Multisensory Reading Activities
Multisensory reading practice uses sight, sound and movement together, on the same letters and words. A child might form a letter in sand and say its sound. Then they read the same letter on paper. Keep any movement practice alongside reading instruction, not in place of it. Reading improves with reading instruction. This practice is not learning styles.
TL;DR
- Multisensory reading practice uses sight, sound and movement together, on the same letters and words. A child might form a letter in sand and say its sound. Each round ends with the letter or word read or written on paper. Keep any movement practice alongside reading instruction, not in place of it. Reading improves with reading instruction.
- Multisensory reading practice is not learning styles. It does not pick one form to suit one child. A 2008 review found almost no evidence that matching teaching to learning styles helps. A 2024 review judged any gain too small and too rare to adopt widely.
- Orton-Gillingham is a family of reading programs that teach in a multisensory way. One review looked at studies of these programs (Stevens and colleagues, 2021). Its results for reading were positive but not statistically significant. Its authors said the studies were few and weak. To us, that makes these programs promising but unproven, not debunked.
- The activities on this page are ours. We hold no home study that names these activities. That is a gap in what we hold, not a finding that they do not work.
- Our position is that short, frequent sessions do more here than long, rare ones. In our view, stop while it is still going well.
Multisensory reading practice uses sight, sound and movement together, on the same letters and words. A child might form a letter in sand and say its sound.
”Multisensory reading practiceWhat does multisensory mean here?
Showing material in more than one form is fine for every child. Multisensory work is different again. It uses sight, sound and movement together, on the same material. It does not pick one form to suit one child.
Here, the material is one letter or one short word. Your child forms the letter in sand, or builds the word with letter tiles. They say the sound as they go. Then they read or write the same letter or word on paper.
In our view, a letter in sand is practice at that letter and its sound. It is the same letter, on a new surface. To us, a new surface can make one more round feel like play.
Keep any movement practice alongside reading instruction, not in place of it. Reading improves with reading instruction.
Is this the same as learning styles?
No. Some people think each child has a preferred way of taking things in. On that idea, a child should be taught that way. A 2008 review found almost no evidence that matching teaching to learning styles helps. A 2024 review judged any gain too small and too rare to adopt widely.
So a sand tray is not for one kind of child. We do not sort children into groups like that.
Our question is a different one. Which sounds can your child not read yet? Which ones should come first?
What does the research we hold say?
Orton-Gillingham is a family of reading programs that teach in a multisensory way. One review looked at studies of these programs (Stevens and colleagues, 2021). Its results for reading were positive but not statistically significant. Its authors said the studies were few and weak. To us, that makes these programs promising but unproven, not debunked. Our position is to ask the school for systematic, explicit phonics instruction by name.
One review looked at 22 trials of help for children with reading disabilities (Galuschka and colleagues, 2014). Phonics teaching was the only approach it confirmed for reading and spelling. The other approaches had far fewer trials. So their results are partly thin evidence, not proof they do not work.
One study taught letters through movement in grade 1 classes (Botha and Africa, 2026). Children formed letters with their bodies and with ropes, and drew big letters. Their reading and spelling improved more than in classes that did not do this. The classes were not assigned at random. The other classes did no other activity. The other classes also read better at the start. So the movement classes had more room to gain. That study taught letters. It is not evidence that movement on its own helps reading. We hold no home study that names the activities on this page. That is a gap in what we hold, not a finding that they do not work. The research we hold does not show that sand or texture itself helps.
Keep any movement practice alongside reading instruction, not in place of it. Reading improves with reading instruction.
How do we run a round?
In our view, a round works on one letter or one word. It usually goes like this.
- Say the sound, or each sound in the word.
- Form the letter, or build the word.
- Read it aloud.
- Read or write it on paper.
Say the sound, not the letter name: /m/, not "em." In our experience, adults often trip on this.
Our rule is never to skip the paper. Each round ends with the letter or word read or written on paper. Keep any movement practice alongside reading instruction, not in place of it. Reading improves with reading instruction.
The activities
The activities on this page are ours. Each round ends with the letter or word read or written on paper.
Keep any movement practice alongside reading instruction, not in place of it. Reading improves with reading instruction.
A tray of sand or salt. Pour a thin layer into a baking tray. Your child forms one letter with a finger and says its sound. Give the tray a shake to clear it. Then they write the same letter on paper and read it by its sound.
Letter tiles or magnetic letters. Build a short word, like cat. Your child says each sound as they place its letter. Then they read the whole word. Change one letter, so cat becomes hat. Your child reads the new word. End by writing the last word on paper and reading it.
A textured letter. Cut a letter out of sandpaper. Or draw it in glue and sprinkle salt on it. Your child runs a finger over it from the start point, saying its sound. In our view, tracing can be a first step. End with the letter written on paper, without a line to follow.
Tap the sounds. Write a short word on paper, like ship. Your child taps one finger for each sound: /sh/ /i/ /p/. Then they read the whole word on the paper.
A letter-sound song. Make up a short song or rhyme for one sound. Your child points to the letter each time you sing its sound. Sing the sound, not the letter's name. End with your child reading the letter on paper by its sound.
In our view, start with the letters and sounds your child is learning now. If there is a teacher, ask which ones. Aim for a level where your child gets most of them right. A few should take some thinking.
How long should a session be?
Our position is that short, frequent sessions do more here than long, rare ones. In our view, stop while it is still going well.
In our view, keep each sitting to a few letters or words.
When to ask for help
Each of these is a reason to ask for help on its own.
- Little change, even with steady practice and good teaching.
- Reading well below what school expects.
- A teacher who raises a concern about reading.
- Extreme upset about reading.
- Complete avoidance of reading.
- Hopelessness about learning.
- Sadness or worry that lasts.
- Significant delays in speech, language or motor development.
- A skill that was there and has gone. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first, not a tutor.
Start with the teacher. Say what you are seeing at home, and what you have tried. Beyond the teacher, the right person depends on what it turns out to be about. If the work is too hard, someone who works on that school skill. If worry or mood is the thing, someone who works with children's mental health. In our view, delays in speech, language or movement are worth raising with your child's doctor. In our view, if you are worried enough to ask, a professional evaluation is worth asking about.
Any talk of hurting themselves is a same-day call to your doctor or a crisis line.
In the classroom
In our view, a letter formed in sand should end on paper, read or written. Keep any movement practice alongside reading instruction, not in place of it. Reading improves with reading instruction.
A parent may ask: "Is your staff trained in a structured literacy approach?" To us, that is a fair question. A school can answer it.
Keep any movement practice alongside reading instruction, not in place of it. Reading improves with reading instruction. A few lines for an email home: "We are practicing the sound of the letter s. Could you try it at home in a tray of salt? Please end with the same letter read on paper."
Key Takeaways
Multisensory reading practice uses sight, sound and movement together, on the same letters and words. Each round ends with the letter or word read or written on paper. Keep any movement practice alongside reading instruction, not in place of it. Reading improves with reading instruction.
Multisensory reading practice is not learning styles. It does not pick one form to suit one child.
The activities on this page are ours. We hold no home study that names these activities. That is a gap in what we hold, not a finding that they do not work.
The research we hold does not show that sand or texture itself helps. Reading improves with reading instruction.
Ask a school for systematic, explicit phonics instruction by name.
Our position is that short, frequent sessions do more here than long, rare ones.
Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first, not a tutor.
Pour a thin layer of salt onto a tray. Pick one letter sound your child is learning. Say the sound and form the letter in the salt. Let your child form it three times, saying the sound each time. Then have them write it once on paper and read it by its sound. You are not testing anything. Keep any movement practice alongside reading instruction, not in place of it. Reading improves with reading instruction.
”What to do tonightWhat to use next
A set of questions you answer about what you see at home. A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing, or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too — that's the only route to those supports.
A short reading and spelling practice. Each word appears letter by letter. The picture comes only once the word is complete. So guessing from the image is not available. It includes writing words from memory. That practices the spelling and the writing of a word at the same time.
Common questions from parents
Does multisensory reading work?
Our honest answer: the research we hold does not settle it. Orton-Gillingham is a family of reading programs that teach in a multisensory way. One review looked at studies of these programs (Stevens and colleagues, 2021). Its results for reading were positive but not statistically significant. Its authors said the studies were few and weak. To us, that makes these programs promising but unproven, not debunked. Our position is to ask the school for systematic, explicit phonics instruction by name. The activities on this page are ours. We hold no home study that names these activities. That is a gap in what we hold, not a finding that they do not work. Each round ends with the letter or word read or written on paper.
Is this the same as learning styles?
No. Some people think each child has a preferred way of taking things in. On that idea, a child should be taught that way. A 2008 review found almost no evidence that matching teaching to learning styles helps. A 2024 review judged any gain too small and too rare to adopt widely. Multisensory work uses sight, sound and movement together, on the same material. It does not pick one form to suit one child.
My child is a "hands-on learner." Is this for them?
It is for any child learning letters and sounds. We do not sort children into groups like that. A 2008 review found almost no evidence that matching teaching to learning styles helps. A 2024 review judged any gain too small and too rare to adopt widely. In our view, the useful question is which sounds your child cannot read yet. The activities on this page are ours. Each round ends with the letter or word read or written on paper.
Is Orton-Gillingham worth asking for?
In our view, it is worth asking about. Ask about phonics teaching too. Orton-Gillingham is a family of reading programs that teach in a multisensory way. One review looked at studies of these programs (Stevens and colleagues, 2021). Its results for reading were positive but not statistically significant. Its authors said the studies were few and weak. To us, that makes these programs promising but unproven, not debunked. Ask the school for systematic, explicit phonics instruction by name. That means teaching letters and their sounds in a planned order. The sounds are not left to be picked up from reading. The National Reading Panel found that systematic phonics instruction significantly improves reading achievement. You can also ask, "Is your staff trained in a structured literacy approach?"
Can movement games replace reading practice?
No. Keep any movement practice alongside reading instruction, not in place of it. Reading improves with reading instruction. One study taught letters through movement in grade 1 classes (Botha and Africa, 2026). Children formed letters with their bodies and with ropes, and drew big letters. Their reading and spelling improved more than in classes that did not do this. The classes were not assigned at random. The other classes did no other activity. The other classes also read better at the start. So the movement classes had more room to gain. That study taught letters. It is not evidence that movement on its own helps reading.