Multisensory Teaching: Reaching All 12 Learning Pathways

Teachers are continually searching for effective ways to reach more learners, support engagement, and improve long-term retention. One of the most powerful ways to accomplish this is by intentionally integrating a variety of teaching methods so that students can connect with content through multiple pathways. When instruction reflects the 12 ways of learning, students are able to process information in the way that feels most natural to them while also strengthening less dominant learning pathways.  

Using a multisensory and inclusive teaching approach not only increases comprehension, but it also boosts confidence, motivation, and enjoyment. When lessons appeal to visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic, creative, reflective, social, and analytical learners, more students feel seen, supported, and capable of success. This makes learning more meaningful, memorable, and accessible for all.

Incorporating the 12 ways of learning into daily instruction does not require an entire curriculum overhaul. Small shifts in how information is presented, practiced, and reviewed can create a noticeable difference in student understanding and retention. By blending a variety of learning pathways, teachers can transform content from something students must memorize into knowledge they truly grasp and remember.

Here is an infographic that reviews the 12 ways of learning and provides some statistics on how learning improves when teachers implement multisensory instruction.

How Can I Learn Multisensory Teaching?

The Student Processing Inventory is an online assessment that uncovers each learner's best ways of processing. It unites the theories of information processing, cognitive styles, multiple intelligences, and multisensory learning to reveal 12 diverse and unique ways of processing or encoding information. All of these learning modalities lie on a continuum, and individuals have preferences based on their cognitive strengths as well as their exposure to each methodology. Eclectic learning helps teachers, therapists, parents, and even employers to be more mindful of their instruction and work expectations. Then, by evaluating preferences with the contained Eclectic Learning Profile, they can tailor instruction and assignments for optimal results.

Here is a direct link to: 

• A free video on the 12 Ways of Learning

I hope you found this to be informative and inspiring. If you have any thoughts you would like to share, please leave a comment below this blog post.