The blog is back and we are back for good. How exciting is that??
To relaunch the blog I am sharing ideas I feel very passionate about, and guess what, that’s not exactly play. If you have been a part of the Pre-K Spot community for even a short time, you know I am all about the play. Another topic I feel is so important to integrate into your classroom is sensory experiences. And whoo hoo, play often offers this in multitudes in authentic and natural ways.
However, sensory regulation is something that is so deeply important to young children’s development. I have worked to make myself as aware as possible without studying to be an OT. I work closely with our OT’s yearly to work on sensory integration in the classroom in the most general sense. I also work with them, and ALWAYS consult them when offering a child something who may need a bit more or more specific.
Understanding Why
We offer sensory experiences throughout the room and throughout the schedule to ensure children are remaining regulated and are able to help learn to regulate themselves. Before we talk about strategies, let’s talk about the 8 main sensory systems and areas of the body that can become dysregulated causing our emotions and feelings or random behaviors from students. There is information out there that says there can be up to 53 sensory systems within the body, but the main 8 are enough to get a classroom teacher started. If you are looking to dive deeper into this idea, check out this article.
The 8 main sensory systems are:
- Auditory – how we perceive hearing
- Visual – how we perceive sight
- Tactile – how we perceive touch
- Gustatory – how we perceive taste
- Olfactory – how we perceive smells
- Proprioceptive – how we perceive our body in space
- Vestibular – how we perceive our relationship to gravity
- Interoceptive – how we perceive our internal needs
Keeping these in mind we can begin to plan and think about multisensory activities and experiences in our classroom. We all know as teachers how a dysregulated students can be easily distracted or exhibit a variety of behaviors from mild to severe. These usually get in their way and often in the way of others. I’ve found the general population of students typically get a little silly, shouting out, moving around, or have trouble calming and staying calm. When the behavior is bigger and more “out of control” and more difficult to regulate, this is a sign that I need to observe more and get the opinion of my OTs. When the behaviors are really big that usually means there is a more serious issue with a sensory system and not just typical dysregulation.
Multisensory Experiences and Play
When thinking about the classroom as a whole, many of the typical behaviors caused by dysregulation can be avoided by having a sensory smart classroom and multi-sensory experiences. You can offer both of these through…you guessed it, PLAY! Play is naturally multi-sensory and integrates different sensory experiences. This is not a plug for play, but play is almost ALWAYS the answer. Play is proactive. Offering play experiences like sensory table, sensory bins, and sensory bottles are easy to incorporate. Even easier with the Sensory Fillers for a Year PDF. Other experiences like setting up paint and painting at an easel are great ways to offer proactive regulatory input. Other activities like hollow blocks and filling containers to carry provide proprioceptive input. Vertical drawing on paper or white board is a great multi-sensory activity. Loose parts are an amazing way for children to have different tactile experiences and for children who like to organize and pick up tiny things to engage in their natural needs. And let’s not forget about drawing and play dough and play dough like activities (model magic, clay etc…) Always allowing for movement and moving freely helps children receive input or get our energies.
Now just to be clear, play can cause some children to become dysregulated. Sometimes if they engage in one type of bigger play like movement and running, it gets bigger and bigger and can get to an impulsive or out of control place. You need to know these children and channel the urges into something beneficial, or get to them before it gets there. However if it gets too big, we have a solution for that!
Sensory Tools
We use our sensory tools. When big body movement is needed and students start to crash into things and others we send them into the hallway to jump on the trampoline, sit in spin, rocker, tape on the floor, scoot, roll big bouncy balls, and use pool noodles for different things. These are also available at all times for these kids to engage in before it becomes an issue. They are also great for a child who needs it to regulate themselves before a meeting or quieter activity. We also incorporate sensory exercises like bear crawl, crab walks, wall pushes, heavy bin pushes, book carries, and tape obstacles on the floor. These are usually used during or before transition or quieter activities for those who need it.
We also have many other tools to use to help keep children regulated like headphones, cozy corners, pillows, enclosed spaces, fidgets, pop its, sensory bottles, sensory frames. And a wide variety of seating for meetings. When setting up a meeting I make sure there are places for children to lean or areas for children to spread out. We also have a variety of seats like rockers, stadium seats, spikey seats. We also use weighted pillows (only 5% of body weight so most kids need 1-2 lbs maximum) and chewy necklaces. You name it, we have it. If you need any of these items, grab them here on my Amazon Storefront. The children know all tools are to be asked for or given as needed. We talk often about how we all get what we need when we need it. The children can request, but they know it may not always be a yes. I take every situation on an as needed basis. Some kids see a tool being used and want it too. Some are appropriate and some are not once we get to know the students and their needs. This way they remain tools and become items children truly use to help regulate. Not just another fun material in the classroom.
Rest Time
We also use many of these during rest and the few times children need to calm and remain in a calmed state. While we always start with yoga and breathing and sometimes a story that includes both during rest, there are some children who need some tools after a certain amount of time. My favorite two youtube videos for calming; meditation and rainbow breathing. We use the first minute and a half of each respectively. This is where the weighted blankets, soft items, and fidgets really help. We have to remember that regulation strategies only last for a short period, about an hour or two, so children need to constantly engage in multi-sensory work to maintain an organized body state.
So much sensory information, but it is oh so important in running a classroom where children are honored and given what they need to succeed. Working on sensory regulation in proactive manners and having everything at your fingertips will allow you to also have a sensory smart classroom. It is highly important to me to offer this to my children at all times as I believe it is a part of honoring them and making the classroom space about them. Having a sensory smart classroom benefits them as well as the adults in the room. It helps them focus, engage and learn. Remember play is always the top tier of developmentally appropriate practice and as much play as possible is what we are aiming for. And the more play you have the more sensory experiences you can offer you children, allowing them to learn to regulate and remain regulated. Play offers authentic opportunities to see children in their most natural state and dive deep into what their needs are, especially for young children who cannot always express these needs.
More Info
If you are looking for more resources on this topic I love Jamie Chaves’ work. I have both of her books and they take you on a deep dive into this subject. Get her books here from my book list on my Amazon storefront.
Grab this Sensory Fillers for a Year pdf so you never have to think about filling your sensory table again. The best part?? No food fillers. So if you use food you have all the sensory ideas you need at your fingertips.
Disclaimer: I am not an OT, but many of these tools, tips, and ideas, I have gotten from my OTs, with support and supervision. Always seek appropriate advice for certified professionals.
