Gage, R. (1996). Excuse me, you’re cramping my styles: Kinesthetics for the classroom. The English Journal. 84(8), 52-55.

“If we accommodate our students’ varying learning styles, Gage argues, our classes come alive” (Gage, 1995). In this chapter, Richard Gage describes three different learning styles and how they are interrelated. The three primary modalities through which children learn are: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. The kinesthetic approach is not for all learners, however, in this article it describes how we, as educators, can apply them to our lessons. Research has found that kinesthetic learners make up 15% of the student population. Through kinesthetic learning, students can thrive in the classroom from lessons and activities that match their learning strengths. Students will demonstrate higher achievement if we can match their learning style.

Mobley, K, and Fisher, S. (2014). Ditching the desks: Kinesthetic learning in college classrooms. Routledge. 105(6), 301-309. doi:10.1080/00377996.2014.951471

Mobley and Fisher speak to the benefits of kinesthetic learning and how they adapt the traditional approach to a more interactive pedagogical approach. They argue that teachers should “embrace kinesthetic learning as an everyday pedagogical tool” (p. 301). Pros of the study show that getting students out of their desks forces them to be more interactive with their classmates. These exercises also work for a variety of topics and class sizes. An activity described in this referred to as, lines of connection, encourage students to form their own opinions of their work or their peers. Some issues that this study addresses are with relation to class size and timing of the activities. All activities can be varied according to classroom and age of students one is working with. From this study, I gain a more positive perspective on how I can implement varied activities into my classroom to help build communication skills and connect content to movement, benefiting students well-being in the long run.

Mantyi-Ncube, B. and Hlophe, N. (2012). Analysis of measuring tools in teaching and testing home economics in Mbabane high schools. International Journal of  Vocational Education and Training. 20(1).7-18

This article discusses different levels of cognitive learning and development in Home Economics courses. It touches on investigating the process of discovery and experimentation of learning through examination and instruction, as well as comparing the relationship between planning and testing based on Bloom’s Taxonomy. It also speaks to the cognitive development of students and how it relates to the intellectual skills required to work through different processes. Kinesthetic learning is defined as “learning by doing”, “head and hands”, “theory and practice”, and “cooperative education” (p.9). This study determines that the student’s assessed were at lower level learning capacity, and that teachers should always consider creating assignments and activities that encourage higher level cognitive thinking. Mantyi-Ncube and Hlophe confirm that a learner who is able to perform at the higher levels of taxonomy, demonstrates a more complex level of cognitive thinking” (p.16).

Ward, J. D., & Lee, C. L. (2004). Teaching strategies for FCS: Student achievement in problem-based instruction. Journal Of Family & Consumer Sciences. 96(1), 73-76.

Ward and Lee compare the effectiveness of PBL (problem based learning) versus LBI (lecture based instruction) in high school Foods and Nutrition classes. They identify PBL as the “spider web” method. This form of curriculum focuses on problems, activities, and projects that encourage students to develop their own ideas, interests, and goals around their learning. Two randomly selected classes were chosen for the study. They conclude that PBL enriched learning encourages students to be responsible for their own experiences with the teacher as the facilitator of learning.

Smith, B. P., & Katz, S. H. (2006). Problem-based learning in foods and nutrition classes. Journal Of Family & Consumer Sciences, 98(4), 36-37.

“Problem-based learning provides a structure for discovery.” (p.2).

Smith and Katz focus on the use of PBL (problem based learning) in high school Foods and Nutrition classes. FCS (Family and Consumer Science) teachers can use PBL learning for various issues and topics in their classes such as: sanitation in the kitchen, food safety, and healthy food choices. How they choose to frame the lesson is up to them, but creating a more question-based lesson will help engage the students, helping them expand their learning. One main idea behind PBL is to attempt to solve realistic problems through varied activities, moving away from LBI (lecture based instruction).