Sensory development

When we think of sensory play, our minds can often go straight to messy play?experiences that involve squishing, splashing, smearing, squelching, oozing and spraying. But sensory play can be more than these messy experiences that we provide for children. When you are setting up an experience if it is stimulating any of the eight (yes, eight!) sensory systems, then you are not only supporting a child’s sensory development, but it also plays a significant role in children’s health and their cognitive development as they learn about their world (Kable, n.d.) .

What is sensory development?

Sensory development (also known as integration) is the way in which we effectively register and accurately interpret sensory input within our environment – it is the way our brains receive, organise and respond to this input (Kid Sense, 2022) . From the moment a child is born (and even prior) they are engaging in their world through their senses, exploring through their senses supports healthy development by establishing nerve pathways in the body and brain (Growing Early Minds, 2020) .

When we consider sensory development against theories of child development, Jean Piaget’s stages of development come to mind, particularly the sensorimotor stage. Piaget divided the sensorimotor stage into six different substages, that require developmental progress:

• Reflexive – newborns respond to sensory input through reflexivity, and eventually these actions become intentional.
• Primary circular reactions –babies between 1-4 months begin to make specific movements for their own enjoyment, such as kicking, smiling and cooing.
• Secondary circular reactions – babies between 4-8 months begin the repetition of experiences, such as throwing or dropping a toy, shaking a rattle and banging an object.
• Coordinating secondary circular reactions – between 8 months – 1-year-old, babies begin to combine their learned and developed abilities with their reflexes, such as crawling, pushing, building, speaking and moving.
• Tertiary circular reactions – between 12 – 18 months toddlers begin to explore and learn even more through their motor coordination, planning and experimenting.
• Symbolic/representational thought – the final sensorimotor stage. From 18 months of age, toddlers begin to understand that symbols represent objects (object permanence).

(Raypole, 2019) .

Even when reviewing and reading about the sensorimotor stage and Piaget’s theory, although estimates for ages are provided it is also important to understand that each child will progress through these stages at different times within their first 2 years (Raypole, 2019) .

The benefits of sensory play…

When children are provided with opportunities to explore fully with their senses this builds their ability to complete more complex tasks and supports growth in areas, such as:

• Cognitive and language development
• Problem-solving, curiosity and scientific thinking
• Gross and fine motor skills
• Social interaction
• Memory

(Growing Early Minds, 2020) .

When we consider the different ages and development of children, some of the benefits are:

Babies

• Learn and develop new connections in their brain
• Support language development
• Learn about the world around them
• (Kable, n.d.)

Toddlers

• Develop their thinking abilities
• Begin to do things for themselves
• Learn about concepts
• (Kable, n.d.)

Pre-schoolers

• Explore independently
• Further develop their language
• (Kable, n.d.)

Within the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF)

“As children participate in everyday life, they develop interests and construct their own identities and understandings of their world” – (Department of Education, 2009, p.7)

The practices outlined in the EYLF can give guidance on how we already support children’s sensory development through the experiences and environments we create:

• Holistic approach – we foster children’s capacity by connecting them with their natural world by providing integrated, interconnected learning.
• Responsive to children – we expand and scaffold what children can do, motivating and engaging them to learn more.
• Learn through play – we create environments in which children can play through exploring, solving problems, creating, constructing, sharing and engaging with others, and we establish rituals within our routine tasks.
• Intentional teaching – we are deliberate, purposeful and thoughtful, by actively promoting children’s learning through worthwhile and challenging experiences that foster high-level thinking skills.
• Learning environments – we aim to create environments, rich with a variety of materials that provide spontaneity, risk-taking, exploration, discovery, connection, appreciation and awareness.

(Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations [DEEWR], 2009)

Questions to consider…

• How are you going to support and extend a child’s natural sensory desire in learning?
• What does supporting children’s sensory development look like for you and your centre?

References

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations [DEEWR]. (2009). Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Australia: Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Retrieved from?https://files.acecqa.gov.au/.../belonging_being_and...

Growing Early Minds. (2020). Sensory play - a vital part of child development. News. Retrieved December 2022, from?https://growingearlyminds.org.au/.../sensory-play-a.../

Kable, J. (n.d.). Exploring the benefits of sensory play for children. Retrieved December 2022, from?https://www.oac.edu.au/news-views/sensory-play/

Kid Sense. (2022). Sensory Processing Development Chart. (Kid Sense Child Development)