The Many Ways We Learn

The Many Ways We Learn

One morning, Miss T gave her class a story to read. Some students began reading right away. Others stared at the words, unsure where to begin. "I don't understand," whispered Mia. "I have ideas," said Ben, "but writing them down is hard." Miss T smiled. "That's okay. Today, we're going to try something different!"

"Did you know there are many ways to learn?" asked Miss T. "We can read words, look at pictures, listen to sounds, watch videos, move our bodies, and talk with friends." explained Miss T "All of those count?" asked Ben "Absolutely! Different ways of sharing meaning can help us understand something new."

Mia put on her headphones and listened as the story was read aloud. She followed along with the words. Suddenly, the characters made more sense! "Now I understand why the character was upset!" she said. Hearing the story while seeing the words helped Mia connect the pieces.

Ben loved stories, but sometimes his ideas moved faster than his pencil. Miss T invited her to draw the important events first. Ben created three colorful pictures and then used then to help write his sentences. "My pictures helped me organize my thoughts!" he exclaimed.

Next, the class learned about butterflies. Their science book explained metamorphosis, but it was a big word! Miss T showed a diagram of the butterfly's life cycle. "Oh!" said Jayden. "I can see how the caterpillar changes!" The diagram and words worked together to make a new idea clearer.

"Let's become butterflies!" Miss T announced. The students curled up like caterpillars, formed pretend chrysalises, and stretched their arms into wings. Laughter filled the room. "Now I'll never forget the order!" Andrew said. Movement gave the students another way to remember what they learned.

Sofia spoke two languages. Sometimes she knew exactly what she wanted to say but needed more time to find the English words. With a partner, she pointed to pictures, used familiar words, and explained her ideas. Her partner listened and asked questions. Together, they made meaning. "My ideas matter, too!" Sofia said proudly.

For their final project, the students could write a report, create a comic, record a narrated slideshow, or make a short video. Every project needed to explain the butterfly's life cycle. "We all have the same learning goal," Miss T explained, "but we can show our understanding in different ways'" Everyone got to work!

On presentation day, Mia shared a recording with pictures and narration. Ben showed his illustrated comic. Sofia and her partner explained a model using words and gestures. After each presentation, the classmates discussed what they noticed, asked questions, and shared what they had learned. I never thought of showing it that way!" Mia said. Everyone realized that learning from each other's creations helped them discover something new. Miss T was proud of their explanations and creativity.

At the end of the day, Miss T asked, "What did we discover?" "Pictures help explain!" Mia said. "Listening helps me understand!" said Ben "Talking helps us learn from each other!" added Andrew. Miss T nodded. "And choosing the right tools can help us share our ideas." The class had discovered something important: There isn't just one way to learn, and there isn't just one way to show what we know.

A Note for Teachers: Multimodality recognizes that meaning can be communicated through different modes, including written language, visuals, sound, movement, and spatial arrangements. By combining these modes, teachers can provide multiple opportunities for students to access information, make connections, and demonstrate understanding. This approach is especially meaningful in inclusive classrooms, where students bring different backgrounds, experiences, strengths, and learning needs. Multimodal instruction does not replace explicit instruction in reading and writing. Instead, it can complement these skills and create additional pathways for participation and learning.

References: Walsh, M. (2006). The ‘textual shift’: Examining the reading process with print, visual and multimodal texts. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 29(1), 24–37. Oldakowski, T. (2014). A Multimodal Assignment That Enriches Literacy Learning the Problem. InSight: A Journal of Scholarly Teaching, 9, 70–77. Kim, Y., & Belcher, D. (2020). Multimodal Composing and Traditional Essays: Linguistic Performance and Learner Perceptions. RELC Journal, 51(1), 86–100. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688220906943Links to an external site.