Developing children's senses with active learning methods

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From the very first months of life, children discover the world through their bodies. He observes, touches, tastes, listens, smells... These sensory explorations are not trivial: they are the foundation of all his future learning. The development of a child's senses is intimately linked to his or her intellectual, emotional and motor development. To support this sensory awakening, active pedagogies - including Montessori pedagogy - offer a precious framework, where each sense is solicited with intention, respect for rhythm and the joy of learning.
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What is sensory development? Why is it so important from an early age? And how can we encourage it in practice, both at home and at school, thanks to rich, varied and profoundly human teaching approaches.
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What is the development of a child's senses?

Children's sensory awareness refers to the processes by which they learn to perceive, recognize, refine and organize the sensory information they receive from the world around them. It's a natural, progressive process, deeply linked to exploration: it's by moving, manipulating, experimenting and living through concrete experiences that children develop their perceptions.
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We often talk about the traditional five senses:

• the view ;
• touch ;
• hearing ;
• sense of smell;
• taste.

But other senses, often forgotten, play an equally fundamental role in the child's development:

• interoception (the ability to feel one's body from within) ;
• thermoception (the sense of sensing heat and cold);
• proprioception (knowledge of your body's position in space) ;
• nociception (the sense that allows us to feel pain).

Albert Moukheiber cites the 9 senses in this video extracted from an episode of the podcast Sismique. All these senses are both gateways to the outside world and tools for inner construction.

It should be noted that some people may be deprived of one or more of these senses from birth, or as a result of illness or accident. These include sight and hearing, but some people are born without a sense of smell, or lose it as a result of a virus. This is known as anosmia. In another, rarer example, some people are insensitive to pain (congenital insensitivity to pain (C.I.P.)).
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The more a child develops a fine, varied perception of his environment, the more he is able to understand what he is experiencing, organize his experiences and structure his thinking. Sensory development is therefore the foundation of all learning: it prepares them for reading, writing, mathematical reasoning, oral expression... but also for emotional regulation, motor skills, creativity.
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"Nothing is in the intellect that is not first in the sense",

a principle attributed to Aristotle.

Before they can think, children perceive. Before they can reason, they explore. In this sense, stimulating the senses means nourishing thought.
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Why stimulate the senses from an early age?

From birth, children discover the world through their senses. His mouth explores, his hands grasp, his eyes scrutinize, his ears open to the sounds around him. This sensory exploration is not just a game: it's a necessity for building his understanding of the world, his language, his thinking.
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Maria Montessori's sensitive periods

Maria Montessori identified what she called sensitive periods windows of time during which the child is naturally attracted to certain types of stimulation. Between the ages of 0 and 6, the child goes through a period known as the refinement of the senses, during which he seeks to refine his perceptions, distinguish, classify and compare.
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This is why Montessori pedagogy places so much emphasis on sensory activities, particularly between the ages of 3 and 6. At this age, the brain is particularly receptive to concrete experiences, and sensory materials enable children to transform what they perceive into lasting learning.
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We also note the sensitive period of coordinated movement, which develops notably through free motricity, a concept developed by Emmi Pikler.
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Stimulating the senses means developing all intelligences

When children sort objects by size, texture or color, they are exercising their logical and mathematical abilities. By naming what they smell, touch or taste, they develop their vocabulary and linguistic thinking. By moving, adjusting their gestures and orienting themselves in space, they refine their gross and fine motor skills.

Sensory development also touches on more subtle yet essential skills:

• concentration (holding attention on a smell, a texture, a sound) ;
• memorization (remembering a sensory sequence),
• the ability to make choices, to argue, to find one's bearings in time and space.

Understanding and interacting with the world

A child whose senses are stimulated in a rich and balanced way becomes more attentive, more aware of himself and of others. He learns to identify what he feels, to recognize what is pleasant or disturbing, and to make links between his perceptions and his emotions.

In other words, sensory development is a bridge between the child and the world. It nurtures self-confidence, adaptability and empathy.

That's why it's essential to offer a variety of sensory experiences from an early age, in a caring and stimulating environment.
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The role of sensory education in the development of the senses

Sensory development doesn't happen "on its own": it needs a caring, structured framework enriched with appropriate proposals. This is exactly what active pedagogies offer, and in particular Maria Montessori's sensory pedagogy, which places the senses at the heart of learning.
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The principles of sensory education

Sensory education is based on a simple idea: the senses are the gateways to knowledge. The more a child is actively invited to see, touch, smell, taste and listen, the more he or she develops the ability to understand, compare and reflect.
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Rather than imparting abstract knowledge, this pedagogy invites children to experiment first with their bodies, and then build their own mental representations. Abstraction comes only after action.
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The Montessori approach: materials designed for the senses

In Montessori pedagogy sensory materials plays a central role, especially between ages 3 and 6. They are designed to :

• isolate one sensory quality at a time (shape, weight, texture, temperature, etc.);
• be self-correcting, i.e. enable the child to spot errors on his own;
• encourage repetition and concentration.

Pink tower, brown staircase, red then red and blue bars, cylinders, rough tablets, sound or smell boxes... each material is an invitation to refine a sense, classify, compare, order. Through repeated manipulation, children refine their perceptions, structure their thinking, and develop their gestural precision.
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"Intelligence will rise from the hand to the head," wrote Bergson.
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The importance of gesture, movement and manipulation

In sensory education, gesture is never incidental. On the contrary, it's at the heart of learning. Pouring, decanting, touching, pressing, tracing, assembling... each movement prepares the way for future acquisitions (holding a pencil, arithmetic, reading), while developing concentration, hand-eye coordination and the pleasure of doing.

Manipulation also enables the child to feel his or her successes, to self-assess, to adjust. This autonomy in learning is one of the great contributions of sensory pedagogies.
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Complementary contributions of other active pedagogies to awaken the senses

While Montessori pedagogy theorized and structured the sensory approach, it is not the only one to value the awakening of the senses.

• Reggio Emilia's pedagogy emphasizes the environment as the "third educator". Natural materials, aesthetics, light, color and sound are designed to awaken sensory curiosity and encourage children to express themselves in 100 different languages.
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• The aforementioned Pikler-Lóczy approach, focused on 0-3 year-olds, promotes motor and sensory autonomy from an early age. Objects are simple, non-figurative and varied in texture. Children are given freedom of movement, allowing them to explore according to their needs, in a prepared and secure environment.
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• Nature-based education, which originated in Forest Schools in Scandinavia, offers a direct, unfiltered sensory experience: walking barefoot, smelling the earth, listening to the sounds of living things. Children freely explore the natural environment, learn to care for it and develop their relationship with nature and with others. Some of these principles can be found in l'école du dehors.
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Essential sensory activities

To support the development of a child's senses, there's no substitute for concrete, repeated experience. At every age, specific activities can nurture sensory awareness, while respecting needs and sensitive periods of development. From simple exploration to the construction of abstract learning, the senses accompany the child's path, hand in hand with active pedagogy.
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From 0 to 3 years: awakening the senses every day

For toddlers, sensory awareness is first and foremost a matter of free exploration. The child touches, tastes, shakes, observes, listens... to discover the properties of the world.
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A few must-haves for your home or nursery:

• Various rattles: different shapes, materials, sounds.
• Sensory balls: soft, rough, prickly, flexible, weighted...
• Sensory bottles: colored objects, liquids, glitter, grains... to observe, shake and listen to.
• Carpets and mirrors: explore with the body, observe movements, discover reflections.
• Treasure boxes or baskets of objects: a collection of everyday items to be freely manipulated (wooden spoon, pebble, metal ring, etc.).

The aim? Nurture natural curiosity, stimulate the five senses, encourage motor autonomy, and above all: multiply neuronal connections.

Ages 3 to 6: Montessori sensory life

Between the ages of 3 and 6, children enter a phase ofsensory refinement. They like to compare, classify and order. This is the golden age of what Maria Montessori called the sensory life.
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Montessori environments offer a wealth of materials. To name but a few:

• Pink tower: blocks of different sizes to stack (size and volume).
• Red bars: bars of the same width but different lengths (length).
• Rough tablets: explore textures with your fingertips.
• Smell and sound boxes: compare, guess, pair.
• Cylinders, colored blocks, sorting fabrics, rough boards, etc.: gradation, visual or tactile discrimination games. Play with gradation, visual or tactile discrimination.

These activities develop precision of gesture, concentration and logical thinking - and also prepare children for reading, writing and mathematics.

In addition to this material, a number of activities can be set up in the classroom and at home using everyday materials, activities that will contribute to the development of the child's senses.
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At home, at school, there's no need to buy everything. We can suggest :

• Pairing of textures (sandpaper, felt, sponge, aluminum, etc.);
• sorting workshops (pompons, buttons, beads, natural objects, etc.);
• mystery boxes to guess by touch ;
• olfactory explorations (spices, herbs, dried flowers);
• cooking workshops to handle, smell and taste ;
• transfer activities using spoons, tongs, small milk jugs and even sponges for water (rice, pasta, lentils, small beads, various small objects, water, etc.).

And let's not forget puzzles, starting with those with insets, modelling clay, stickers, finger painting, then with rollers, brushes, magic sand too.
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After age 6: the senses at the service of learning

With the onset of so-called "formal" learning, you'd think that the senses would take up less space. The opposite is true of active pedagogy.

Children continue to learn with their hands:

• Golden beads (from kindergarten onwards, by the way) enable you to manipulate units, tens, hundreds and thousands: the basis of the decimal system becomes tangible.
• Fractions, geometric volumes and geometry bars make abstract concepts visible and easy to handle.
• The Montessori grammarwith its symbols and shapes to touch, also engages the visual and kinaesthetic senses.

By manipulating, the child understands. And by understanding through the body, they consolidate in depth.

4 tips for creating a sensory-rich environment

The development of the senses depends not only on the activities offered. It also - and perhaps above all - depends on the quality of the environment in which the child evolves. The environment is a "silent educator": it speaks to the child, stimulating or hindering it, depending on how it is designed.

1 - A calm, aesthetic and orderly space

An effective sensory environment doesn't mean piling on colorful objects and multiple sounds. On the contrary, it's thoughtful restraint that enables children to concentrate, observe finely and explore with all their senses.

• A quiet place, where noise is limited to encourage auditory attention.
• An orderly space, where everything has its place, to help children find their bearings and structure their thoughts.
• An aesthetic, harmonious ambience, where carefully chosen materials (wood, natural fabrics, soft colors) invite contemplation.

A well-designed classroom or home inspires, reassures and encourages children.

2 - Accessible and adapted equipment

For an environment to encourage sensory stimulation, materials must be within the child's reach: visible, easy to handle and attractively presented.

• Low, open shelves.
• Diverted everyday objects (clips, cans, bottles, baskets, etc.).
• Sensory material classified by type: smells, textures, sounds...

It's not so much the quantity that counts, but the quality of the selection, linked to the child's needs and the coherence of the organization.

3 - Limiting unnecessary stimulation

In a world saturated with images, sounds and digital stimuli, it is essential to protect children's sensory attention:

• avoiding visual overload (too many displays, bright colors, screens);
• by reducing ambient noise: favour silence, natural sounds and soft voices;
• away from screens, which put too much strain on sight and hearing without engaging the other senses.

By limiting superficial stimuli, we make the child more available to deep, multisensory experiences.

4 - Real, embodied experiences

The best teaching tool remains... the real thing. Children need concrete, whole-body experiences.

• Observe nature: collect, smell, listen, touch, plant...
• Cooking together: weighing, mixing, tasting, chopping.
• Create with your hands: model, paint, cut, weave, build.
• Explore a variety of places: garden, market, museum, farm...

These simple experiences, accessible to all, enable children to connect their senses to their intelligence, and their intelligence to the world.

Developing the senses and independence

Stimulating the senses is not just about refining a child's perceptions. It is also an essential basis for developing autonomy. By learning to manipulate, compare, classify and recognize, children become players in their own learning... and in their daily lives.

Let's take the example of simple activities such as :

• pour water from a pitcher into a glass ;
• transfer seeds with a spoon;
• cut paper with suitable scissors ;
• break objects according to size, texture or color;
• sweep up the dust and collect it with the shovel;
• cleaning and wiping a table ;
• compose a pretty bouquet of fresh flowers in a vase, etc.

These gestures, which may seem trivial, train hand-eye coordination, concentration and precision - all fundamental skills for independence.

What's more, each successful action reinforces the child' s confidence in his abilities. They no longer need to be told they can do it: they can feel it in their bodies. And this self-esteem rooted in sensory experience becomes the foundation for free, motivated and lasting learning.
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4 tips for parents and educators on awakening children's senses

How can you support your child's sensory development on a daily basis? Here are a few simple, effective guidelines based on active pedagogy:

1. Observe before suggesting

Every child has sensory preferences: some like to manipulate, others like to listen or watch. Careful observation enables us to identify these interests and respond to them in a targeted way. Some neuroatypical children may also show a reticence with certain senses (hyperesthesia): skin contact, certain textures under the fingers or in the mouth, certain noises and smells are sometimes difficult for them to tolerate. It's important to take this into account when adapting the pace of development of these senses.

2. Suggest without over-stimulating

A few well-chosen activities are better than too many at once. An uncluttered, structured environment encourages attention. Avoiding over-stimulation allows children to go deeper in their discoveries.

3. Encourage repetition

A child can repeat the same activity many times without tiring of it. This repetition is consolidation: it refines perception, strengthens brain connections and nurtures a sense of mastery.

4. Enhancing sensory discoveries

When a child makes a comment about a smell, texture or sound, let's welcome his or her sensitivity. Asking questions, putting words to them, enriching their sensory vocabulary, helps them to structure their thoughts.

Developing children's senses is not a pedagogical luxury: it's an essential key to their overall development, paving the way for living, embodied, lasting learning.

Active pedagogies, including Montessori, offer concrete, proven and adaptable tools to support this sensory awakening at every age. But more than a method, it's a state of mind: trusting children, offering them real and varied experiences, and encouraging them to explore the world for themselves.

Each sense developed is a door opening onto thought, curiosity and inner freedom.