Tactile learning is important for strong childhood development. When we talk about senses, we often overlook the importance of touch, but our sense of touch opens the world to us. It’s the central interface between our bodies and the outside world.
For preschoolers, tactile learning and touch is essential for their growth in physical abilities, cognitive and language skills, and even social emotional development. Research has proven that positive touch is associated with enhanced learning, language processing, improved problem solving and increased physical recovery speeds in children as well as adults.
Many children learn through tactile experiences, especially when they are young. For preschoolers, tactile development relates to the challenges of sensory, pencil grip, handwriting, picky eating, fine motor, and social emotional development. Tactile learning provides your child with activities and exercises to build your child’s sense of touch, aid in speech/language development, emotional grounding, social skills, cognitive growth and problem solving.
There are many ways to learn through touch. These can be especially helpful if you determine, as your child ages, that he or she is a tactile learner rather than an auditory or visual learner. As you expose your child to objects, you can contrast the feel to help them build a frame of reference. Soft or hard? Cold or hot? Wet or dry? Stable or unstable? Smooth or rough? These are just some examples of the way touch provides critical sensory input to help with development.
For fun activities at home consider play-doh, slim, and new foods which also help to strengthen your child’s hands and fingers which aids in handwriting. For more ideas for tactile/sensory activities, VISIT The Inspired Tree House.
