The Benefits of Learning Through the Senses

As adults we often take for granted how difficult it was to learn new skills as a child. In many ways children are like sponges ready to soak in all the knowledge and experiences presented to them. However not always in the ways we think. Often we rely on modeling, example and language to teach our children complex concepts. For some children this may be enough for them to soak in all the knowledge and conquer the concept. Others may only partially succeed and then there are those who struggle to soak up that knowledge. And this is where we as adults are taking childhood learning for-granted. Children are meant to play! They are driven to play by their instinct to learn and it is through this drive that we should be offering knowledge of these complex concepts we are trying to help them achieve. 

Lets take learning letter formations for example. As a competent adult writer we may look at the letter A and think its really not that hard, three strokes of a pencil and you have a capital A. However learning to write is actually an extremely complex skill. Children need to develop visual recognition of the letter, they need to memorise how it looks and store that visual memory to recall at will. They also need to learn how to coordinate the motor planning of writing the letter A and to ingrain that motor plan so that writing the letter A becomes an automated process. They then need to do that 25 more times and that's just the capital letters! Now don't even get me started on the underlying skills a child needs to achieve before they even begin practicing writing letters, such as strong fine and visual motor skills. Because that list is just too much for one blog!

Dr. Maria Montessori said "The senses, being explorers of the world, open the way to knowledge. Our apparatus for educating the senses offers the child a key to guide his explorations of the world..."

So if children are driven to play and the senses are how we explore the world then it makes sense to learn through sensory play and exploration. So instead of showing children letters and talking through the formations. Let's give them ways to feel, touch, smell, hear, and truly experience the letter A. Let's give them the best possible opportunities to understand the concepts we are trying to teach. By allowing children to learn through their senses we give them more ways to take in the concepts. With each sense activating different pathways in the brain we have knowledge streaming into the brain in multiple ways, giving them more chances of successful retention of knowledge.

So let's help them succeed... let them play, let them make mess... in fact encourage mess! ...and watch as they soak it all in!!!

Nikki Al Dhalimy

OT2ME