Many children have difficulties with balance, poor spatial judgment and often suffer from learning and academic issues. These issues have been aggravated by a sedentary lifestyle fueled by an increasing reliance on technology and the recent pandemic where almost everyone is homeschooling and restricting outdoor activities.
The Soundsory program has been bringing about a change in this current lethargic climate. With its vast range of body movement exercises, the program is reinforcing the importance of always keeping kids fit and active.
Why move?
- Scientific studies have shown that children who are more active show better cognitive skill development, increased memorization and concentration than kids who do not engage in any activity.
- Experts concur that children need a hefty chunk of physical activity each day. Physical activity increases blood flow to the brain, thus keeping the mind focused and sharp. Having a clear state of mind is essential for better learning.
- In addition to building up robustness and endurance, the body plays a significant role in emotions and overall learning.
The Pyramid of Learning
The Pyramid of Learning represents a unique way of looking at how children grow and develop. It starts at the very bottom with the central nervous system and it works its way up through various stages of development.
Each level builds upon and with the previous level to develop behavior to adapt to and handle various situations, to be independent in daily living skills, and ultimately to learn! Let’s take a look at how these stages work –
1. Building sensory foundational skills
All development starts with our sensory systems. Our visual (vision), auditory (hearing), tactile (touch), proprioception (understanding where the body is in space), olfactory (smell), tactile (touch), and gustatory (taste). There is one particular system that is key for all the other systems because it collects information from all the other senses. That system is the vestibular system. These systems all work together under the guidance of the vestibular system to enable us to grow, learn, and develop. Soundsory has an emphasis on strengthening these foundational skills through the use of sound and movement that in the first place will impact the vestibular system and ultimately help the individual grow and improve academic learning.
2. Sensory and perceptual motor skill development
Continuously honing the skills achieved in the first stage leads to better sensory motor development. This stage builds up internal body awareness and improves its relationship to the other parts, brings about better balance, integrates primitive reflexes, helps with planning an action in response to sensory input and increases awareness of both sides of the body.
The next layer that develops is more refined motor skills and control. We are able to make more precise postural adjustments, have better eye hand coordination, better ocular motor control, visual spatial awareness, and use more advanced auditory language skills.
3. Learning, cognition and intellect
When all the previous layers that are built upon each other complete their development, we ultimately have the ability to think, react, adapt and learn.
How can Soundsory help?
The Soundsory program uses specially designed headphones and music to help that foundational part of our learning pyramid receive and process information better. Once these systems are processing information better the next layers in our pyramid are strengthened and developed.
We know how important the body is to learning, growth and development. While we use the headphones to help our sensory systems take in information better we then want to practice and use those abilities. Our exercises provide that opportunity. We created exercises that support the next layers of the pyramid from the use of both sides of our body, to reflex integration exercises to balance and postural challenges. All of these things come together to help the body and brain grow, become more efficient and learn.
Listening to music and engaging in movement-based activities has such a positive impact on your overall health and well-being. It boosts your mood, self-confidence and can bring about a feeling of happiness and contentment. Moving your body daily will help make you feel more optimistic and empowered, something that the Soundsory program strives to achieve.
