The Importance of Developing the Child’s Sense of Touch in the Music Classroom

Sensory learning can be traced back to ancient Greek times, and the sense of touch holds multiple types of benefits for classroom music learning. Touch is also a prerequisite for children’s future intellectual and social development. Between ages three and seven, a child’s physical and perceptual development is in a formational stage. Despite challenges that can sometimes be associated with touch, for example, behavior issues, overcrowded classrooms, increased student needs related to touching, teacher liability, and spread of viral germs, tactile activities involving human touch and manipulatives can prepare students to play musical instruments, think abstractly, and achieve socioemotional competency. Human touch activities can foster self-awareness, awareness of others, and even empathy. This article examines past theories and practices involving tactile learning, discusses research findings relevant to music instruction, offers strategies and ideas for using tactile activities, and proposes a rationale for integrating tactile learning within general music instruction.