5-4-3-2-1

Great teaching isn’t just about what we say—it’s about how we help our students connect with their surroundings. When students feel overwhelmed or distracted, grounding them in the present moment can make a world of difference.

The end of a semester brings its own challenges: excitement, restlessness, and overstimulation. This is where the 5-4-3-2-1 activity can help. By focusing on their senses, students can find calm, re-center themselves, and get back on track.

Here’s how it works:

Ask students to notice:

• 5 things they see: Look around the room—what colors, shapes, or details stand out?
• 4 things they can touch: What textures are nearby? Their desk, their clothing, a pencil?
• 3 things they can hear: Listen closely—can they identify faint sounds or background noise?
• 2 things they can smell: Is there a noticeable scent? If not, what’s a smell they can imagine?
• 1 thing they can taste or remember tasting: What’s a flavor they’ve recently experienced?

Encourage students to take their time with each sense. This slows down their racing thoughts and grounds them in the present moment. Additionally, for students with sensory processing challenges or anxiety, this technique provides structure and predictability, reducing overwhelm. It’s especially useful during a busy season, when routines might feel a little chaotic.

Variations:

 Level Down:

• Provide Visual or Physical Prompts: Use a picture chart or real objects to guide each category (e.g., show images of common textures or sounds they might focus on).
• Shorten the Sequence: Instead of going through all five senses, reduce it to just two or three (e.g., “Tell me 2 things you see and 1 thing you can touch”).
• Pair Students with a Peer: For students who may feel overwhelmed, a partner can help scaffold the activity by offering suggestions or modeling responses.

Level Up:

• Incorporate Movement: Ask students to move to interact with their environment (e.g., touch a nearby object, point to a sound they hear).
• Add a Storytelling Component: After grounding, have students describe a short story or memory sparked by one of their observations.
• Extend to Group Sharing: Ask students to share one observation from each category with the class, practicing communication and building community.

For more sensory-friendly strategies and warmups, check out our Teaching Strategies course, designed to support students with disabilities in creative and engaging ways.