Children of the preschool age use their senses to explore and make sense of the world around them. As an early childhood educator, my job is to provide them with highly engaging hands-on experiences during which the children can actively use their senses. Sensory play is crucial to brain development and self-regulatory capacity. It helps build connections in the brain’s pathways and leads to an increased ability of the child to complete increasingly more complex learning tasks. It supports cognitive growth, language development, fine and gross motor skills as well as problem-solving skills, to name a few.
Sensory activities facilitate exploration and naturally encourage children to use scientific processes while they play, create, investigate and explore. Sensory play includes any activity that stimulates a child’s senses: touch, smell, taste, movement, balance, sight and hearing. Sensory activities allow children to refine their thresholds for different sensory information, helping their brain to create stronger connections to process and respond to sensory information. Sensory play literally helps shape what children believe to be positive and safe in the brain. Ultimately, shaping the choices children make and impacting behavior.
If my project is fully funded, 44 young children will have access to a light table. A light table can be used to enhance literacy, math, science and writing skills in fun and playful ways. Children are naturally drawn to the gentle glow of the light table and tend to stay there for long periods of time, which is great for stretching those budding attention spans. The requested bean bags and other sensory items will be used to create a space to self regulate and take solace from a busy classroom environment by exploring quiet sensory activities.
About my class
Children of the preschool age use their senses to explore and make sense of the world around them. As an early childhood educator, my job is to provide them with highly engaging hands-on experiences during which the children can actively use their senses. Sensory play is crucial to brain development and self-regulatory capacity. It helps build connections in the brain’s pathways and leads to an increased ability of the child to complete increasingly more complex learning tasks. It supports cognitive growth, language development, fine and gross motor skills as well as problem-solving skills, to name a few.
Sensory activities facilitate exploration and naturally encourage children to use scientific processes while they play, create, investigate and explore. Sensory play includes any activity that stimulates a child’s senses: touch, smell, taste, movement, balance, sight and hearing. Sensory activities allow children to refine their thresholds for different sensory information, helping their brain to create stronger connections to process and respond to sensory information. Sensory play literally helps shape what children believe to be positive and safe in the brain. Ultimately, shaping the choices children make and impacting behavior.
If my project is fully funded, 44 young children will have access to a light table. A light table can be used to enhance literacy, math, science and writing skills in fun and playful ways. Children are naturally drawn to the gentle glow of the light table and tend to stay there for long periods of time, which is great for stretching those budding attention spans. The requested bean bags and other sensory items will be used to create a space to self regulate and take solace from a busy classroom environment by exploring quiet sensory activities.
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