Lower School Coordinator, Lakehill Preparatory School
Remember when you first learned about the Five Senses? Was it in your kindergarten, first, or second grade class? Well, it doesn’t matter, really. You know them and probably take them for granted if they are working correctly!
Here is a different slant on those five senses. In my 40+ years in the classroom, the five senses had a crucial part in the success of my day, and they were never even mentioned. I realized early in my teaching career that I had to “win kids over” and make learning fun for them. When I was able to accomplish that, they enjoyed the class more, learned more, remembered more, and were happier, thus, they were more successful.
Most of everything we know enters our brains through our senses. Most adults know whether they are auditory learners, visual learners, etc. Children don’t know this, though, so I had to keep trying all methods to teach them in the way they learned best. In so doing, I hit on a plan that made us all happy, and it was…..”The Five Senses to the Rescue”!
Here is how it worked:
Sound – A pleasant, calm, but energetic voice captured their attention. (Whispering directions is actually the best….try whispering at the dinner table and everyone will freeze and listen intently). Also, playing soft piano music during quiet work time is very relaxing and covers up the rustling sounds of a busy classroom almost like white noise.
Taste – Yes, I figured a little cereal snack in a small Dixie cup about mid-morning would be welcome. Sure enough, several said, “I was really hungry; we didn’t have time for breakfast.” Sorry to say, I had to quit this after a few years as the ants kept finding our cereal box!
Smell – Well, everyone who REALLY knows me has heard of “Puppy Spray”. Puppy Spray is a fragrance that smells sort of like cotton candy at the Fair! After recess, most children have a sweaty puppy smell about them. The spray wafted out in the hall and even high school seniors would walk by on their way to Spanish or PE with a big grin saying, “We smell Puppy Spray!” My students asked me two or three times a day to spray it in our room because it just made us happy.
Sight – Too obvious, but here goes. Lots of stickers on papers, charts with stars, silly Garfield posters, interesting Human Body posters…..one with the inside sinus cavities showing a sinus headache, ouch! Sight is HUGE in a classroom and the room has to be welcoming and friendly looking. After all, we were in our classroom more hours during the day than we were in our homes.
Touch – An important component in learning. Many people learn by touch. Often, I let my kids stretch out on the cool tile (and take off their shoes) after recess while I read our novel aloud to them. We learned all about characterization, plot, setting, voice inflection, and cause and effect during these casual, relaxed times. Several students would sit in our “soft spots” to just curl up and listen. I taught them that if you had trouble learning 7×9, just take off your shoes and socks and write 7×9=63 on the sole of your foot. (It tickles so much, you just remember it!)
So, the Five Senses don’t necessarily have to be a Science Lesson. They can be part of a happy classroom environment or “The Five Senses to the Rescue.”