http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070725105957.htm - Hand Gestures Dramatically Improve Learning

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Kids asked to physically gesture at math problems are nearly three times more likely than non-gesturers to remember what they've learned. In today's issue of the journal Cognition, a University of Rochester scientist suggests it's possible to help children learn difficult concepts by providing gestures as an additional and potent avenue for taking in information.
...
"My intuition is that gestures enhance learning because they capitalize on our experience acting in the world," says Cook. "We have a lot of experience learning through interacting with our environment as we grow, and my guess is that gesturing taps into that need to experience."
</quote>

I know PE, you didn't read it and you surveyed your scruffy old dog sitting at your feet who don't need to gesture to learn math, yet I still find it fascinating.

Fascinating.  It's been theorized that there are different ways of learning -- viewing a fact, speaking a fact, writing a fact.

Interesting that pointing and talking about a problem re-inforces learning to that extent.

And I wanted to say "I've got a gesture for you!" -- but that would be rude, and I don't want to be rude.  I just thought it might be a good line.

It makes sense when you think that before language communication was probably largely based on gestures. Reasonably, there are remnants from when we relied on such relays.

It does make sense. Deaf people are more primitive than howling squirrel monkeys.

This guy is playing golf and is approached by the player playing behind him and handed a card...

"I am a mute. May I play through?"

The guy is a bit perturbed and meanly says 'I can't believe you'd try to use your disability like that! No, you MAY NOT play through!'

The next hole, the guy is about to make a putt when a ball smacks him in the head and knocks him out cold. He awakens to see the mute leaning over him, looking at him sternly, and holding up four fingers.

Couple this with my finding that writing notes in class improves retention immensely over typing them.