In the world of teaching reading in elementary education, teacher lingo is constantly evolving. It is easy to get lost in the shuffle of sorting the difference between terms like phonological versus phonemic awareness or how explicit instruction is related to but different from systematic instruction. One common misconception is the understanding of the terms multisensory and multimodal. This blog post will delve into the definition of these two terms, their commonalities, and the practical application of utilizing multisensory and multimodal literacy learning to improve student reading outcomes within the elementary classroom.

Multisensory and Multimodal Literacy Instruction: What They Mean

So, what does multisensory literacy instruction mean? Multisensory learning refers to the link between “what the student sees in print (visual), what the student hears (auditory), and what the student feels as he or she makes the sound of the letters and writes (kinesthetic—large muscle movements, and tactile—sensations in the mouth and fingertips)”  (Gillingham & Stillman, 1997, pp. 29-30).

 (Adapted from Gillingham & Stillman, 1997)

This principle is based on the fact that our brains process sensory information through different pathways. Literacy is multimodal, which is why it’s important to stimulate more than one pathway so students can more easily create connections as well as remember and recall information. The goal of multisensory learning instruction is to integrate the auditory, visual, and kinesthetic-motor pathways to the brain by simultaneously providing input from the eye, the ear, the voice, and the hand (Farrell & White, 2018).

So, what is the multimodal literacy definition? Multimodal literacy instruction refers to simultaneously integrating multiple sensory modalities to provide visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile input. Wait a minute — sound familiar? It should! The terms multisensory and multimodal can be used interchangeably because they both refer to the integration of language by ear through listening, language by mouth through speaking, language by eye through reading, and language by hand through writing (Berninger et al., 2019).

We live in a multisensory and multimodal world, where we are constantly taking in the sights, sounds, and input from our environments as we go throughout our days. For example, we might wake up in the morning to the feeling of being shaken, accompanied by the sound of a child whining for breakfast, and open our eyes to confirm that it is, in fact, our child standing at the edge of our bed shaking us awake and asking for breakfast. In this scenario, we have multiple modalities of information simultaneously conveying to our brain that it is time to get up and out of bed.

It makes sense, then, that we would want to teach our students via more than one modality at the same time. For example, if our students are practicing letter-sound correspondences and state the letter name and sound while writing the letter on a whiteboard, they have the opportunity to simultaneously hear the letter name and sound as they feel the tactile input of their dry-erase marker moving on the whiteboard to form the letter. They are also able to see the letter they made. This is the simultaneous integration of language by ear, language by mouth, language by eye, and language by hand. Having students input information via multiple pathways simultaneously helps them commit these concepts to long-term memory.

Multisensory and Multimodal Literacy Instruction: What They Don’t Mean

Now that we’ve discussed what the terms multisensory and multimodal instruction mean, we need to discuss what they don’t mean. There is a common misconception that multisensory learning means students must do things like use sand or shaving cream during instruction or hopscotch across the ground while they spell. While these are examples of ways we can make an activity more strongly kinesthetic or tactile in nature, sand and shaving cream are not what makes an activity multisensory or multimodal. Multisensory or multimodal literacy instruction is the incorporation of multiple learning modalities simultaneously.

A Note About the Reading and Writing Brain

No one part of your brain is considered the “reading” or “writing” hub. You have to use multiple parts of your brain to read and write (Dehaene, 2009; Wolf, 2007). For example, when we read an unfamiliar word, we see the letters on the page, which are processed in the occipital lobe at the back of our brain. To sound out a word, we need to consider each individual speech sound, which is processed in the frontal lobe at the front of our brain. To make the connection between letters and sounds, we utilize the temporal-parietal region of our brain. Word meaning is housed in the temporal lobe of our brain. There are even more areas of the brain involved in the writing process. Multimodal literacy strategies help students connect the dots to build more complex lessons upon one another.

What does this mean for multimodal education? Our brains are not hard-wired for reading and writing — these processes must be explicitly taught (Dehaene, 2009). Therefore, when we provide multiple pathways to learning through language by eye, language by ear, language by mouth, and language by touch, we’re also providing our brains with multiple opportunities to create more efficient neural pathways to learn these critical skills.

Multisensory and Multimodal Literacy in the Classroom and Their Benefits

There are many reasons why these approaches are effective in the classroom, specifically for multimodal early childhood development. Here are just a few:

Improved Memory and Retention:

Multimodal literacy learning creates stronger neural connections by involving multiple learning pathways. This helps students build and retain a more comprehensive understanding of concepts. When students can see, hear, and receive tactile input while learning a concept, they are more likely to grasp and remember it.

Increased Engagement:

Multimodal literacy techniques and activities encourage students to be active participants in the learning process. They are often more engaging than traditional methods and keep the lesson dynamic and interactive. Increased student engagement can lead to greater student motivation and participation, which benefits learning.

Support for Diverse Learners:

This approach is particularly beneficial for students who struggle with traditional learning methods, including students with dyslexia, when integrated with explicit, systematic, and sequential reading and writing instruction.

Multisensory and Multimodal Literacy Instruction: What It Looks Like in the Classroom

What does multimodal literacy instruction look like inside the classroom? Here are a few examples of how IMSE incorporates multimodal instruction during their Three-Part Drill:

Visual Drill:

During the Visual Drill, students see the letter (language by eye) and state the sound (language by mouth and language by ear).

Auditory/Kinesthetic Drill:

During the Auditory/Kinesthetic Drill, students hear the sound (language by ear) and state the letter name and sound while writing the letter (language by mouth, language by ear, language by hand, language by eye).

Blending Drill:

During the Blending Drill, students see the word (language by eye), then state each sound and blend the sounds together to read the word (language by mouth and language by ear).

These examples provide students with opportunities to systematically review key learnings in a multimodal way.

IMSE Helps Teachers Apply Multisensory and Multimodal Approaches in the Classroom

The Institute for Multisensory Education (IMSE) trains educators to teach reading by using a proven, multi-sensory approach called Orton-Gillingham, which is based on the whole child and their individual learning needs. IMSE provides educators with the tools and support so that immediately after completing their training they can make an immediate impact in the classroom and secure literacy success for all. Teachers can learn more about multisensory and multimodal literacy instruction, multisensory learning strategies, the Orton-Gillingham method, and the science of reading through IMSE’s training options, which are available virtually and in-person so every educator can be accommodated regardless of their busy schedules. 

The Bottom Line

What’s the bottom line? The terms multisensory and multimodal literacy both refer to the instructional strategies used to simultaneously integrate language by ear, language by mouth, language by eye, and language by hand. They are interchangeable terms, and multimodal instruction can help you create a rich learning environment that provides valuable opportunities for students with diverse learning profiles while enhancing memory and engagement. Once teachers have a deep understanding of these concepts, they can support every student at every reading level.

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References

Dehaene, S. (2009). Reading in the brain: The new science of how we read. Penguin Books.

Farrell, M. L., & White, N. C. (2018). Structured Literacy instruction. In J. R. Birsh & S.

Carreker (Eds.), Multisensory teaching of basic language skills (4th ed., pp. 558-595).

Brookes Publishing.

1 Gillingham, A., & Stillman, B. W. (1997). The Gillingham Manual: Remedial training for children with specific disability in reading, spelling, and penmanship. Educators Publishing Service.

Wolf, M. (2007). Proust and the squid: The story and science of the reading brain. Harper Perennial.