Understanding Interoception: The Eighth Sense in Home Education

“Your Child’s Made-Up Words Might Be Great Language Arts,” by Sarah Collins, Homeschool OT

One child once told me his brain felt “noodley.” Noodley isn’t exactly a word you’ll find on a traditional vocabulary list. But I didn’t want to correct him. I wanted to know more. What does a noodley brain feel like?

As we talked, his description started to make sense. He was connecting the overlapping strands of spaghetti he had recently eaten with the jumbled, confusing feeling he was experiencing in his brain. That’s a pretty sophisticated use of language.

Finding Words for What’s Happening Inside

Interoception is our sense of what is happening inside our bodies. When children pay attention to those internal signals, they also need language to describe them. A hand might feel:

Cold.

Sticky.

Tight.

Shaky.

Warm.

A head might feel heavy, foggy, buzzy, or even noodley.

There isn’t always one “right” adjective.

And that creates an interesting connection between body awareness and language arts.

Consider these two sentences:

“My hand touches the water.”

“My hand feels cold.”

In the first sentence, the child tells us what the hand is doing.

In the second, the child has to notice an experience and find an adjective to describe it.

Suddenly, adjectives aren’t simply words on a worksheet. They have a purpose.

Narration Can Happen Inside the Body, Too

Many homeschool families are already familiar with narration.

We read something and ask a child to tell us about it. We might ask what happened at the park or what they noticed during a science experiment.

We can extend that same curiosity to internal experiences.

“What did your hands notice?”

“How did your legs feel after that hike?”

“What happened to your breathing when you were running?”

You don’t need to turn those questions into a lesson. And you don’t have to supply better vocabulary when your child’s answer sounds unusual.

Get curious instead.

“Tell me more about that.”

Language Helps Us Share Our Experiences

We want children to develop rich language so they can describe characters, write interesting stories, and communicate their ideas.

But language also gives children a way to describe themselves.

Words can help them communicate an experience that no one else can see.

So the next time your child says their stomach feels jumpy, their legs feel wiggly, or their brain feels noodley, don’t worry about whether they’ve chosen the adjective you would have used.

Ask them to tell you more.

You may be practicing language arts without ever opening a workbook.

I recently explored this fascinating connection between interoception and language with occupational therapist Kelly Mahler on The OT is IN podcast.

Sarah Collins, founder of HomeschoolOT

About Sarah Collins, MSOT, OTR/L, occupational therapist, homeschool mom, author, and founder of HomeschoolOT. With more than 17 years of experience supporting children and families, she helps parents understand how learning, movement, sensory processing, executive functioning, and daily life skills work together.

Since beginning her own homeschool journey in 2017, Sarah has combined her professional expertise with real-life experience, helping families create learning environments that honor each child’s unique strengths and challenges. Through HomeschoolOT and The OT is IN podcast, she shares practical strategies that help parents move beyond curriculum choices and better understand how their children learn best.

Sarah believes that homeschooling is not about recreating school at home. It is about helping children grow into capable, confident learners while building strong family relationships along the way.

Learn more: homeschoolot.com