Kool Beginnings Curriculum – My Five Senses
Our Kool Beginnings Curriculum (KBC) block ‘My Five Senses’ goes beyond the usual senses of sight, smell, taste, sound, and touch.
It include:
- Vestibular: involving movement and ones sense of balance and spatial orientation in relation to gravity.
- Interoception: sense of the internal state of one’s body and the ability to detect and interpret signals coming from within. It involves being aware of sensations and physiological processes such as heartbeat, respiration, hunger, thirst, temperature. Interoception allows individuals to recognise and understand what’s happening inside their bodies.
- Proprioception: the sense that allows individuals to perceive the position, movement, and orientation of their own body parts in space without relying on vision.
- Tactile Perception and Input: Tactile perception involves the ability to sense and interpret information about the texture, pressure, temperature, and vibration of objects in contact with the skin. This sense is crucial for various daily activities, fine motor skills, and overall spatial awareness.
- Sensory integration: both the input received through our five senses and the corresponding output, encompassing emotional responses such as joy, discomfort, aversion, repulsion, fear, and delight.
Much of children’s learning occurs through their senses and incorporating sensory play into the curriculum offers a variety of benefits that extend beyond traditional academic knowledge and skills. By embracing the diverse elements of sensory experiences, our ‘My five senses’ block not only enhances cognitive development but also nurtures holistic well-being. This not only acknowledges the diverse ways children perceive and interact with their environment but also recognises the integral role sensory experiences play in their overall development. By nurturing their senses, we lay the foundations for lifelong learning, emotional intelligence, and a positive relationship with the world around them.
