Doris Hall

Kinesthetic learners are students who learn best when moving or physically engaging in an activity while studying. This might include completing scientific fieldwork or even engaging in athletic activities while learning. These students learn best by using their bodies to express and take in academic concepts. The traditional mechanisms by which non-kinesthetic learners take in information are typically not as helpful for kinesthetic learners. For that reason, here are some note-taking tips for students who learn kinesthetically:

1. Move while learning

As an active learner, you should be moving around physically while you are taking in new concepts. This could be difficult in a lecture class, but even so, you will be doing a lot of studying and learning on your own. When you are at home, try to study while doing something physical. This could mean printing out a study character analysis and memorizing it on an elliptical machine or a treadmill. The physical motion combined with the written information could be a great combination for you to best recall the material. You could even try to read course materials for the first time while slowly walking on the treadmill or being on a stationary bike. The cardiovascular motion can aid in the understanding of new information in kinesthetic learners.

You can also move around while creating art or learning lines for a play. Perhaps you are studying and prepping for an upcoming in-class debate. Stand up and move around while you are practicing your lines. Lunge toward your opponent, do a quick lap around the outside of your house and move your hands while you talk. These motions could help you memorize the main points of your debate.

2. Take breaks (for activity) often

Sometimes it simply won't be possible to move around while learning. This could be due to your class format, or that you don't have access to cardio machines or a gym. In order to still learn through motion, study traditionally and then take constant breaks for motion. Make goals for completing a task and then taking a long walk or a dance break. By taking these constant breaks, you can keep your brain activated and ready to take in new information. To solidify your new knowledge even more, actively consider what you have just read or written during your motion break. You could discover a mistake you made or a new item to be studied while you are engaging in your cardio.

3. Look for hands-on opportunities

Kinesthetic learners do their best when they are learning things for themselves, rather than being told from a book or a teacher about what has already been discovered. Seek out hands-on classes and experiences where you can actively experience the information you will be tested on. By engaging in situations that demonstrate the information you need for a class, you are learning the material based on your own active experiences. This could mean building your own rocket for a physics class, acting out a scene in a Shakespeare play, or taking part in a conversation to demonstrate a psychological principle. No matter how you decide to physically engage in your learning, make it a point to be as physical as possible.