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A Student's Perspective:
Multisensory Teaching Produces a Winning Strategy
By Travis Zier
A student's college admission essay reveals some surprising applications for the skills taught in multisensory structured language instruction (MSLI).
The midday shadows began to creep across the dirt as I stood on the mound. A hundred thoughts were running through my mind but I knew I had to focus. My team was winning by one run in the bottom of the seventh; the game was in my hands. I had two outs and I was facing the last batter between championship and defeat. I could either fold under the pressure or rise to the challenge. I wiped the sweat off my brow and looked into the catcher for the sign. As I came set, I began to visualize myself throwing the perfect pitch. I fastened a fast ball grip in my glove and went into my windup. I delivered the pitch with all my heart and soul, hoping the batter would not end the game with one swing. The batter waved at the pitch and hit a weak grounder back to me. I pounced on the ball, gathered myself, and fired a bullet to the first baseman. My team won the championship.
The mental skill that I used to pitch that day, I learned from one woman — my learning specialist. One day, when I was eight years old, my mom picked me up from school and told me I had a doctor's appointment. When we pulled up to the doctor's office, I was surprised to see that it was a house. I got out of the car and walked up the driveway and up some old creaky steps. I was hesitant to enter, but finally gathered the courage to open the door. Inside was one of the most inviting rooms I had ever seen. The door closed shut, blocking out all my doubts. The room was filled with pictures and poems and in the corner was a green couch covered with stuffed animals. The room had only one lamp that lit the warm room. I was at my learning specialist's office.
We began to talk and she explained to me that I had dyslexia, a learning disorder. I did not understand what she was telling me because a part of me did not want to believe her. I did not want to be different from my peers. She told me this disorder was affecting my English skills. My thoughts were clear, but when I tried to put them on paper, I often misspelled words and left words out of sentences. I had difficulty applying language rules because I had a memorization problem making foreign languages very challenging. After we finished talking, we walked into the back room and began the first of many sessions where I started the long process of learning the basics of the English language. For the next four years, I worked with this learning specialist every week, refining my English skills and finding new ways to comprehend material to fit my learning style.
Whenever I step onto a baseball mound, I try to emulate the skills to beat my opponent that I learned in that room. Just as I broke down words into parts to read them, I break down my motion to get the maximum power behind every pitch. I survey the field before every throw to make sure my team is ready. As I raise my leg, break my hands, I drive off the mound to deliver the pitch. When I write an essay, I follow the same process. I gather my information, and then break it into paragraphs, each paragraph essential to the meaning of the paper. I try to make every word count, just as I try to pitch without any wasted motion. The foundation of my paper, the grammar and structure, have to be strong, just as my fundamental baseball skills have to be strong. However, athletics and academics are not the only areas to which I apply my learning skills.
I have learned that the visualization of a picture is a key skill in photography. Whenever I go to the beach and look at a sunset, I try to capture that feeling and convey it in a photograph. The position of the sun over the sparkling water and the surrounding layers of rich colors blend together to form an indescribable sight. Without the sun, the sparkling water, or the clouds, the entire photograph has no meaning. These elements of the photograph remind me of how I learned to read. I would not only divide words into parts, but I would also slowly balance the sounds of each vowel and consonant. Every time I was able to decipher a difficult word, I would remember how essential each sound was to the process. Just as every sound in a word is important in conveying its meaning, each part of a photograph is imperative in portraying the feeling of the picture.
The skills that I have used throughout my life have taught me that if I patiently put forth my best effort, I will be rewarded by the quality of my work and the feeling of achievement.
Travis Zier, a graduate of San Francisco Day School and Lick-Wilmerding High School in San Francisco, is currently a sophomore at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. He has decided to major in Economics but has also developed a strong interest in Sociology. He is still playing baseball and has been offered a spot on a college all-star team in New York next summer. Travis wrote this essay as part of his application for admission to UC-Berkeley — where he was also accepted. We are very proud of Travis and appreciate his willingness to share his story with NCBIDA members.
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