The surroundings play a significant role in children’s growth and help mold their development through their different experiences, improving their understanding and communication by engaging their five senses—Sight, Touch, Smell, Taste, and Hearing.
Guiding a child’s focus to the five senses in connection with their surroundings and engaging in discussions, explanations with demonstrations, and activities can enhance the child’s understanding.
Lets take a closer look:
Example:
Activities that involve sight allow kids to enhance their early literacy skills through play! These sight games assist children in recognizing words, patterns, and objects while promoting their memory development!
Our eyes help us see (Our own face, A smile on someone’s face, an expression of joy, anger, our colourful toys, our favourite show, the colour, shape and look of a veg/fruit / a dish, finding/scanning for something, walking down a path and so on …)
Example:
Kids discover information about their bodies and ways to interact with others through tactile experiences. A significant portion of our sensory perception occurs through our feet and hands.
Our hands
Participating in activities that enable children to use their hands and feet helps them to cultivate abilities like writing, fastening their shirts, and tying their shoes, among others.
A hug from a friend can offer comfort and understanding, enhancing social skills and relationship management.
Furthermore, touch communicates its own set of meanings.
The manner in which it is expressed, including the intensity, the intent behind it, the occasion it occurs, and the accompanying facial and vocal expressions, all contribute to its significance.
Such as (the sensation of cold snowflakes in our palms or a reassuring pat on the back from our parents, teachers, and others that confirms we are on the right path, a good or bad touch and so on….).
Example:
As children grow, they will begin to identify specific aromas as soothing, delicious, frightening, thrilling, and so on. Explore the familiar scents and those that are less known to the child.
Our nose lets us smell. Our sense of smell enables us to detect various scents (the fragrance of perfume worn by the people we meet, particularly our parents, which can bring a sense of comfort; the scent of flowers on a lovely spring day; the odor of underarms/bus fumes; and the enticing aroma of food being prepared in the kitchen, among others…).
Example:
Kids form their taste preferences from the foods they are introduced to during their early years. Encouraging children to reflect on their likes and dislikes regarding tastes can motivate them to sample different foods and combinations.
Our tongue allows us to Savor Flavors (like relishing a delicious cookie from my cherished parents or enjoying a favourite meal). Engage in a conversation with the child about how our five senses enhance the daily experiences we encounter, as naturally occurring topics arise in everyday discussions.
Additionally, while eating, articulate the Flavors you are experiencing and enhance them with sounds or expressions, such as wah–wah! Employ hand gestures to indicate something is exceptionally delicious and so forth…
(Hearing vs listening)
The saying ‘In one ear, out the other’ speaks to the difference between hearing and
listening. — Kelly Workman, PsyD
It’s not just about hearing; it involves being converted into listening for
comprehension.
Example:
Children utilize their ears too to gather information about their surroundings.
Similar to Other skills they acquire, listening requires practice. Cultivating effective
listening habits enables children to receive essential information from family,
teachers, friends, and coaches.
Certain traits to focus on for effective listening:
Focus entirely without any distractions such as phones, televisions, etc.
Thought-provoking Aspect:
When we educate a child through the use of the five senses, the experiences they have during that time are incomparable to just theoretical knowledge. It brings the child back to the moment they engaged in that activity, recalling who was present, what they did, how they accomplished it, and what emotions they felt at that time. This approach makes the whole learning process engaging and immersive.