Research studies consistently support the efficacy of multisensory instruction in improving reading outcomes. Multisensory instruction, sometimes called multimodal instruction, is a teaching approach that engages more than one sense, or modality, at a time.
According to a meta-analysis by Torgesen (2004), multisensory approaches significantly enhance decoding and reading comprehension skills among struggling readers.
Furthermore, a longitudinal study conducted by the International Dyslexia Association found that students who received structured multisensory literacy instruction consistently outperformed their peers in reading fluency and accuracy (IDA, 2020).
So, how do you make teaching phonics multisensory?
Teaching phonics, which involves the relationship between letters (graphemes) and their sounds (phonemes) can be effectively enhanced through multisensory instruction. When a teacher directly and explicitly teaches phonics, the teacher is focusing a child's attention on the sequence of letters in printed words. This typically involves using manipulatives, gestures, speaking and auditory cues....so phonics instruction is naturally multisensory.
Check out some some examples below! Some strategies you may already be using, but others may be new and can be added to your instructional routines.
Sandpaper Letters:
- Create letters using sandpaper or textured materials. Students can trace the letters with their fingers while saying the corresponding sound.
- This activity combines tactile (touch) and auditory (sound) modalities, reinforcing letter-sound associations and kinesthetic memory.
Actions for Short Vowels:
- Help students master the short sounds vowels make by teaching them a quick and simple action to go along the sound.
- Check out the blog post, Mastering Short Vowels, for a free printable anchor chart and step by step directions for each vowel action!
- This activity combines auditory (hearing the sounds), kinesthetic (actions to match vowel), and visual (seeing the vowel grapheme) senses, aiding in phonics skill development.
Letter Tiles or Magnetic Letters:
- Provide students with letter tiles or magnetic letters. They can manipulate these tiles to form words while saying the sounds of each letter.
- This approach integrates visual (seeing the letters), tactile (manipulating the tiles), and auditory (saying the sounds) senses, promoting phonemic awareness and word decoding skills.
Word Building with Phoneme Segmentation:
- Use manipulatives like counters or chips to represent phonemes in words. For example, for the word "cat," place a counter for each sound (/k/ /a/ /t/).
- Students segment the sounds in words using tactile (handling the manipulatives), auditory (saying the sounds), and sometimes visual (seeing the word structure) senses, reinforcing phonemic awareness and decoding skills.
Interactive Whiteboards or Tablets:
- Utilize interactive whiteboards or tablets with touchscreen capabilities. Students can drag and drop letters to form words, listen to audio feedback, and trace letters.
- This method engages visual (seeing the letters and words), tactile (interacting with the touchscreen), and auditory (listening to feedback) senses, enhancing letter-sound correspondence and word recognition.
Phonics Songs and Chants:
- Sing songs or chants that emphasize phonics patterns or letter-sound relationships. For example, chants that focus on specific phoneme blends (e.g., "ch," "sh") or vowel sounds.
- Singing or chanting involves auditory (hearing the sounds), kinesthetic (moving to the rhythm), and sometimes visual (seeing lyrics or gestures) senses, aiding in phonics skill development.
Multi-sensory Games and Activities:
- Play games that involve physical movement and phonics practice with games like Roll, Read and Color, Slap Words or Color by Codes.
- Games like these incorporate kinesthetic (movement), auditory (saying the sounds or words), and sometimes visual (seeing the game setup) senses, making phonics learning interactive and engaging.
Structured Phonics Lessons with Gestures:
- Incorporate gestures or hand motions that represent phonemes or phonics rules. For example, make a "sh" sound while holding hands in a shushing motion.
- Using gestures adds a kinesthetic (movement), visual (seeing the gestures), and auditory (saying the sounds) component to phonics instruction, reinforcing memory and understanding.
