Observation Checklist: Multisensory Learning

During an observation, one of the things you might see is a child doing a particular activity blindfolded. To some this might look like the child is simply playing a game, but in reality it is a teaching strategy that is used on a daily basis. In a Montessori environment, children learn through their five senses – sight, smell, touch, sound and taste – about the world around them. Numerous studies have shown that we rely on our senses to process information when learning and that we typically engage more than one sense to help us process information faster. When multiple senses are engaged, more cognitive connections and associations are made with any given concept. When one sense is excluded, such as when doing an activity blindfolded, the others become heightened and the child learns to explore the activity in different ways. This further enhances the ability to process the new information. This is one unique approach that sets Montessori apart and that you may notice during your observation.