Gestures

Overview

Adding gestures and motions to complement learning activates more cognitive processes for recall and understanding. Supplementing verbal information with actions reinforces concepts and engages student Attention.

Use It in the Classroom

Watch how this fifth grade teacher uses hand gestures to emphasize important concepts during her review of place value in mathematics. By using two modalities to highlight key information, students use both their Visual and Auditory Processing skills.

Both teachers and students can use hand signals to communicate or support their learning. Visual gestures that complement spoken language allow for multiple ways of processing information, supporting greater retention of information in Working and Short-term Memory.

Design It into Your Product

Providing a visualization or animation in addition to audio or text activates visual Working Memory and supports deeper comprehension. Developers can also use these visualizations or enactments to capture and maintain Attention on key content.

View References

Resources

Below are additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.

Body Language & Classroom Management

NEA suggestions for teacher body language

Cognition & Memory

Topic that includes cognitive science theories about how the brain processes information on Digital Promise's Research Map

Prospective Memory

Subtopic that includes research on the different ways the brain creates prospective memories on Digital Promise's Research Map

Teacher Gestures

How movement and gestures are important in the learning process