The activity "Exploring the five senses" was organised and conducted by Ms.Akila,Special educator,ELC.
The basic five senses - Sight,Touch,Taste,Smell and Hearing are the ways in which our bodies allow us to experience the world around us.These senses and the sensory organs help us understand and perceive the world around us.Sensory processing and integration refers to how the brain organizes and responds to sensory information from the five senses(Sight,sound,smell,taste touch as well as movement).
People with special needs have issues with sensory processing. For them the processing may sometimes be over reactive or under-reactive to stimuli.Sensory issues can manifest as behaviors like rocking,hand-flapping etc.
At Ekadaksha,to support children with sensory needs,we adopt multi-sensory learning,using a combination of senses to teach concepts.Activities and teaching methods using a combination of audio-visual,tactile and movement help children learn and internalize the concepts in an effective way.Creating sensory environments,maintaining sensory box,sensory books with varied sensory input helps the children maintain calmness when they get overwhelmed and disturbed.
Conducting activities to explore the five senses and creating sensory environments happens on a regular basis at Ekadaksha and children enjoy this exploration.
The sense of "Touch" was explored first - Different textures were kept on the floor and walls - hard,rough,smooth,wet,dry - using different materials. One by one children explored the different surfaces by moving their hands and legs on them and feeling the different textures.
The sense of "Taste" was explored elaborately - The six tastes were kept in different bowls - Bitter (Neem paste),Sour (Mango),Sweet (Karkandu -sugar crystals),Tart (Pomegranate),Salt (Salted butter) and Spicy(Dry ginger powder).Children tasted the different items and expressed their likes/dislikes through their facial expressions.Few were hesitant to taste and few enjoyed exploring the different tastes.
The sense of "Smell" - All children gathered and assembled in a room and mild,pleasing room spray was sprayed making everyone feel the sense of smell.
The sense of "Sight" and "Hearing" - Audio visual were given together.Everyone sat in a dark room. Instrumental music was played which a torch light was flashed around the room. This was an audio visual treat for the children.
Sensory needs are unique for each child.Understanding their sensory needs,giving time and space for sensory play and breaks,opportunities to explore the senses and incorporating a multisensory approach can create a positive impact in the way our children learn.Doing such activities on a regular basis,children at Ekadaksha are not only enjoying but also learning and internalizing things in an effective manner.
Click here to see the pictures of our "Sensory day - exploring the five senses".
