Learning Through the Senses

Learning takes place when the senses are engaged in the process of retaining information.  Stop and think about your favorite memories.  Many times you can associate events with smells, tastes, or sounds.  You may associate musical lyrics with sounds that trigger your brain into recalling a flashback scene.  Many smells and tastes will remind you of childhood memories at Grandma’s house or in your mother’s kitchen.

Now think about how your learned how to ride a bike.  Did you conquer this skill in one attempt?  Did someone “tell” you how to ride and you learned it right away?  Of course not!  It took time and time again getting onto the bike, peddling, wavering the handlebars, falling off and getting back up again and again before you actually rode that bike successfully. That repeated practice and behavior molded your ability to learn how to ride a bike.  This repeated practice has to take place in all skill areas.  So when you are trying to help your child to become a reader and writer, the repeated practice of engaging ones senses in the learning process must take place.

First of all, remember to give your child many opportunities to investigate materials through: touch, taste, sound, smell, and sight.  You are helping him/her to develop and refine their learning skill set.  Exposing children to sensory play helps them develop and to refine their senses.  Engage your child in make-believe activities that will help to build self-esteem and creativity.

·         Touch: play games that require the use of muscles as in: running, jumping, skipping, and hopping.  Play leap frog, hopscotch and tug-of-war.  These activities will improve gross motor skills.  For fine motor skills, include: play dough, finger painting, coloring, and drawing.

·         Sight:  experiment with light around the home.  Make shadows with a flashlight.  Play “I Spy” and look for different colors in objects.  Play catch with a balloon or ball to improve eye-hand coordination.

·         Sound: engage your child’s musical side by playing different listening games. Talk about different sounds inside and outside your home.  Experiment with volume for loud and soft sounds.

·         Smell: utilize your kitchen to investigate smelling scents.  Go on a “smelly” walk outdoors and fine different fragrant flowers. Read Scratch & Sniff  books.

·         Taste: experiment with opposites: try frozen food versus hot foods; salty versus sweet; crunchy verses soft

Sensory play encourages children to use descriptive and creative language.  Children must experience something first hand in order to make sense of it and form a lasting memory in the brain.  When your child engages in eye-hand coordination, fine motor and gross motor activities, this will prepare his brain for learning more complicated skills.  By using sensory play, your child will feel a boost in confidence in decision making, and will be inspired to learn and experiment new learning opportunities with his/her senses.