Learning Through Senses

            Children learn in a variety of ways. Different learners, learn at different rates and in different styles. The first lecture by R. Lynn Baker was a helpful look at the different literacies that children will gain as they prepare for kindergarten. The topic that was the newest and of most interest to me was the concept of multisensory literacy in a child’s learning. Multisensory literacy combines “sensory experiences with literacy skill practice [and] helps children to retain what they have learned and apply gained knowledge to everyday life,” (Baker, 2014). This combination of sensory integration and literacy development was fascinating to me and it had me thinking about ways to incorporate it into a storytime or other children’s programming. Below are some ideas I have gathered for possible multisensory activities for young patrons and their families.

            One fun activity that always gets children excited and participating is play dough. Kids love to feel the texture of the dough and work to build new creations. The picture above used play dough and sticks to allow a child to practice writing letters and words. While this may be too advanced for some younger patrons a librarian or parent can use the play dough to shape letters with a preschooler and describe sounds. This incorporates letter recognition into the child’s multisensory learning. The librarian may also allow the child free reign over the creation and then ask them to tell a story about what they have just made, thus utilizing narrative skills.

            Another way to get kids very excited about letter recognition is the use a fishing game as pictured above. This game has children “fish” for a ping pong ball. Once it is pulled from the water the librarian can discuss with the child the letter name and sounds it makes. The librarian can even go further by naming words that the letter begins and sounding them out with the child.

            Finally, you can always use my favorite multisensory activity, music! Baker (2014) notes that “music involves almost all parts of a child’s brain.” By incorporating music into library programming, like storytimes, librarians are promoting a child’s phonological awareness. Using songs that focus on movement, like my personal favorite “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” allows children to be active participants in the song. Further, this song encourages vocabulary with the movement by teaching children where their head, shoulders, knees, and toes are on their body.

           With so many options to use multisensory activities in the library there is no limit to what a librarian can do to engage children in early literacy.

References

A Ranson. (2013, Sep 9). Alphabet sounds fishing and matching game [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://theimaginationtree.com/2013/09/alphabet-ping-pong-fishing-and-matching-game.html

Baker, R.L. (2014). Early Childhood Literacy [Blackboard collaborate]. https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/jwsdetect/nativeplayback.jnlp?sid=2011274&psid=2014-08-16.0731.D.422A4B025A5A9134B385708574C0A3.vcr

S Evans. (2016, Apr 20). Play dough writing tray [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://www.fantasticfunandlearning.com/play-dough-writing-tray.html

Super Simple Songs- Kids Songs. (2013, Jun 24). Head, shoulders, knees, and toes (sing it) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZanHgPprl-0