Director of the National Reading Diagnostics Institute Reprinted from Latitudes , vol. Once they are given the opportunity to learn through the proper methods, their ADHD-like behavior often disappears. Years ago, only medical practitioners determined whether a child had an attention disorder, and the numbers were small. A kinesthetic learner may not need medication so much as innovative teaching methods. Tactile-oriented students absorb new information most readily through their sense of touch, such as when tracing letters made from sandpaper.
Flashlight writing is an example of a kinesthetic technique.
Writing letters in sand or shaving cream is both a tactile and kinesthetic method. Imagine the frustration of having your hands tied, your mouth covered, and your eyes blindfolded, so that you could neither gesture, speak, or see. Kinesthetic students face similar frustration when they are not allowed to move in a classroom. To relieve stress, they seek to break out of these constraints. When these actions are also not acceptable, they may resort to misbehavior as part of a psychological need to move.