Multi-Sensory Learning

You’ve probably heard about different types of learners–visual, auditory, doers, etc. Well the truth of the matter is that learning occurs across all of the sensory modalities, and research suggests that more senses engaged in a learning activity will result in faster learning and stronger retention. This is especially true in early childhood.

What is Multi-Sensory Learning?

Multi-Sensory learning refers to engaging multiple senses at the same time in a learning task. This can include visual, auditory, tactile, movement (kinesthetic), spatial, smell, and taste-related senses. Tasks that use more senses recruit more areas of the brain in the learning process. This will help form stronger memories, improve recall and understanding, and result in the information being retained longer.

The more specific, or task related the sensory information is, the better. Extraneous or irrelevant sensory information will end up being more of a distraction and makes learning more difficult. Try to engage multiple senses that are focused on the learning target. For instance, when teaching body parts, say the body part as you wash that part, say it repeatedly, emphasize it, have the child repeat or label the part with you, have the cild touch their body part when you say it and point to the same part on you. Repeat, build upon and incorporate this type of labeling activity whenever dealing with body parts–i.e bathing, dressing, exercising, tickling, eating, laying down for bed, etc.

Simple Ways to Integrate Senses into Literacy Learning

Include Video of Kristy teaching letters

When learning the alphabet children can make letters with art supplies and paste them to construction paper, use edible objects to increase the number of senses and make it even more fun (Kinesthetic, auditory, visual, oral and olfaction). Have your child see if they can bite the shapes of letters into cheese slices or bread; use clay or cookie dough to form letters; find a specific letter within a group of objects; sing alphabet songs and make up hand movements or learn the sign language movements for words and letters; etc

Simple Ways to Integrate Senses into Math Learning

Shape learning can be done very similarly to letter learning, children can to learn to form the shapes with bubbles in a bubble bath; play with shape sorter and say the names as they work with each shape; even trace the shape onto their hand and have them guess which the shape; etc. 

Multi-sensory counting can be easily integrated into a multitude of normal activities. Count Cheerios while they are eating them, count toys as they are being put away, count coins, count toes, count the number of times they can jump on one foot. The more precise you are the better, so say the number at the moment that the child touches the object or does the action. Elongating the sound if needed to match the child’s motions can be useful. As your child learns the numbers and the order they will naturally begin counting with you. 

Quantity Learning can be reinforced by having children group items (or count if they can) and then choose which group has more. Start with small groups and then as the task becomes easy, do larger quantities and more groups. 

Apps and Games are a natural way to include multi-sensory learning

We designed our games to include as many senses as possible. Children follow movement with their eyes, hear audible commands and rewards, move objects on the screen with their fingers, etc. All of this increases the fun of the game but also its effectiveness in teaching and having the child retain the information learned.