Multi-Sensory Math

With our eyes we see, our hands we touch, and by these senses many may learn. A special workshop is taking place for educators this week so that elementary children with learning difficulties may learn with their five senses. Nicole Sanchez has more on this first of a kind workshop that has been brought to San Angelo.


No matter which way numbers are added, subtracted, multiplied, or divided, the sum of math can be a difficult subject for some elementary students. Local area teachers are being educated on a different approach on teaching students with learning differences, especially dyslexia on the subject of math at the JPW Learning Center.

Christoval dyslexia teacher Jill Novak says, "We saw a worksheet that was in kind of a different code language and it was like ready something that was written in Korean and some of our kids when you give them a worksheet and you say come on, hurry up, what's the problem, get it done, and they're really having trouble even understanding the directions."

So with counting teddy-bears, flashcards, and many other teaching techniques Multi-Sensory trainer, Robbie Simmons from Allen, TX brought this 1st time workshop to San Angelo known as multi-sensory training.
 
"This program was developed by Sandy O' Conner to help students learn math, in a multi-sensory way so that ideas are more concrete and concepts can be taught hands on so that they understand the procedure that teachers are getting across," Simmons says.

Novak says, "For a teacher to understand what a kid is going thru, to be able to walk in their shoes, that's the most voluntary lesson that a teacher can learn."

These elementary teachers will practice what they learned from this 3 day workshop once school begins, to hopefully enhance their students minds.

"If we miss out on bringing that out of that student then, we're all missing out what could of been brought into our world." Novak says.

The training will conclude on Wednesday.