Maryam Raqeeb

Roll No. D14399

PAKISTAN MONTESSORI COUNCIL

EXERCISES OF SENSORIAL DEVELOPMENT
ASSIGNMENT MODULE (3)

Question no.1
Write a comprehensive on the important of sensorial exercises?

Importance of Sensorial Exercises

The importance and aim of Sensorial exercises are for the child to acquire clear,
conscious, information and to be able to then make classifications in his environment. It is
believed that sensorial experiences began at birth. Through his senses, the child studies his
environment. Through this study, the child then begins to understand his environment. The
child is a “sensorial explorer”. Through work with the sensorial materials, the child is given
the keys to classifying the things around him, which leads to the child making his own
experiences in his environment. Through the classification, the child is also offered the first
steps in organizing his intelligence, which then leads to his adapting to his environment.

Different Grouping in Senses

Sensorial Exercises were planned to cover every quality that can be apparent by the
senses such as size, shape, composition, texture, loudness or softness, matching, weight,
temperature, etc. Because the Exercises cover such a wide range of senses, Montessori
categorized the Exercises into different groups:

(1) Visual Sense. In this exercise child learns how to visually discriminate
differences between similar objects and differing objects.

(2) Tactile Sense. In this exercise child learns through his sense of touch.
“Although the sense of touch is spread throughout the surface of the body, the
Exercises given to the children are limited to the tips of the fingers, and particularly,
to those of the right hand.” This allows the child to really concentrate on what he is
feeling, through a concentration of a small part of his body.

(3) Baric Sense. In this exercise child learns to feel the difference of
pressure or weight of different objects. This sense is sharp through the use of a
blindfold or of closing your eyes

(4) Thermic Sense. In this exercise child works to enhance his sense of
temperature.

(5) Auditory Sense. In this exercise child differentiate between different

sounds. In doing these different exercises, the child will enhance and make him more
sensitive to the sounds in his environment.

(6) Gustatory Sense. In this exercise child is given a basic to his tasting
sense. Although not all tastes are given to the child in these exercises, the child does
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work to differentiate one taste from another. He can then take these senses, and apply
them to other tastes in his environment.

Need of Sensorial Exercises

It is possible for children, to receive any number of sensory impressions and be none
the richer. Sense impressions are not enough by themselves; the mind needs education and
training to be able to discriminate and appreciate. Montessori materials help the child to
distinguish, to categorize, and to relate new information to what he already knows. Dr.
Montessori believed that this process is the beginning of conscious knowledge. It is brought
about by the intelligence working in a concentrated way on the impressions given by the
senses.

Sensorial materials are self-correcting to allow independent use, they foster muscular
development which lays the foundation for writing skills, and they are produced to precise
metric tolerances. Correct terminology (binomial cube, isosceles triangle) and mathematically
exact relationships enrich the child's experience so that abstract concepts may attach to
familiar reality.

Question no.2

What is Stereognosticsense and how can we develop it?

Answer.

By doing different kinds of Stereognostic exercises, the child can recognize things by
touching/feeling them in his hands. Different materials are used to develop this sense such
as, Geometric solids, Mystery bags, Sorting Trays, Puzzle maps, and Sandpaper Globe.

How to develop Stereognostic sense

Stereognosticsense is very important sense as it helps children to discriminate

between different size and shape by feeling the objects. It allows children to make a mental
picture through the use of touch the object.

These activities are first done with open eyes but afterwards child feels the object by
blindfold. There are a lot of exercises which can be done to develop Stereognosticsense. The
directress does all exercises in front of the children.

Activities.

(1) Sorting trays

(a) Material

(i) A tray with three bowls or dishes.

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(ii) Small dishes are filled with buttons and beans; one type in each bowl.
(iii) One large dish will be placed empty in the middle of the tray.
(iv) Material should be different in shapes and size.

(b) Presentation

(i) Place tray in front of the child.

(ii) Pick up one of the largest item in the bowl and close eyes and feel it by
using both hands. And tell child that it feels different when the directress
closes her eyes.
(iii) Then ask child to feel the object with his eyes opened and closed. And
place it in the large empty dish.
(iv) Repeat it again for other items.
(v) The child first checks all these things by their hands and feels them.
Introduce names of each item.
(vi) Then child closes his eyes or used blindfold, again feel the items,
named it, and then put it into the second tray.
(vii) Then ask child to open his eyes and sees how perfectly he has done.
(viii) Invite children to repeat it.

Question no.3

Write a note on Three Period lesson and memory games?

Answer.

Three period lessons are used for teaching new words to the Montessori children. The
directress teaches both names of material and the names of qualities (positive, comparatives
and superlative) related to the material. The three period lessons are;

(1) Naming period

(2) Recognition and Association Period

(3) Pronouncing Period

Naming period

The directress presents the child with three contrasting objects, and places them on a
mat leaving some distance between them. Then, she feels the objects thoroughly one at a
time. Then she asks the child to repeat as she does. After the child has felt these objects and
placed them back. Then she places her finger on a tip of the object and gives name
saying “this is___________.” For instance this is cube. She gives names to all objects in the
same way. Then, the teacher will repeat the names of each of the objects.

Recognition and Association Period

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After naming the objects, the directress will ask her students to recognize objects by
their names … saying,” Show me ______ “. For example show me the cube.

Pronouncing period

When the directress is sure that the child can name the object, then she challenges the
child to name the object himself. For instance, she may point out the object and ask “what is
this” the child answers “This is cube.”

In the three period lessons, there are three grading lesson and that are Positives,
comparative and superlative. Here taking an adjective to explain these periods.

Grading Positives Comparatives Superlatives

First Period This is big cube This cube is bigger This cube is biggest.
than this.
Second Period Show me the big cube. Show me the cube Show me the biggest
which is slightly cube.
bigger than this book.
Third Period What is this? Which cube is Which cube is
bigger? biggest?

Memory Games

Memory games can be introduced to children before and after the three period
lessons. These games are helpful for children to bring interest in those materials that they
already know very well. It is child’s nature to lose interest in the materials that he knows very
well and memory games help them to build interest back in known material.
Children need to revise his lesson again and again which they have already learnt. These
games help them to learn their activities and materials which they have been learnt. These
games also help to motivate students in discovering variations in materials.

These games help the teacher to verify the child’s language of the material as well as
these games prolong the activity with the material which result a stronger absorption by the
child.

(1) Stereognostic

(a) It should be done in the group.

(b) Children sit in the circle around a mat.
(c) Then directress gives them material in their hands (for instance one
cube of the pink tower to each student).
(d) Then children hold cube behind their back and feel them.
(e) Then directress asks for the largest cube and it should be placed on the
mat.
(f) Children judge the cube size and place it on the mat.

(2) Material to the environment

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(a) Spread out the mat and place the material for instance color tablets on
the mat randomly.
(b) The directress takes tablets and asks her students to figure out
something in the environment of that same color and shade.

(3) Matching at the distance

(a) Spread out the mat and place the material for instance color tablets on
the mat randomly.
(b) The directress gives something to child from the environment and asks
her student to match it to the closest match in the material on the mat.

To sum up, three period lessons and memory games have a great importance in the
Montessori school. They are really helpful in teaching Montessori students.

Question no.4

Explain all exercises briefly in chapter 4.1 Exploring dimensions. Make illustrations/
diagrams and mention vocabulary too.

Answer.

Exercises

(1) The cylinder blocks

(a) Materials. 4 blocks each contain 10 cylinders with knobs, each

cylinder fitting into its respective hole.

(i) Block 1: The cylinders vary in two dimensions: The diameter

increases from 1cm to 5.5cm, the height remains constant at 5.5cm.
(ii) Block 2: The cylinders vary in three dimensions: The diameter
increases from 1c, to 5.5cm, the height increases from 1cm to 5.5cm.
(iii) Block 3: The cylinders vary in three dimensions: The diameter
increases from 1cm to 5.5cm, the height decreases from 1cm to 5.5cm.
(iv) Block 4: The cylinders vary in one dimension: The diameter
remains the same. The height increases from 1cm to 5.5cm.

(b) Exercise

(i) Take consent of a child.

(ii) The directress begins exercises with holding the knob of the
first cylinder.
(iii) Remove and place it on the table without making any noise.
(iv) When she is done, she will select the largest and return it to its
place it to its appropriate hole without making any noise.
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(v) After completing her presentation, she will ask children to do

the exercise.
(vi) After doing block 1, then he should be presented with 2, 3
blocks.

(c) Vocabulary

(i) Block 1: Thick and Thin

(ii) Block 2: Large and Small
(iii) Block 3: No language because no dimension is isolated
(iv) Block 4: Tall and Short. The positives, comparatives, and
superlatives.
(v) Exercise 2: The Pink Tower:

(2) The pink tower

(a) Material. Ten wooden cubes varying in sizes from 1 cubic

centimeter to 1 cubic decimeter.

(b) Exercise

(i) Select a mat and spread it on the floor.

(ii) Take the consent of the child.
(iii) If the directress is right handed, the child should stand on the
left side of her.
(iv) Hold the largest cube and move it closer to other cubes and
figure out the sizes of the cubes.
(v) Place the biggest one on the mat and then look for the second
biggest.
(vi) Place second biggest cube on the biggest one.
(vii) Compare and place all the remaining cubes in the same way.
(viii) Now, place both hands on the sides of the biggest cube and
move slowly upward. The purpose of doing this to give the idea to
child about the tower that gradually it becomes narrow.

(c) Vocabulary

(i) Cube
(ii) Large, small
(iii) Large, larger, largest.
(iv) Small, smaller, smallest.

(3) The Knobless Cylinders

(a) Material.

(i) Yellow Cylinders (Big-Small) Vary in height-diameter

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(ii) Green Cylinders (Deep-Shallow) Vary in height-diameter

(iii) Red Cylinders (Thick-Thin) Vary in diameter
(iv) Blue Cylinders (Tall-Short) Vary in height

(b) Exercise

(i) Directress use table or mat for this.

(ii) Teach the child how to open the lid of the box of cylinders.
(iii) Place all cylinders randomly on table.
(iv) Hold the largest cylinder with hand compares with others and
put it on the center of the table.
(v) Take the slightly shortest cylinder compare with others; put it
carefully without any mistake at the top of the first cylinder on the
middle of it.
(vi) Repeat it until all cylinders finished and tower build.

(c) Vocabulary

(i) Large, small

(ii) Large, larger, largest
(iii) Small, smaller, Smallest
(iv) Thick, thin
(v) Thick, thicker, thickest
(vi) Thin, thinner, thinnest
(vii) Tall, short
(viii) Tall, taller, tallest
(ix) Short, shorter, shortest

Question no.5

How does Montessori program help develop tactile?

Answer.

In Tactile sense child learns to perceive his world via touch. For young children, the
sense of touch is a key to understanding the world around them. Encourage touch and
exploration, discussing what your child is touching. Is it "rough" or "smooth"? Is it "bumpy"
or "silky"? Use rich descriptive words that will teach your child the language to describe what
he feels. It is to be remembered that these games are of the greatest importance in the method,
because upon them, in union with the exercises for the movement of the hand, we base the
acquisition of writing.

Tactile Exercises are divided into four classifications:

Sense Classifications Different Exercises

Exploring Textures: Touch Board, Touch Tablets, Touch the Fabric
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Exploring Weight: Baric Tablets

Tactile Sense Exploring Temperatures: Thermic Bottles, Thermic Tablets
Exercises of Stereognostic Sorting Trays, Mystery Bags, Puzzle Maps,
Sense: Sandpaper Globe

How Montessori program help to develop Tactile Sense

In Montessori program, materials such as the Rough and Smooth (Touch) Boards,
Touch Tablets, and Fabric Box are some of the first touch materials that child will use. Look
for fabric, wood, different grades of sandpaper, different types of paper, and other materials
that help your child learn about the language and explore the experience of touch.

(1) Exploring Textures: Touch Tablets

(a) Materials. One box having five pairs of wooden tablets with
gradations of roughness. A blindfold.

(b) Procedure

(i) Take out two to three pairs with greater contrast and put it on
the table.
(ii) Mix them and then pick one tablet at a time feel it in hand,
lightly stroke it and then put aside.
(iii) Tell the child “I am going to find the one which is just like
this”.
(iv) Find the other tablet and put it with previous one. Allow child
to feel the similarity.
(v) Repeat this exercise with all the rest tablets. Now again repeat
this exercise while using blindfold. Now again mix the tablets and
allow child to do this himself.

Here child learn a tactile sense to differentiate between rough and smooth. The
blindfold will help the child to focus on his attention upon one sense. Children learn
the vocabulary by three period-lesson. Vocabulary: rough and roughest. Directress
plays five memory games with the child.

(2) Exploring Temperature: Thermic Bottles

(a) Materials. Four pairs of metal containers, each pair containing

water at various temperatures.Bottle Pair 1: 37°(Room temperature), Bottle
Pair 2: 27°(tap water), Bottle Pair 3: 17°(Refrigerated water), Bottle Pair 4:
47°(warm water), Cool refrigerator water, tap water.

(b) Procedure
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(i) Directress prepares bottles.

(ii) Take out first set of bottles have the child feel the bottles one at
a time. Tell the child that “I am finding the bottle which has the same
temperature”. Put bottles in a line and let the child take the bottles and
feel it.
(iii) Repeat with second set, third and fourth. Mix them and line up
and let the child do it by himself under directress supervision.

Here child learn a tactile sense to differentiate between different temperatures.

Children learn the vocabulary by three period-lesson.Vocabulary: Hot and cold.
Directress plays five memory games with the child.

Question no.6

Prepare material of smell bottles and mystery bag.

Answer.

(1) Smell Bottles material for excercise

Picture 1:(things to be used)

6 different colors bottles having holes upward
3 different smells bottles

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Picture 4:(Cotton balls are in bottles)

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(2) Mystery Box material for excercise

Picture 5:Mystery bag

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Picture 5:Things inside Mystery Bag