Foundations of Language and Literacy · Junior Infants

Active learning ideas

Sensory Words in Poetry

Active learning works well for sensory words in poetry because young children connect language to their senses through movement, objects, and play. When students touch, listen, and move while exploring words, they create stronger neural connections between vocabulary and real-world experiences.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Appreciation of Language
• NCCA: Primary - Vocabulary

• 20–35 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Chalk Talk
• 25 min · Pairs

Poem Hunt: Sensory Scavenger

Read a short poem aloud. In pairs, children circle words on printed copies that match senses: yellow highlighter for sight, blue for sound, etc. Pairs share one word per sense with the class.

What pictures do the words in this poem put in your head?

Facilitation Tip

Use Favorite Word Freeze to reinforce vocabulary by asking children to freeze when they hear a word that matches the sense you call out, like 'squishy' for touch.

What to look for

Provide students with a short poem. Ask them to circle three words they think describe something they can see, hear, or touch. Review their circled words together as a class, discussing why they chose them.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Chalk Talk
• 30 min · Small Groups

Sensory Box Match

Prepare boxes with objects like feathers or bells. Small groups draw sensory words from a poem and find matching items, describing why they fit. Groups present one match.

Can you find a word in this poem that describes something you can see, hear, or touch?

What to look for

Read a poem aloud and ask: 'Which word in this poem made you think of a yummy taste?' or 'Can you find a word that sounds like something you hear at playtime?' Encourage students to point to the word and explain their choice.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Chalk Talk
• 35 min · Whole Class

Build a Sensory Poem

Whole class brainstorms one word per sense. Teacher scribes on chart paper. Children add actions or sounds to illustrate, then chant the poem together.

Which word in this poem is your favourite, and why do you like it?

What to look for

Give each child a card with a picture of a common object (e.g., a fluffy cloud, a buzzing bee, a red apple). Ask them to write one sensory word on the back that describes the picture and to draw a small symbol next to it for the sense it relates to (e.g., an eye for sight, an ear for sound).

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Chalk Talk
• 20 min · Individual

Favorite Word Freeze

Individually, children choose a favorite sensory word from a poem and freeze in a pose showing it. Class guesses the sense and word, discussing why it fits.

What pictures do the words in this poem put in your head?

What to look for

Provide students with a short poem. Ask them to circle three words they think describe something they can see, hear, or touch. Review their circled words together as a class, discussing why they chose them.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by grounding lessons in concrete experiences before moving to abstract words. Avoid overwhelming students with too many new terms at once. Research shows that when children handle objects while discussing sensory words, retention improves significantly. Use repetition and peer sharing to build confidence in identifying and using these words.

Successful learning looks like students pointing to sensory words in poems, matching words to objects they can feel or taste, and creating simple poems using words that appeal to the senses. They should confidently explain why a word fits a specific sense with examples from their own lives.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Build a Sensory Poem, students may think all descriptive words are sensory.

  Provide a mix of sensory and non-sensory words (e.g., 'big,' 'red,' 'crunchy'). Have students sort them into two piles, then test each word by touching, tasting, or listening to confirm which pile is correct.

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Methods used in this brief

• Chalk Talk