Creating Multi-sensory Environments

Book excerpt: The revised edition of this highly practical guide to creating and using multi-sensory environments is packed full of ideas for low-cost, easy-to-assemble multi-sensory environments suitable for children of varying ages and abilities. Each creative learning environment is designed to be constructed in a classroom or school hall, encouraging creative thinking and learning, and the development of social and emotional skills. Each environment idea is accompanied by suggestions for use for children with special educational needs. Key features of the revised edition include: Ideas for creating sensory experiences that stimulate all the sensory channels – auditory, visual, kinaesthetic, olfactory and gustatory Suggestions for extension or differentiation depending on student capability or time available A summary of the theory and background to multi-sensory learning, to allow you to adapt the suggested scenarios according to the needs of individual learners Although these activities will be of particular value for children with special educational needs or sensory impairments, they are more broadly designed to provide stimulating learning environments, as promoted in the themes and principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage guidance. This is an invaluable resource for teachers and other professionals in education.