When you learn something by utilizing the five senses, neural pathways are created in the correlating area of your brain. When these pathways are created through the use of the five senses, it helps your brain reactivate the connections and recall the information when you need it again. When you use more than one sensory channel in the learning process, there are more connections, making it even easier to retrieve the memory from the recesses of your brain at another time and repeatedly.
TouchYour 5 senses, The Importance of the 5 Senses in Learning and Studying
Touch is one of the earliest ways humans learn. Through touch, we can explore the world around us and discover our environments.
Stimulating learning through touch is especially great for children who are kinesthetic learners. However, touch is an excellent way for any child to learn.
There are many activities you can incorporate into your classroom to help your students learn through touch.
How to Stimulate Learning Through Touch
When you touch something, what does it teach you? Well, it depends.
If you are touching a hot stove, it can teach you cause and effect. Touch also teaches through natural consequences. Obviously, you do not want students in your classroom to learn through dangerous actions such as touching something hot.
So how do you take this concept and transport it to the classroom while providing a safe learning environment? The answer to this question will vary depending on the age of the children and the concept you are teaching.
Infancy to Two Years Old
Touch is a very important learning tool for children in this age range. Touch not only teaches about objects and textures but also about how things work. Touch enhances necessary motor skills.
Allowing young children to manipulate different materials helps with coordination, hand strength, and manual dexterity. Activities such as fingerprinting encourage pre-literacy skills and expression of feelings, as well as learning colors.
Exploring textures allows younger kids to develop their sense of touch. Additionally, you can practice identification through touch. Touching items in a box without looking helps them learn how different objects feel. This activity calls on critical thinking skills at an age-appropriate level.