Toddlers learn “naturally” from their personal experience or in interaction with their parents or carers. This learning has a socio-cultural connotation which may neglect part of reality or forget certain senses. Being open to early discoveries, even implicit ones, strengthens children’s ability to adapt to a world of many forms and cultures.
Let us take two examples.
It is noticeable that in our Western cultures, children are taught by saying “look” or “listen” but rarely “feel”. However, over the last thirty years, neuroscience has shown the importance of the sense of smell, and this for the human species as well. The sense of smell is primarily involved in eating (what we call “taste” is largely due to the sense of smell), but also in chemical communication between humans (body odours), particularly within the family, and finally in the identification of places and objects. Achieving an olfactory awakening first allows children to discover that they have a nose and can use it. Secondly, detecting and appreciating a smell requires concentration and memory, which is beneficial for all learning in this day and age when we switch from one occupation to another. Finally, as the sense of smell is an essential component of taste, exercising one’s nose can be a good way not only to appreciate food, but also to choose healthier and more biocompatible food.
Another example is hearing. We know that the ear of the newborn is open to the whole range of frequencies but that, from the end of the first year, the ear focuses on the mother tongue: a specialisation that makes the child efficient in understanding this language, and then in speaking it, but which, at the same time, reduces its generalist aptitudes. In this respect, French children are particularly disadvantaged because the French language extends over only two frequency ranges, one around 250 hertz (low), the other around 1500 hertz, unlike Russian children, whose language extends between 100 and 11000 hertz. French children therefore have difficulty learning music and foreign languages… except in a favourable environment.
You can help by financially supporting “5 senses for kids Foundation”.
This way, more projects can be carried out for the children, and the progress of discoveries will be faster. We are planning several projects during the year. Your help will make the difference in getting them done.
For online donations, we have chosen to use the secure payment platform HelloAsso.
You can also support the mission of “5 senses for kids Foundation” by implementing educational, cultural, social or scientific actions that contribute to the development of children by promoting multi-sensoriality as a fundamental basis for their development and their openness to the world. Themes, research and interactions are available on this site. Do not hesitate to share with us what you are doing, or simply your ideas.
“5 senses for kids Foundation” is a non-profit organisation. Funding is provided by private companies, through sponsorship, and by individual donations.
You can submit your project by clicking here :
“5 senses for kids Foundation” is non-governmental, non-political and non-denominational.
