Sensory development of children: why and how to develop

Among the methods of early development of children, the formation of sensory culture occupies a significant place. This is a step—by-step introduction of the child to the diversity of the external world by influencing his senses - sight, hearing, tactile sensations, smell and taste. 

What is the benefit of such development, at what age to start and is it possible to do it at home? Read about this and other aspects of sensory integration in our article. Why do we need sensory development

The sensory development of a child involves the formation of a correct perception of the external properties of various objects:forms;

• colors;
• sizes;
• smell;
• positions in space;
• taste.

It is sensory development that is considered an instrument of cognition of the surrounding world. Outstanding specialists in the field of pedagogy and child psychology (M. Montessori, E. I. Tikheeva, O., Decroli, etc.) in their works considered sensory perception as one of the most important factors of intellectual development. That is, the higher the sensory culture of the child, the smarter he is.

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Sensory development is a basic component for mastering a variety of skills:cognitive activity;

• mind;
• communication;
• emotional intelligence;
• imagination;
• memory and concentration of attention.

At preschool age, any activity of a child — play, cognitive, physical — requires basic sensory development. For example, to build a pyramid, you need to understand the difference in the size of the segments, and to play with the constructor, you need to understand the relationship and the promising combination of details.

Sensory development and speech

Scientists have proved that the control of fine motor skills of the hands involves the centers of the brain, which are also responsible for speech. This determines the leading role of touch as an instrument of cognition of the external characteristics of objects in the process of mastering the speech apparatus.

Therefore, by developing a child's sensory perception, we improve his speech skills. 

At what age to startNumerous studies have shown that the most active process of sensory perception is formed from 2 to 4 years.

Based on surveys of parents, it was found out that children with whom sensory development classes were conducted were noticeably ahead of their peers in intellectual terms. They are more inquisitive and active, more easily assimilate information, have a good memory. 

However, it is possible to develop sensory perception earlier — there are methods of early development of children from 1 year and even earlier.Also read: Indigo Kids:

who are they and what to do with themNorms of sensory development of the child

Despite the individual characteristics of each child, there are age norms of sensory development:

✓ 6-12 months. The child gets acquainted with the surrounding world and is enriched with impressions. During the first year of life, he learns to follow bright, moving objects. To get to know each other better, the kid grabs the handles of what is in the access zone. Tastes, examines and evaluates by touch. 

✓ 2-3 years. Kids know the basic colors, shapes and sizes of objects, have an idea of their combination. They can add a pyramid and a sorter. Perform tasks that require the skill of grouping items that differ from each other by 1-2 signs. 

✓ 4-5 years old. At this age, sensory standards appear — stable ideas about the colors, shapes, sizes of surrounding objects. The child knows and distinguishes not only the basic palette, but also shades, semitones. Traces the relationship between the elements of the same row, easily systematizes a large number of items. 

✓ 5-6 years old. The period of development of descriptive activity. A child can characterize an object by 3-5 parameters, draw it, make a prototype out of plasticine. Performs complex eye—measuring actions - can tell how close or far a thing is located. He has developed analytical perception: the ability to distinguish the main object from similar ones, to assemble a single form from a variety of segments (construction), to combine colors under a certain condition. 

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Sensory perception systems

There are 4 sensory perception systems. Let's consider each of them:

1. Touch (tactile perception). Trains by touching hands and other parts of the body to various objects / surfaces. 

How to develop:give the child toys of different texture (fabric, metal, wood, plastic);

• wear clothes made of fabrics of different texture and density. To draw the child's attention to the differences in fabrics, ask to assess the level of comfort and describe the sensations of a particular garment;
• do massage using massage devices (brushes, balls in pimples, massagers, creams, oils);
• draw with your fingers or a brush on the body. Allow the child to smear himself with special non-toxic water-soluble paints, and then wash them off in the bathroom;
• to develop the sensitivity of the feet — walking on different surfaces without shoes, sensory mats (sewn chestnuts, pebbles, beads).

2. Vision. Trains in good light conditions, in daylight, on walks. The bright interior of the room, harmonious space and periodic change of the situation contribute to the training of vision. 

How to develop:travel a lot, visit new places, show the child a variety of infrastructure and nature objects: a house, a lake, a forest, a mountain, a factory, a sea wave, a railway, etc.;

• surround the child with things of natural shades, train the perception of semitones (for example, distinguish turquoise from light blue); give pictures for viewing — images of nature, animals. Show artwork, photos. The number of details and the intricacy of the plots should be increasing. Conditionally, a two—year-old - watermelon, a five—year-old - Aivazovsky;
• learn to describe the properties of objects in the field of view, to focus on colors, shapes, sizes;
• train your eye — how far away is this or that object. You can demonstrate the distance in steps, and then ask the child to count in his mind the approximate number of steps to the selected object.

3. Sense of smell and taste. The baby's diet of the first months of life does not differ in diversity, so the development of taste sensations begins with the first lure — at about 6 months. Babies distinguish smells from the first minutes of life. It is important to monitor the cleanliness of the air in the baby's room. 

How to develop:take more walks with your child, especially in the warm season, when the air is filled with the smells of flowering plants;

• to replenish the "database" of smells in a child — to voice them, so that later he could identify different flavors himself. For example: the smell of rain, mushrooms, soap, baking, etc.;
• introduce a variety of foods into the child's diet, introduce new tastes;
• explain the shades of flavors: sweet, bitter, sour, tart, viscous, fatty/low-fat;
• correlate tastes with certain products, forming sensory standards: sweet raspberries, sour tangerine, salty fish, etc.;
• give the child food of different densities and textures, teach the characteristics of products: the loaf is sweet, soft, lush, fragrant. 

4. Hearing. This type of sensory perception begins to form in the womb, so you can start training during pregnancy. Talk to the baby in the tummy, turn on pleasant music, avoid unpleasant, loud sounds.

How to develop:to speak with the baby in different voices — to change the timbre depending on the mood, situation;

• read fairy tales, imitating the dialect of the characters;
• include a variety of music, explain its genre, give characteristics: calm, energetic, beautiful, heavy, sad; sing lullabies;
• during incidents (the child fell down, got sick), calm down with a voice;
• introduce a child to musical instruments, buy him interactive sound toys;
• demonstrate what sounds household objects can make: a carrot on a grater, a comb on the hair, a broom on the floor, etc.;
• learn to imitate the sounds of nature and the voices of animals, birds. 

At home or in a development center?There is no shortage of sensory integration specialists today.

Educational centers, correctional institutions, children's clubs, psychopedagogic clinics. they offer various sensory development programs for children 1-6 years old.

Advantages of their services:Specialists with confirmed qualifications: psychologists, teachers, correctional teachers, speech therapists, etc.

2. Material and technical base for complex sensory development.
3. Individual approach to the needs and skills of each child.
4. The possibility of group classes, when sensory perception is trained in the process of collective play.
5. Professional diagnostics of the child's abilities and assessment of the progress achieved.

However, if you do not have the opportunity to attend such classes, it does not matter. Almost all types of sensory development can be realized at home. Methodical literature and special devices will help you.

What you will needAn approximate list of devices for sensory development of a child 2-3 years old: 

drawing products;

• musical instruments;
• dough for modeling, soft clay, multicolored sand;
• sorters, books with inserts, pyramids, nesting dolls;
• children's books, magazines;
• sensory mats (sew chestnuts, beans, walnuts, buttons, beads, sequins on a towel);
• pieces of fabrics of different colors and textures;
• mosaics, constructors ("velcro", magnetic);
• cubes, Dienes blocks, Kuizener sticks;
• objects made of different materials: wood, clay, straw, felt, steel, glass, plastic.

Books worth reading

Proper construction of classes is impossible without methodological training. How to conduct training, how to interest a child in sensory development and how to perform tasks during the game, read in the specialized literature. 

Here are some books that will be useful to you:"Sensory development of young children.

• 1-3 years. Methodical manual for teachers and parents" (Elena Yanushko).
• "Montessori is at your house. Sensory development" (Natalia Bobrova).
• "Games are classes with a baby from birth to three years old. The development of perception of color, shape and magnitude" (E. G. Pilyugina).
• "School of early development. The best tasks to start learning" (I. E. Svetlova).
• "Sand therapy in the development of preschoolers" (Olga Sapozhnikova).

*****

Whether to engage in sensory development or not is entirely your choice. Yes, in the process of growing up, the baby will get acquainted with the colors and shapes of objects, will know what a cucumber tastes like, and why garlic is bitter. But this information will arrive chaotically. 

Sensory integration will allow you to systematize and deepen it, thereby laying a powerful foundation for the acquisition of other, more important and complex knowledge.Learn more about your child's psychological needs so that he grows up happy and emotionally healthy. Register for Dmitry Karpachev's free master class on the age psychology of children - follow the link July 15th, 2020 2022-11-27 2020-07-15 Rate the article on a 5-point scale Did you like the article?