How Can You Meet the Needs of Diverse Learners Through Multi-Sensory Phonics Instruction

One challenge educators face is meeting the needs of all students in their classroom. A solid phonics foundation is imperative in the elementary grades. The most effective way to build a strong foundation is by incorporating multi-sensory strategies in a small group setting. Multi-sensory strategies focus on visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. Listed below are different ways to meet the needs of diverse learners in your classroom. 

Auditory Learners

1. Sound Identification
   1. One way to reach auditory learners is by having the teacher say the word, and then the students will identify and write the sounds that they hear. 
2. Rhyming
   1. Rhyming is an interactive way to meet the needs of an auditory learner! Provide them with a word family (-at) and have them write different words on the white board. This will help them hear the different words using the same ending sounds. Students love creating silly words in this activity! 
3. Vowel Cards
   1. Vowel sound are often challenging! Students need an easy way to practice vowel sounds. On flashcards, there will be each vowel with a corresponding picture. The teacher will say the word, then student will have to pick up the corresponding vowel that they hear in the word. 

Kinesthetic Learners 

1. Using Your Sense of Touch
   1. Kinesthetic learners would benefit from using their sense of touch to help them remember different phonics skills. Using tactile surfaces will help the students make connections to the letters and their sounds. Some tactile surfaces that are great for student are sand trays, shaving cream and play doh.
2. Sky Writing
   1. One interactive way that students can practice writing letters and words is by having them write the words in the sky. I always tell my students that pretend you are a plane and write a message to someone below. The teacher can say the letter sound or word and the students have to write the word in the air. 
3. Tapping Out Sounds
   1. One way to improve a student’s spelling is by incorporating tapping out sounds. The students would use a traffic light card. They would touch the beginning, middle and ending sounds for each color of the traffic light. As they hear the sounds, they write them down on paper. 

Visual Learners 

1. Letter Identification Cards
   1. Students will use letter cards to help remember the letters and letter sounds. Visual learner will visualize the letter cards in their head to help them remember the letter formation 
2. Blending Boards
   1. Blending is an imperative skill for students in the early elementary years. Implementing a blending board is imperative. The students will have to look at the letter, then identify the sound and blend the sounds together. 
3. Alphabet Picture Cards
   1. Students will create picture clues to help them remember the letter and letter identification. Each student could create their own alphabet using their own interests. They absolutely love using their own interests with this activity! Students are more likely to remember something if they are interested in it!

Let me know some of the multi-sensory strategies that you us in your classroom!

-Andrea