{"id":41040,"date":"2025-05-22T14:13:21","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T14:13:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.avenor.ro\/?p=41040"},"modified":"2025-05-22T14:13:21","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T14:13:21","slug":"learning-that-sticks-why-sensorial-experiences-matter-in-early-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.avenor.ro\/en\/blog\/learning-that-sticks-why-sensorial-experiences-matter-in-early-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning That Sticks: Why Sensorial Experiences Matter in Early Education"},"content":{"rendered":"

In early years education, the most profound and lasting learning does not come only from what children hear or see, but especially from what they feel, explore, and experience with all their senses. At Avenor, we believe that these multisensory experiences form the foundation of authentic learning, helping children to make sense of the world they are growing up in.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Tania R\u0103du\u021b\u0103, Deputy Head of Nursery (Greenfield) and Academic Learning Lead Nursery<\/i><\/b>, shares more with us about the importance of these sensory experiences and how we integrate them into our daily activities at the nursery.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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\"\"A few years ago, I took part in a workshop that began with a simple yet well-thought-out exercise. My colleagues and I were invited to reflect on a single word: <\/span>orange<\/span><\/i>. First, we thought about what came to mind when hearing it. Then we looked at an actual orange. Finally, we tasted it.<\/span><\/p>\n

The words flowed easily: <\/span>orange, sphere, juice, zest, bright.<\/span><\/i> But soon, deeper and more personal ones emerged: memories, <\/span>Christmas, family, tradition.<\/span><\/i> What began as a sensory prompt evolved into a powerful exercise in memory, imagination, and connection. A simple orange became a doorway \u2014 to feeling, to remembering, to meaning.<\/span><\/p>\n

This moment strengthened my belief in how powerful sensorial experiences are \u2014 not only for us as adults, but especially for the young children we work with every day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout my years at university, I learned about Jean Piaget\u2019s theory of cognitive development, which helped me understand why sensory experiences are so foundational to early learning. In the <\/span>Sensorimotor Stage<\/span><\/i> (birth to age 2), children construct knowledge through physical action and sensory exploration. As they enter the <\/span>Preoperational Stage<\/span><\/i> (ages 2\u20137), they begin to use language and symbols; however, these abstract ideas are still grounded in concrete, sensory-rich experiences.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Piaget, children build <\/span>schemas<\/span><\/i> \u2014 mental frameworks for understanding \u2014 by interacting directly with real materials and the physical world. In short, they learn by doing, feeling, and sensing.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Neuroscientists have shown that sensory input \u2014 especially smell and taste \u2014 is directly linked to the brain\u2019s emotional and memory centres.<\/span> That\u2019s why the scent of an orange can suddenly transport us to a holiday morning from years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

For children, this means that sensorial activities don\u2019t just stimulate the senses \u2014 they also shape how they feel, remember, and understand<\/span>. <\/b>Multisensory learning activates more of the brain<\/span>, <\/b>leading to stronger and longer-lasting learning.<\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, sensorial experiences are not a supplement to learning \u2014 they are the foundation of how learning takes root.<\/span><\/p>\n

At <\/span>Avenor<\/b>, our aim is to create memorable, meaningful learning experiences that connect the sensory with the emotional, and the physical with the cognitive. We believe these are the kinds of moments that stick \u2014 that shape understanding and build the deep, lasting learning Piaget described.<\/span><\/p>\n

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When a child rolls dough between their fingers, watches rain splash in puddles, or listens to the rhythm of a story, they are actively wiring their brain for learning. These aren\u2019t just play moments \u2014 they are purposeful, educational experiences that support:<\/span><\/p>\n