Just read an article all about how important gestures are when teaching, especially in math. Did you know kids learn better when you use gestures to illustrate a point that you are trying to make during a lesson? I sure didn't!
I am a "hand talker". When I am talking, I just can't keep my hands still. I can't tell you how many times I have knocked over my drink or someone else's during a really exciting retelling of an event. Now, I find out that all those gestures are good when you teach kids. The article went on to say that kids who were taught a lesson on equality by a teacher who used gestures learned the lesson better and performed better on a test of the material that day and improved their performance on another test a day later. As it turns out, we here in the states use fewer gestures when teaching our kids than do other teachers in other countries. So, go ahead and talk with your hands. It's a learning tool that's completely free, easy to carry around, and needs no electricity to power it!
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