Sensory Learning

Multi-sensory teaching techniques and strategies stimulate learning by engaging pupils on multiple levels. They encourage children to use some or all their senses.

Multi-sensory techniques are frequently used for children with learning differences. The strongest argument for the Sensory Learning is that making use of the five senses when teaching makes learning even better.

The sense of touch, taste and smell should also be included in the learning process.  However, it has been noted that the seeing and hearing senses are mostly used in one’s learning.

Using a multi-sensory teaching technique means helping a child to learn through more than one sense. Most teaching techniques are done using either sight or hearing (visual or auditory). The child’s sight is used in reading information, looking at text, pictures, photographs or symbols. The hearing sense is used to listen to what others are saying. The child’s vision may be affected by difficulties with tracking or visual processing. Sometimes the child’s auditory processing may be weak. The solution for these difficulties is to involve the use of more of the child’s senses, especially the use of touch (tactile) and movement (kinetic). This will help the child’s brain to develop tactile and kinetic memories to hang on to, as well as the auditory and visual ones.

Sensory Learning at Broadmeadow

Recognising the importance of the senses as a gateway to all learning is fundamental to tailoring appropriate provision, essential for fulfilling children’s potential. It is also crucial to meeting the needs of children with sensory processing difficulties who experience the world in a fundamentally different way. Most children enjoy the variety that multi-sensory teaching can offer. Through sensory play, we provide opportunities for children to use all of their senses as well as focused activities to encourage the use of one particular sense.

For most children, sensory play can be very messy which often adds to its attraction. The outdoor environment lends itself naturally to wonderful opportunities for sensory exploration for example the mud kitchen in our Forest School. Other favoured sensory activities include Sensory Stories, Sensory Circle time, Fun with Food, and our Sensory Gym provides a superb environment for children to explore and experience movement.