As educators, we traditionally begin with one uniform approach to teaching and then make a noble attempt to adapt to fit other learning styles (yes, Howard Gardner and his multiple intelligences would be proud!). Maybe we begin with a class discussion or lecture and then create or search for closely matched organizers, visuals, or video clips to differentiate and provide a deeper understanding. But all of this takes excessive time, planning, and resources – and is required for each lesson, every day. And to think some believe teachers have too much free time!

That’s where Rockademix comes in. It uses multiple modalities upfront to appeal to the various learners that make up a classroom. For me, this is the most intriguing part of Rockademix – the program’s ability to actually reach every child.

Sure, we all learn through a combination of learning styles, but for students who are predominately kinesthetic learners, various dances and movements that get them out of their seats allow for a higher level of understanding. Auditory learners benefit from repetition, intuitive rhythms, and hearing songs that were specifically written for the standards being taught. Oral learners are able to process information best through the frequent class discussions and opportunities to put words to rhythm. And visual learners are afforded the ability to use custom-created materials that hone in on concepts being taught, without having to weed out the often superfluous information included on traditional handouts, maps, and graphs.

Finally, everyone benefits from being exposed to everything – the kids experience each modality for themselves by moving, singing, dancing, manipulating, and creating their own materials. Rockademix brings a much more organic way of teaching into the classroom that naturally lends itself to teach new vocabulary and concepts across the curriculum. By allowing opportunities to make connections in their reading, writing, language, and math skills, artificial curriculums are replaced with authentic learning experiences. Suddenly, learning is exciting and fun and inarguably, this is something from which all young people can benefit..