Education Is...
Sensory
Welcome to my “Education Is” series. Through my years of teaching middle school students and my own children, I have identified three key definitions of education. Each essay will highlight one of those areas. Understanding the definitions of education can inform and equip the educator and the parent. Education is sensory, layering, and exposure.
Education is sensory
Children are keenly in tune with all five of their senses. They see something and want to taste it, touch it, and smell it. From a young age, they respond to beat and rhythm and are sensitive to extremely loud sounds. They quickly memorize songs and learn language through listening. The best education is the one that incorporates all five senses weekly, if not daily. Here are practical application tips for sensory learning for all grade levels:
Sight:
- Picture studies challenge students to focus in and notice details. Studying a painting or art piece or drawing, then removing it and having the student narrate all they remember about it, encourages attention to detail and memory strength.
- Keeping a nature journal builds observation skills
- Decorate the learning environment with unique paintings, posters, figurines, and knick knacks. Rotate these seasonally to keep students’ gaze intrigued. Children absorb unconsciously.
- Introduce perspective. Take students to different angles of environment and discuss how their perspective changes. Encourage them to ponder what something looks from the perspective of a different animal or person.
Sound:
- Learn to identify different animal and bird sounds.
- Practice going outside, keeping eyes closed, and identifying as many sounds as possible.
- Music! Music! Music! Have playlists of different genres and rotate through them regularly.
- Play seasonal music.
- Listen to music, stories, and conversations in other languages.
- Keep instruments easily accessible
- Allow children to connect sounds with emotions. If they can’t verbally describe their feelings they can show through instrumental sound.
- Listen to audiobooks while driving, resting, drawing, crafting, or doing chores.
Smell:
- Burn clean candles or diffuse pure essential oils
- Be consistent in having a fragrance at certain occasions so students connect memory with the scent.
- Have students narrate what something might have smelled like…after a heavy rain, in a snowstorm, at Thanksgiving or Christmas, etc.
- Allow students to smell an object, food or manipulative that is connected to a lesson.
- While outside, ask students to identify as many smells as possible and ask if they change with the seasons.
Taste:
- Use cereal, dried fruit, or nuts as counters or placeholders that students can enjoy after an assignment.
- Gather seasonal flavors to celebrate the change of seasons.
- Enjoy food from other cultures during international studies.
- Eat one meal outside every day and include a read-aloud so that mind and mouth are engaged.
- Introduce new fruits, vegetables, and spices and discuss where they come from while students sample them.
- Look at paintings of food or meals and have students discuss what might be happening as the food is being prepared and eaten.
- Encourage students to include food descriptions in their writing.
Touch:
- Ensure students go outside for extended lengths of time and barefoot, if possible.
- Incorporate textured manipulatives in every subject.
- Allow time for crafting using different materials.
- Encourage students to touch new things connected with the subject they are studying: materials for art, tide pool items in marine biology, bones in science, pen and paper when writing (versus typing), books when reading (versus a screen), etc.
- Have them help with cooking!
- Take time to nature journal about the textures around them outdoors.
- Spend time narrating the similarities and differences in how things feel in their environment.
- Use silks and beanbags as students dance to music.
- Provide fidget toys while students practice focusing on one thing.
These tips are by no means comprehensive. They do illustrate how the senses can be incorporated in nearly every subject; it is the teacher’s prerogative as to how to do so. Obviously a student’s age and needs will require personalized accommodation in discovering how to best connect with their senses. I would also add that screens should be limited since they are visually stimulating but make wallflowers of the other four senses. Long term exposure to screens can dull a child’s interest in working with their senses as it does require effort and practice. Finally, nature is the ideal classroom as it draws out all five senses simultaneously. Go outdoors!