senses of seeing, hearing, touching and moving. So think about your senses as you plan. How can you keep the children involved?? You can add movements to a song or get a story acted out. Keeping students physically involved will help keep them focused for longer periods of time. 12

1.Give students opportunities to actively participate. For example, if you are reading a story, children can pretend to climb the tree or wake up at the same time that it is happening in the story. 2. Use chants and finger plays to teach. Task 1. Give examples of some chants. Task2. Give examples of finger plays. 13

3. Use students names when leading whole-group instructions. 4. Use pointers when you want students to notice print. Task: discuss some possible pointers to be used in English lessons. Try interesting ones!! 14

5. Use frames to isolate words or symbols. Frames are simple to make and can really help to highlight a specific part of a word. Be creative with the frames you use. You can call one’ your magnifying glass for reading scientists’ Give the students chances to participate by putting the frame around a word you are searching for. Ask the rest of the class to use their hand frames. 15

6. Invite students to do invisible writing Children don’t need pencils whenever they write. Have them practice spelling on the carpet, on their legs or on their neighbor’s back. 7. Entertain your students. Use puppets! 16

8. Make information visual by illustrating posters, schedules, procedures and directions. When children can hear and see what you are teaching, they get two chances to process the information. If they don’t remember your words, the visual stimulus will help them. 17

So You have decided to tell your teachers about multi sensory strategies? Great! They need to start preparing the following 1.Pointers- Remember,be creative! 2.Puppets- different friends inside the classroom 3.Frames- To isolate the words you want 4.Posters- to display classroom rules. 5.A thinking hat- for the students to practice problem solving strategies. 18

Teaching is sales and what you are selling is your curriculum. The children will buy it or they won’t. It depends on how you sell it. 19