Sensology is the science of non-verbal sensations. It studies and develops the part of the brain that cannot express itself with words. (Carles Bayod Serafini)
How Can We Foster Sensology in Children?
The primary function of sensology is to provide tools for anchoring sensations in time, so that they can be observed, used, and reshaped if necessary. Children need to complement the knowledge they acquire with the sensations that this knowledge generates, in order to create connections between them and enhance their creativity. In doing so, they will relate more deeply to different areas of knowledge and to the arts.
The first and most important aspect this science considers in the education of our children is deep self-awareness, understanding themselves as unique individuals. To achieve this, there are six levels of learning designed to stimulate the whole brain through play:
- Feeling and Expressing Emotions
Children learn to feel through sensory games, as well as to express themselves and strengthen their ability to feel, express, and connect their emotions. It’s like a workout for sensitivity and creativity.
- Feeling and Expressing Themselves
At this second level, children begin to feel and express what they sense about themselves — both physically and mentally — with the aim of getting to know themselves and developing from who they truly are.
- Feeling Others and Empathising with Them
At this third level, children learn to sense and express their experiences of the people they interact with. They develop empathy, learning to feel others and integrate those connections into their lives.
- Feeling the Environment and Becoming Part of It
At this fourth level, children learn to sense their surroundings, to express them, and to engage in a kind of dialogue with them. They begin to discover aesthetics as an element of growth, creativity, and healing.
- Discovering School Subjects and Integrating Them Personally
At this fifth level, they learn to express and integrate subjects into their personal world, achieving much higher academic performance, avoiding school failure, and improving their emotional connection with the various class subjects.
- Feeling Art and Expressing Themselves Through It
This sixth level is dedicated to art. The science of sensations delves into the nature of art, its mechanisms of perception and expression, and its influence on childhood, helping children develop their ability to perceive and express it.
How to Apply Sensology?
Fundamentally, sensology is applied through sensory games, or ‘sensogames’, which stimulate, organise, and express the children’s entire non-verbal capacity, enriching their verbal and conceptual intelligence in the process.
Through sensogames, the different levels of learning we have discussed earlier are put into practice, as outlined in the book “Let’s Play to Feel”. Playing is what children enjoy most, even adults do, so learning through these activities should be a key aim of good teaching.
Carles Bayod Serafini
