How Do I Love Thee: Embodied Thinking
For my representation of embodied thinking, I again enlisted the help of my Kindergarten students. Since embodied thinking focuses on kinesthetic movement and participation, I was looking for them to be as "hands-on" as possible. This week, I asked my students to get a sense of what letter shapes can actually feel like. Students used a variety of materials including: pom pom balls, pipe cleaners, tangram pieces, playdough, paint in a bag, and their own bodies to create the shapes of the alphabet. This activity focused on being sensory oriented, and allowed students the freedom to create each letter shape as they saw fit with each object. While I only had a few ambitious enough to actually use their bodies to create the shapes, they proved themselves up for the challenge!
Forming Letters with their bodies:
Three different takes on the letter L
Forming Letters with their bodies:
Three different takes on the letter L
Letters with Noodles:
Letters with Play Dough
Embodied thinking reflects on the traits that we as individuals do instinctively, yet it was only through learned practice that we were able to master them. We are able to complete the activities without recognizing all of the cognitive processes that go in to performing the task. The concept of alphabet letter writing is an example of embodied thinking. As adults, we do not think about forming the shapes of the alphabet while spelling and writing. Yet, I currently watch my Kindergarten students struggle with letter formation, sounding out each word to find the right letter, and the relentless struggle to make their uppercase and lowercase letters look “just right.” I remind myself that within the next few years, it will become an inherent skill to them. They will soon master the spelling and formation of individual letters, words, and complete sentences without a “second thought.”
As I thought about the embodiment I wanted to create this week, I thought about how active and hands-on all of my little learners are. They are constantly touching, moving, and embracing all that is around them. I knew I wanted to incorporate my students into this week’s assignment, and expose them to as many type of sensations that I could. I chose several different mediums for them to explore letter writing in, as well as creating letter shapes with their bodies. Various materials were used to create a sensory experience for my students as they explored the letters of the alphabet. It soon came to be known as “the best day of handwriting ever” in our classroom.
Watching the students excitedly grasp a handful of pom-pom balls and overhear their expressions (“These ones are extra squishy!”), seeing the way their faces lit up when they saw the cans of play dough set on the tables, and witnessing their little bodies twist into various letter shapes on our classroom carpet, showed me what kinesthetic learning is all about. Humans are inclined to move, to feel, to explore the sensations around them. We build on our prior experiences and personal interests to create new meanings and new interpretations. Giving my students a break from the traditional table and chair assignments gave them a chance to truly display their ability and prowess of letter shapes.
This experience has shown me that “unconventional” letter writing can be just as effective as the standard writing curriculum. I am proud to say that I can add this to my arsenal of instructional techniques. Going forward, I hope to create additional sets of rhymes that can be used to help the students form the shapes of the letters with their bodies. This may also cut down on the letter reversal that is common with young writers. When students experience different textures and feel those alternative sensations with their bodies, they are experience stimulus in a way unfamiliar to them. I am hoping that introducing my students to these different feelings, textures, and stimulus can help foster their creative talents as well.
As I thought about the embodiment I wanted to create this week, I thought about how active and hands-on all of my little learners are. They are constantly touching, moving, and embracing all that is around them. I knew I wanted to incorporate my students into this week’s assignment, and expose them to as many type of sensations that I could. I chose several different mediums for them to explore letter writing in, as well as creating letter shapes with their bodies. Various materials were used to create a sensory experience for my students as they explored the letters of the alphabet. It soon came to be known as “the best day of handwriting ever” in our classroom.
Watching the students excitedly grasp a handful of pom-pom balls and overhear their expressions (“These ones are extra squishy!”), seeing the way their faces lit up when they saw the cans of play dough set on the tables, and witnessing their little bodies twist into various letter shapes on our classroom carpet, showed me what kinesthetic learning is all about. Humans are inclined to move, to feel, to explore the sensations around them. We build on our prior experiences and personal interests to create new meanings and new interpretations. Giving my students a break from the traditional table and chair assignments gave them a chance to truly display their ability and prowess of letter shapes.
This experience has shown me that “unconventional” letter writing can be just as effective as the standard writing curriculum. I am proud to say that I can add this to my arsenal of instructional techniques. Going forward, I hope to create additional sets of rhymes that can be used to help the students form the shapes of the letters with their bodies. This may also cut down on the letter reversal that is common with young writers. When students experience different textures and feel those alternative sensations with their bodies, they are experience stimulus in a way unfamiliar to them. I am hoping that introducing my students to these different feelings, textures, and stimulus can help foster their creative talents as well.