By LAURA BROOKHART / Community Columnist

We now know that children learn best when all the senses are addressed — when they see it and hear it and interact kinesthetically — they absorb the information in a meaningful way that allows better retention.

As I passed through the halls at Helena Intermediate School, I could see that our teachers are using just such approaches in creative ways. I was drawn in by a grouping called “My Favorite Outfit” in which each student in Mrs. McCoy’s class wrote a page using descriptive words and illustrated it with a self-portrait.

Some of my favorites were:

Meagan A. wrote: “I have a favorite outfit and I wish I could wear it everyday, but it has to be washed. It is a short-sleeved blue shirt that is the color of the beach water in the mornings in Florida. I wear it with a white ruffled skirt with doodles in every direction.”

Erik B. wrote: “I will tell you all about my favorite outfit that has a speaker on it and a guitar. The background . . . has bricks and painted stuff and the speaker is in the midst. My outfit feels warm, like my mom’s hands. It is a little big for me but that’s the way I like it.­­”

Mary C. wrote: “My favorite outfit is a dress. The top is lime green with flowers. It has long sleeves. The skirt has stripes. My favorite outfit is soft and it is perfect for winter because it is long . . . and feels warm. It is like I just finally got into something comfortable.”

“It smells like air. Yes, air. See, it smells like nothing, but I would like it to smell like flowers. I like it because my mom made it.”

Michael H. wrote: “My favorite outfit is my baseball jersey and jeans. The jersey is green and says Helena. On the back it says Higgins # 7. I like the smell of my outfit because it smells like a baseball field.”

Peyton O. wrote: “My favorite outfit is a navy blue Atlanta Braves shirt. It says Braves in bright red with a tomahawk. On the back it says Heyward and #22. I wear it with my comfy blue jeans shorts. My socks are pink, purple and zebra stripes. My outfit feels just right.”

Ashley R. described her boots as feeling like “having a bunny rabbit with fur on my foot” and as I donned my (faux) Uggs when the weather changed, I knew just what she meant!

 

Laura Brookhart can be reached by email at labro16@yahoo.com.