Multisensory classroom in the early elementary school
Country Studied: Spain
Area of Focus: Dyslexia
A multisensory classroom was created in one of the early elementary schools of Valencia. Learning of a foreign language should be enjoyable and funny for children with language difficulties, based upon games, songs, puzzles, fairy-tails and lots of entertainment. Also, a multisensory approach to learning is advised by many specialists. In addition to sight and hearing, it allows using touch, movement and colour as a learning channel. All these requirements can be met in this multisensory classroom. The visual stimulation is achieved through fibre optic lights, led lights, different projections on the walls, ceiling and floor. Hundreds of different textures are used in this classroom to experiment touch. Teachers have a set of different scents so that children could use a smell. And music is always present during the class
It is held in the Early Elementary Schoo,l which is part of a bigger bilingual educational complex in Valencia(Complejo Educativo Mas Camarena).
Kids from 4 months until 5 years old make a use this classroom.
As this good practice is a classroom, not a specific course, it can be used for the pupils of a nursery, early elementary and elementary school.
Early elementary school pupils.
With the help of a multisensory classroom, the little ones develop their visual, auditory, olfactory and motor skills resulting in better future learning in all areas.
Mas Camarena is a benchmark education centre, the first centre to exceed the average grade of 8 and the best selectivity grade in Valencian Community for the 6th consecutive years.
The main purpose – that the children would acquire a series of learning skills through discovery involving their four senses and would develop their skills to its maximum potential.
As long as the sensory materials are in some way related to the subject being taught, they can help students learn important concepts. Many students rely on some senses more than others so varying your multisensory approach will benefit all children, not only the ones with learning disabilities.
It is a bilingual school, so learning English is fundamental form the very first years of school in order to proceed with the education.
The child’s vision may be affected by difficulties with tracking or visual processing. Sometimes the child’s auditory processing may be weak. The solution for these difficulties is to involve the use of more of the child’s senses, especially the use of touch (tactile) and movement (kinetic). This will help the child’s brain to develop tactile and kinetic memories to hang on to, as well as the auditory and visual ones.
- Create an enjoyable environment that motivates to discovering and learning.
- Involve all the senses in a learning process (especially tactile and kinesthetic for those who present difficulties with visual and auditory ones).
- The usage of ICT
- Usage of songs, music and video.
We focused on teaching English to students with dyslexia (as advised by the specialists, other senses should be involved in a learning process). But such a multisensory classroom can also be used as a successful tool of teaching to the children with attention deficit disorder (ADD and ADHD). Besides, it may serve as a great help for further education process – for pupils of the primary school (over 5 years old).
