Maximizing Literacy Learning Potential with a Multisensory Approach

orton gillingham Apr 02, 2024

Not being naturally gifted in the dance arena I had to study and practice constantly to learn new choreography as a group fitness instructor. This consisted of me writing out the choreography moves aligned with musical ques and then practicing it over and over. I had to engage so many senses at once when I was learning - auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. If one of those elements was missing I struggled if I did not yet have the choreography stored in my muscle memory.

Imagine trying to learn a dance on Tik Tok but you can’t hear the music or do the moves only see the video OR you can only hear the music but you can’t see the video or do the moves. Pretty challenging huh? Well this is often how students are taught, through one or two senses. Imagine if they used all senses simultaneously when learning? I bet they would retain more and you would learn the Tik Tok dance much faster if you could hear the music, see the video and do the moves all at the same time. Essentially that is a multisensory approach.

What is a multisensory approach?

Putting it very simply a multisensory approach to instruction is engaging multiple senses visual, auditory, and kinesthetic, at the same time! The key is - at the same time. If you think back to your days as a student you definitely experienced learning environments where you learned through

VISUAL

timelines, charts, and graphs, flashcards with images

AUDITORY

listening to lectures, class discussions and debates

MOVEMENT

using math manipulatives or acting out historical events.

All of these can be effective instructional multisensory approaches but research has proven that when these are done simultaneously the learner learns more and retains it.

A study published in 2021 by Reading and Writing and reviewed 39 studies on the impact of multisensory literacy instruction. The analysis concluded that multisensory methods yielded significantly better outcomes in various reading skills, including word decoding, fluency, and comprehension, compared to traditional methods. I don’t want to put anyone to sleep today so I am not going to share more studies that have similar findings but just know there are a lot. The research has been done and continues to be done on this topic and the findings are always similar - multisensory instruction is extremely beneficial.

How can your student benefit from a multisensory approach?

There are four multisensory benefits, backed by research, that I think are worth a discussion.

The first one, and personally the one I find the most fascinating, is the positive physical changes to neuroplasticity and brain connectivity when multisensory instruction is used.

In 2010 the journal “Neuron” published research showing that multisensory learning induces neuroplastic changes in the brain. How amazing is that? Your brain undergoes physical changes when multisensory instruction occurs. That’s life changing for struggling learners but also beneficial for all students learning the language. When I work with my students I always let them know the research - the more they understand the why the better their buy-in to do the multisensory routines.

I often describe these connections to them as train tunnels in your brain - moving information from one place to another. When multiple senses are not engaged your train is more like a steam locomotive and moves that information at a slow pace but when you fire up multiple senses at the same time the slow steam locomotive turns into a speed train and moves information in your brain at super fast speeds. When you think about all of the components needed to be literate (vision, hearing, speech, working memory, comprehension, phonological awareness, orthographic mapping and more) the faster these components can work together the better. Therefore, building speed trains is the end goal when thinking about the connectivity between the literacy regions of the brain.

The second benefit to multisensory instruction is improved long-term retention of information. The Journal of Educational Psychology published a study that showed a 50% increase in information retention when multisensory instructions were used. That is huge! Who doesn’t want to retain information better, having to learn something over and over can be frustrating!

Retention increases because utilizing multiple senses at once reinforces learning pathways. For example, the tactile experience of writing a letter while simultaneously hearing its sound reinforces the connection between the visual representation of the letter and its corresponding phoneme aka sound and ta-da - your brain has an easier time recalling the letter and its corresponding sound in the future.

The third benefit of multisensory instruction is cross-modal transfer benefits: this means that knowledge gained in one sensory channel is more easily transferred to another. The Journal of Experimental Psychology published research indicating multisensory learning facilitates cross-modal transfer.

Here is an example of how cross - modal transfer can benefit your student. When your student is stumped they can use all of the sensory channels to try to recall the Information - so information learned visually can be more effectively recalled through auditory or tactile cues or vice versa. I see this often with my students. They often go through our multisensory routines to see if they can recall the information they are struggling with. Essentially giving the student more tools to rely on when one tool (region of the brain) malfunctions or breaks.

The fourth benefit of multisensory instruction is reduced cognitive load: A study published in the journal "Educational Psychology Review” demonstrated that multisensory approaches reduce cognitive load, allowing learners to process information more efficiently. This is because the brain can disperse the information among multiple regions in the brain, lightening the load of any one region which in return makes the brain more efficient. This can be thought of as working independently or on a team. More work can get down faster when it is shared among a team. Therefore, this reduction in cognitive load contributes to better overall learning outcomes.

A recap of 4 benefits of multisensory literacy instruction:

Positive physical changes in the brain - building speed trains
Better long term retention of information
Cross - modal transfer - multiple tools to use rather than only one
Lighter cognitive load - working on a team

Just remember this main takeaway - a multisensory approach helps build, and speed up the trains in our brain promoting a more efficient transfer of information resulting in better retention.

So - bottom line - it is WORTH it!

How can you use this research-based approach at home to help your little learner learn language efficiently and effectively?

The easiest way to implement multisensory literacy instruction is through sound drills. Sound drills are phonics drills that help your student learn letters and their corresponding sounds. The key to sound drills is that the student must be visually presented with a letter, then they must say the letter name and sound while tracing the letter. This drill engages the visual, auditory and kinesthetic senses. Please note this is not the only aspect of multisensory literacy instruction but for ease of getting started the sound drill is a great starting point.

Student fidelity when doing the multisensory routines is key - the sound drill being one of these routines. So changing up the medium the student uses when tracing letters will keep them on their toes and engaged. Here are my top ten mediums to use for the sound drill

Sand, rice, Jell-O powder on a tray or paper plate

2. Paint - finger paints or with a brush

3. Whiteboards and whiteboard markers - there are so many fun colors now that your student will love picking out their favorites

4. Magnetic or gel boards - these boards are always a fan favorite

5. Chalk - take the work outdoors for some fresh air

6. Scented pencils - although I don’t find scented pencils pleasing to my sense of smell kids LOVE them

7. Dot markers - another fan favorite and great for introductions to new letters and their sounds

8. Textured fabric - there are so many fun options when it comes to fabric (velvet, faux fur, satin etc.)

9. Sandpaper - be sure to get the ultra fine to protect fingertips

10. Toy cars or trains - these are a must for younger students and another great way to introduce new letters and their sounds

Multisensory instruction has so many positive emotional and academic benefits for students. The investment in teaching your student why it is important and how to do the routines with fidelity is well worth the time, energy and occasional nagging reminders. From the author of “Multisensory Teaching of Spelling” Janette Klingner, "Multisensory instruction is not a fad or a magic bullet. However, it is a research-based approach that can be a powerful tool for helping all students become successful readers and writers."