What is meant by "multi-sensory learning"?

Multi-sensory learning refers to an instructional strategy that engages more than one sense to enhance the learning experience. This approach taps into various sensory modalities, such as sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell, to help learners process and retain information more effectively. By integrating multiple senses, educators can cater to different learning styles and preferences, making lessons more interactive and engaging.

Utilizing this method can significantly improve comprehension and retention for students, as it allows for material to be presented in a more holistic manner. For example, combining visual aids with auditory instructions while allowing students to manipulate physical objects can make learning more accessible and memorable.

In contrast, focusing solely on auditory learning limits the engagement to just one sense, which can be less effective for many learners. Similarly, techniques that emphasize only visual modalities would not explore the benefits of using tactile or auditory experiences, potentially missing out on enriching the learning environment.