How the Five Senses Prepare Children and Youth to Understand the Brain

Posted On: March 13, 2026

Children and youth live in a world filled with constant stimulation, emotional overload, and impulsive decisionmaking. BrainWise CPR’s first‑response skills begin by having children identify problems they and others face, then segue to the five senses to help them connect real‑life experiences with their brain.

Learning about the five senses is the brain’s first line of information — the “sentinels” that alert us to what is happening around us –

that helps children understand how to use their brain to protect them. Before children can understand how the brain learns, changes, and builds thinking skills, they need to understand how information gets into the brain in the first place. This is where their body steps in.

Research on the Sense of Touch.

In 2021, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Dr. David Julius and Dr. Ardem Patapoutian for discovering how molecular sensors in the skin and nerves activate when we touch something, feel temperature changes, or experience pain. Their research identified the exact receptors that allow the nervous system to detect heat, cold, and pain and convert physical experiences into electrical signals that travel to the brain.

This research supports the approach the BrainWise program takes to teach children thinking skills. Although Julius and Patapoutian focused on touch, scientists agree that all senses follow the same basic pathway taught in BrainWise.

From Sensory Signals to Neuroplasticity.

Once students understand this sensory‑to‑brain pathway, they are ready for the next step: learning how the brain can change. Teaching the five senses first gives children a concrete, relatable foundation: “Here’s how information gets into your brain.” Then, with Eric Kandel’s research, BrainWise adds: “Here’s how learning and practicing the 10 Wise Ways strengthens the pathways you need to make wise decisions.”

Together, these two pieces of science help students understand not only what their brains do, but also why they must practice thinking skills to build the neural pathways that support wise decisions.

Learn more at: https://conta.cc/4aVwyWv

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