Beyond sight: when learning becomes a hands-on experience
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We are used to thinking that we learn primarily by looking: at pages, images, diagrams. But when sight is not the main channel for accessing information, knowledge must find other paths. It becomes experience, passing through the body, touch, sound, and movement.
Multisensory learning starts from this awareness. It is not a simplified version of traditional teaching, but a different way of constructing knowledge. It changes the form of teaching: what is usually only visual becomes explorable, concrete, perceptible.
This article is based on a discussion with developmental psychologist Silvia Cambiaso, who works on educational pathways based on manipulable materials, experiential activities, and tools designed to be explored with multiple senses.
In her reflections and daily practice, the objective is clear: to transform theoretical concepts into concrete experiences, through objects to touch, situations to live, and activities that directly involve the child, thus making knowledge truly accessible and understandable.
Transforming the abstract into the concrete
Many school subjects remain difficult when conveyed only through verbal explanations or images. The multisensory approach intervenes precisely here: it does not change the content, but the way it is accessed.
When a concept can be touched, manipulated, and experienced with the body, it becomes more understandable and more stable in memory. Learning is no longer just listening or observing, but active participation.
Some examples
Exploring space with hands: tactile geographical maps
An emblematic example is geography. For those who cannot rely on sight, a traditional map can be a meaningless surface. Tactile geographical maps, on the other hand, allow for the exploration of space through direct contact.
Thanks to:
- reliefs that represent mountains and territories;
- different textures to distinguish surfaces and environments;
- boundaries perceptible to touch;
Space is no longer a drawing on paper, but a surface that can be physically traversed and understood.
The story that becomes experience: multisensory storytelling
Even the way we transmit stories and content can be profoundly transformed. Multisensory storytelling is based on the idea that understanding means living an experience.
The story takes shape through the coordinated use of:
- sounds and oral narration;
- tactile models representing characters or environments;
- symbolic objects to manipulate.
In this way, learning is no longer passive, but directly involves the listener. The story is constructed through sensory experience, fostering deep understanding and more effective memorization.
Reading with fingers: tactile narrative books
Among the most important tools for multisensory learning are tactile narrative books. These are texts designed to be explored with the hands, combining Braille writing and raised illustrations.
Reading thus becomes a physical experience: the story is not just heard or observed, but touched, followed, and discovered with the fingers, trace after trace. This approach stimulates imagination, strengthens narrative comprehension, and makes reading an active and participatory process.
Learning through play: the Braille letter bingo
Multisensory learning is also expressed through play. An example is the Braille letter bingo, an educational tool that combines tactile exploration and playful activity.
The method involves the use of cards with empty cells into which tactile tiles corresponding to letters are inserted. The recognition of graphic signs occurs through direct contact, transforming learning into a dynamic and engaging process.
Play thus becomes a space for shared discovery, capable of fostering skill acquisition in a natural way.
Inclusion that enriches everyone
An approach based on involving multiple senses is not only useful for people with visual impairments. Multisensory teaching demonstrates that true inclusion does not consist of isolating or differentiating, but in creating effective learning conditions for everyone.
Involving the body, movement, and manipulation of objects:
- makes complex concepts accessible;
- fosters understanding and memory;
- improves the educational experience of the entire group.
Inclusion thus becomes a shared value that enriches every learning journey.
Knowing through experience
When sight is not central, knowledge changes form. Touch, sound, movement, and interaction become primary channels for accessing knowledge.
There is no single correct way to learn. Making what is normally only visual tangible expands educational possibilities and makes pathways more accessible and concrete.
An approach that also inspires Myra Lab
This focus on direct experience and the centrality of touch also inspires the work of Myra Lab.
In the project, the relationship with materials and forms is not secondary: it is an integral part of the creative process. Tactile experience becomes a tool for expression and skill building, showing how contact with matter can generate knowledge, autonomy, and value.
From this perspective, the multisensory approach is not only about teaching. It is a way of designing experiences where accessibility is considered from the outset, as a structural element and not as a subsequent adaptation.