3/20/2019

Exercises of Sensorial
Development
PMC Module 03

Atia tul Musawer

ROLL # D-14025
Question # 01 Write a comprehensive note on the importance of sensorial exercises?

Since a child naturally uses all his powers of observation during his early years, this is the ideal time
to give the child equipment which would sharpen his senses and enable him to understand the
many impressions he receives through them. Sensorial comes from the words sense or senses. As
there are no new experiences for the child to take from the Sensorial work, the child is able to
concentrate on the refinement of all his senses.
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 eight different groups:

1) Visual Sense
2) Tactile Sense
3) Baric Sense
4) Thermic Sense
5) Auditory Sense
6) Olfactory Sense
7) Gustatory Sense
8) Stereognostic Sense

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 using 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. Olfactory Sense: In this exercise child is given a basic to his smelling sense. Although not all
smells given to the child in these exercises, the child does work to differentiate one smell
from another.
7. 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 work to differentiate one
taste from another. He can then take these senses, and apply them to other tastes in his
environment.
8. Stereognostic Sense: In this exercise child learns to feel objects and make recognitions
based on what he feels. “When the hand and arm are moved about an object, an
impression of movement is added to that touch. Such an impression is attributed to a
special, sixth sense, which is called a muscular sense, and which permits many impressions
to be stored in a “muscular memory”, which recalls movements that have been made”.

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 # 02 What is stereo gnostic sense and how can we develop it?

It is the combination of tactile and muscular memory in which a child can recognize things by just
feeling it. As Montessori says;

“When the hand and arm are moved about an object, an impression of movements added to the
touch. Such an impression is attributed to a special, sixth sense, which is called a muscular sense,
and which permits many impressions to be stored in a “muscular memory” , which recalls
movements that have been made”

By doing different kinds of sterognostic 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:

Stereognostic sense 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 using 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 Stereognostic sense. The directress does
all exercises in front of the children.

1. Exercise: Sorting trays:

Material:

✓ A tray having four or more saucers

✓ Each saucer contains different kind of grains, seeds, beans, peas, rice, lentils etc. separately
✓ One large dish will be placed empty in the middle of the tray.

Exercise:

1. Place tray in front of the child.

2. Pick up one of the largest items 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.
3. Then ask child to feel the object with his eyes opened and closed. And place it in the large
empty dish.
4. Repeat it again for other items.
5. The child first checks all these things by their hands and feels them. Introduce names of
each item.
6. Then child closes his eyes or used blindfold, again feel the items, named it, and then put it
into the second tray.
7. Then ask child to open his eyes and sees how perfectly he has done.
8. Invite children to repeat it.

2. Exercise: Mastery bag:

Material:

✓ A bag that has a drawstring to hide the contents.

✓ 10 to 20 small objects different from one another such as, a key, a cotton ball, a button, a
small basket etc.

Presentation:

1. Ask the child to come and work with you.

2. Show and tell the name of mystery bag to students.
3. Ask them to sit in the semi-circle.
 4. Take all objects out of bag and place them on the table and ask children to handle them in
their hands if they wish to do so. When they get familiar to the objects, and then put them
back in the bag.
5. Then put one hand into the bag and feel an object and tell children about what you feel,
for instance, soft, fluffy, light, etc. also name the object in a loud voice, i.e. I think this is a
ball.
6. Then, pull the object out of the bag and checked whether you were right or wrong. If right
then say, yes! That’s right.
7. Repeat it with all children till all objects are done.

3. Exercise: Mastery bag:

Material:

✓ A world Globe
✓ Sand Papers

Presentation:

1. A world Globe with land areas covered with sandpaper and water are with blue paint.
2. Child holds the globe and calls its name.
3. Child point to the sandpaper area and says “This is land”, the point to blue area and say
“This is water”.
4. Feel another area on the globe and repeat where land is and where water is.

To sum up, stereognostic sense exercises are very helpful for children to develop Stereognostic
Sense.

Question # 03 Write a note on three period-lesson and memory games?

Three period lessons are used throughout the Montessori environment to help introduce a new
lesson or concept and lead the children along a path to understanding and mastery. However, in
language they are used to increase, enrich and broaden a child's vocabulary.

The Three Period Lesson is to be given after the child has had much experience with the material
itself. The Three Period-Lesson are:

1. Naming Period
2. Recognition and Association Period
3. Pronouncing Period

Begin this learning, by putting three contrasting objects on a table in front of a child. For
example, a block of, circle, square and triangle.
1. Naming Period:
✓ This period is overall rather short as it simply involves giving the object a name.
✓ Directress point to the first object and say circle.
✓ Repeat names several times clearly and slowly. Also make small sentences like “This is a
circle”.
✓ Child observed the object hold it in his hand feels it.

2. Recognition and Association Period:

✓ This period is much longer then the first one.
✓ Rearrange the objects and ask the child to show you.
✓ Ask child to “Show me the circle”, or “Put your finger on the triangle”.
✓ Rearrange the objects and again ask these questions.

3. Pronouncing Period:
✓ When directress sure that child remember all the objects plus their names in to his long-term
memory, than this period starts. This is a testing period.
✓ Directress challenges the child to name the object himself.
✓ Point out to one object and ask, “What is this?”
✓ If child fails to tell any name, casually end the lesson without making the child feel as though
he is failed. For this repeat second period.

There is the Three Period-Lesson for grading an object positively, comparatively, and
superlatively. Here taking an adjective to explain these periods.

Grading Positives Comparatives Superlatives

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

Memory Games: Memory games are to be introduced to the child when the child’s interest in the
materials is fading and to bring new interest to the material the child already know very well. These
games could also be shown to bring the older to revisit the material and can be given before or
after the three period-lesson is given, depending on the game itself.

Purposes of Memory Games:

1. To prolong the activity with the material, this will assure a stronger absorption by the child.
2. The games work as a motivation in discovering more variations of the material.
3. To help directress verify the child’s language of the material.
4. To bridge the work of quantity and to allow the child to discover the quality of the materials in
the word around him.

Game 1: Matching at a Distance: Two different tables placed with a distance.

✓ Take a pair of material and put one on each table.
✓ Directress takes one of the objects from one table and offer child to feel it by holding in his
hand.
✓ Directress asks the child to bring the same object from the distant table. Repeat this until all
pair of material matched correctly.

Game 2: Grading from a Distance: Two different tables placed with a distance. Placed a grading
material like pink tower randomly on one table.

From an Extreme:
✓ Pick up one of the extremes like the largest one. Put it on the second table.
✓ Ask the child to bring the slightly smallest of it and put it on the second table.
✓ Complete this exercise after child put all the blocks on second table from largest to smallest.

From Midpoint (For this game child must have the vocabulary)
✓ Pick up one of the middle of the block from it. Put it on the second table.
✓ Ask the child to bring the slightly smallest then largest of it and put it on the second table.
✓ Complete this exercise after child put all the blocks on second table from largest to smallest.

Game 3: Stereognostic:
✓ Play this game with a group of children, who are sitting around a round table/ mat.
✓ Directress gives Pink tower block to each child. Children hide them at their back while holding
them in hand.
✓ Directress asks for the largest block. Children feel them and put it on the table.
✓ Repeat this until complete tower blocks placed from largest to smallest.

Game 4: Material to the Environment:

✓ In this game materials are related from environment. (Color tablets/ shades, geometric
shapes/ solids etc.)
✓ Place a mat, put the material on the mat e.g. color tablets.
✓ Directress point to one of the colors and ask children to find something from the
environment which is of that color.
✓ Repeat this for all the colors and shades.

Game 5: Environment to the Material:

✓ This is similar to the above game but opposite in directions.
✓ Place a mat, put the material on the mat e.g. color tablets.
✓ Directress point to one of the colors from the environment and ask children to find the
same color from the color tablets.
✓ Repeat this for many of the colors and shades.
 Question # 04 Explain all exercises briefly in chapter 4.1, Exploring Dimensions. Make
illustrations/diagrams and mention vocabulary also.

Exploring dimensions group come under the visual exercises. As visual exercises are an important
part of the sensorial development. In this group, exploring dimensions, the child learns how to
discriminate between objects having similar shapes and colors but varying in length, width, height
or thickness. Below are the few exercises

1. The Cylinder Blocks

2. The Pink Tower
3. The Broad Stairs
4. The Long Rods
5. The knob less Cylinders

Exercise 1: The Cylinder Blocks

Material:

✓ Four finely polished wooden blocks each having ten cylinders. Cylinders have knob to
hold.
Block 1 Cylinders Block 2 Cylinders Block 3 Cylinders Block 4 Cylinders
Vary in height, length and Vary in height, length and Same height of 5.5cm Same diameter of 2.5 or 3
diameter, 5.5cm to 1cm diameter by ½ cm (5.5cm cm
to 1cm)
Largest one is tallest and Height increases by Diameter decreases by Height decreases by
thickest 0.5cm (from 1cm to 0.5cm (from 5.5cm to 0.5cm (from 5.5cm to
5.5cm) 1cm) 1cm)

Exercise 01:

In this exercise directress guide the child how to hold the cylinder from the knob and then put it
into the table. After bringing all the cylinders from Block 1 to the table, directress put each cylinder
back into the block without making noise. Repeat this exercise with Block 2 and 3. When few
children mastered in these three blocks after that Block 4 introduce.

Exercise 02:

In this exercise directress guide the child how to use two blocks at a time. Mix cylinders and then
put them back to their right position

Exercise 03:

In this exercise directress guide the child how to use three blocks at a time while placing them in
a triangular shape. Mix cylinders and then put them back to right position
 Exercise 04:

When child mastered with all three blocks then directress guide the child how to use all blocks at
a time. Placed all blocks on table in shape of square. Mix the cylinders inside the square and then
put them back into their right position.

Exercise 2: The Pink Tower

Materials:

✓ Ten wooden cubes from the size of 1cubic centimeter to 1cubic decimeter. Cubes may be
finely painted with pale pink or plain wooden finely lacquered. Strong pink color avoided.

Exercise 01:
In this exercise directress use table or mat for this, place all cubes on it. First hold the biggest cube
with both hands compares with others and put it on the table. After that, take the second biggest
cube compare with other cubes; put it carefully without any mistake on the middle of the first
cube. Repeat it until all cubes finished and a tower build. Now place both hands on the sides of
the tower, slowly move hands upward aside the tower, hands join each other at the top of the
tower. When child mastered this exercise introduce him the second one.

Exercise 02:

In this exercise directress make the tower exactly the same way just like in exercise 1, but this time
the cubes are placed on the one corner side of the previous one. This shows that one side of the
tower is straight. The smallest cube first place at the top of the bottom cube and with the help of
index finger pushed it to the top of tower. This helps the child to differentiate the sizes.

Exercise 03:

In this exercise directress make a tower horizontally on the table. Place the largest cube on the
right-hand side. Place the second cube very carefully in the center of the previous cube. Repeat it
with all cubes.

Exercise 3: The Broad Stairs

Materials:

✓ Ten brown wooden prisms having same length of 20cm but vary in height and width from1
cm to 10 cm.

Prism 1 Prism 2 Prism 3………… Prism 10

Length 20 cm 20 cm 20 cm …………. 20 cm
Width 1 cm 2 cm 3 cm …………… 10 cm
Height 1 cm 2 cm 3 cm …………… 10 cm
 Exercise 01:

In this exercise directress use table or mat for this, place all prisms randomly on it. First hold the
largest and thickest prism with both hands compares with others and put it on the table. After
that, take the second largest and thickest prism compare with other prism; put it carefully without
any mistake aside of first prism. No space between the prisms left, if there is space slightly pushed
second one towards the first. Repeat it until all prisms finished and a horizontal stair build. Now
pass hand over the stairs from biggest and thickest to the narrowest. When child mastered this
exercise introduce him the second one.

Exercise 02:

In this exercise directress build the stairs just like exercise 1 but for showing child the difference
of the height of the smallest prism, she hold each step of the stair from index finger of both hands
and slightly move it, then again place it to proper position.

Exercise 4: The Long Rods

Materials:

✓ Ten wooden rods usually painted red having height and width constant and length
increased by 10cm, shortest have 10cm and longest one is
100cm.

Exercise 01:

In this exercise directress use mat for this, place all rods horizontally and randomly on it. First hold
the smallest rod with both hands compares with others and put it on the left of the mat. After
that, take the slightly longer rod compare with other rods; put it carefully without any mistake
aside of first rod. Repeat it until all rods finished. The shortest rod near to the directress and the
longest rod farthest on mat.

Exercise 02:

In this exercise directress arrange the rods as in exercise 1. Hold the smallest rod with the index
finger of both hands and place it aside with other rods just to compare its length.

Exercise 5: The knob less Cylinders

Materials:

Four sets of wooden cylinders.

Yellow Cylinders Green Cylinders Red Cylinders Blue Cylinders

Big-Small Deep-Shallow Thick-Thin Tall-Short
 Vary in height-diameter Vary in height-diameter Vary in diameter Vary in height
Exercise 01:

In this exercise directress use table or mat for this. First teach the child how to open the lid of the
box of cylinders. Then place all cylinders randomly on table. First hold the largest cylinder with
hand compares with others and put it on the center of the table. After that, 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. Repeat it until all cylinders finished and tower build.

Exercise 02:

Directress may put cylinders in a row for grading them.

Extension Exercises with Pink Tower and Broad Stairs:

Materials:

✓ Pink Tower, Broad Stair, a Mat, a White Sheet (2.25 meter long and 1 meter wide)
1. Extension- Horizontal:

Place Broad Stairs on the mat according to its exercise I. Then place Pink Tower cubes aside with
the broad stairs prisms, as the largest cube with the largest and thickest prism. Continue until all
cubes placed aside with the prism.

2. Extension- Vertical:

Take the thickest prism from the Broad Stairs and put it on the mat facing rectangular side to the
directress. Then take the second thickest prism place it on the center of the first one. Continue
until all prism sets vertically. Now take the largest cube of the Pink Tower and place it very carefully
to the right square side of the thickest prism. Then take the second largest cube and put it on the
first cube in such a way that its side attach with the square side of the prism. Continue until all
cubes placed aside the prisms and build a tower.

3. Extension- Monument:

Place the Broad stairs just like Exercise I of it on the left side of the mat and Pink Tower cubes
according to their grading horizontally on the right side.

a. First level:

Take the thickest prism from the Broad Stairs and put it on the mat facing rectangular side to the
directress. Now take the largest cube from the Pink Tower and placed it aside with the prism on
its right side. Take the second thickest prism and placed it on a first cube. Half of the second prism
comes to the first prism. Now take the second largest cube and put it aside with the second prism
 on to the first prism, a place which is left after placing the second prism. Continue until all prisms
and cubes arranged and look like a wall.

b. Second level:

Take away the smallest cube from the top of the wall and put it on the left side of the mat. Now
hold the first top prism with finger and thumb and take away the second cube. After that hold the
second top prism and carefully take away the third cube. Continue this procedure until all cubes
take away one by one.

4. Extension- Shadow:

Spread white sheet on the floor. Build a Pink Tower on the middle of the width of a sheet. Now
take the thickest prism placed it aside with bottom cube attaching square sides. Then take the
second thickest prism placed it next to the first prism making 90 degree angle with a pink tower.
Continue until all prisms placed. Switch on the torch behind the Pink Tower and adjust the shadow
equal to the Broad Stairs which is 2 meter in length. Now slightly move the beam of light to left to
right and then backward. By this shadow move from right to left, left to right and passed over the
stairs.

5. Extension- Alternate:

Take the thickest prism from the Broad Stairs and put it on the mat facing rectangular side to the
directress. Then take the largest cube from the Pink Tower and placed it over the prism on the
middle of it. Now take the second thickest prism and put it on the first cube in such a way that it
balances and will not fall off. After that placed the second largest cube on the middle of second
prism. Continue until all the prisms and cubes are assembled.

6. Extension- High Stairs:

Take the thickest prism from the Broad Stairs and put it on the left side of the mat, resting its
square side on mat. Then take the second thickest prism and placed it aside with first prism
touching rectangular sides. Arrange the rest of the prisms in this way. Now take the largest cube
and put it on the thickest prism. After that take the second largest cube and put it on the second
thickest prism. Continue until all the cubes placed on prisms.

Extension Exercises with the Long Rods:

Materials:

✓ Long Rods, a Mat

 1. Extension- Vertical:

Place the rods randomly in a horizontal way on the mat. Take the longest rod and put it on the
mat. Then take the second longest rod and put it on the top of first rod while their left edges even.
Continue until all rods placed vertically.

2. Extension- Maze:

Place the rods randomly in a horizontal way on the mat. Take the largest rod and put it on the
floor. Now take the second largest rod and put it on the floor at the 90 degree with the first rod
and their ends meet. Continue with all rods making 90 degree with their previous rods and having
a shape of a maze. Allow the child to walk in slowly in a maze and then comes outside without
touching rods.

Extension Exercises with the Cylinder Blocks and Knob less Cylinders:

Materials:

✓ Cylinder Blocks, Knob less Cylinders, a Mat

1. Extension- Comparison:

Place green set of a knob less cylinders horizontally on a mat from biggest to smallest. Then take
the block cylinders and put it on the top of the knob less cylinders.

After that compare each set of knobs less cylinders with the set on cylinder blocks.

Vocabulary from all these Exercises:

Long-Short Tall-Short Long-Longer-Longest Big-Bigger-Biggest

Big-Small Thick-Thin Short-Shorter-Shortest Thick-Thicker-Thickest
Large-Small Middle Small-Smaller-Smallest Thin-Thinner-Thinnest
Deep-Shallow Cube Deep-Deeper-Deepest Tall-Taller-Tallest
Broad-Narrow Straight Large-Larger-Largest Broad-Broader-Broadest
Rod-Stairs Prism Shallow-Shallower- Narrow-Narrower-Narrowest
Shallowest
 Question # 05 How does Montessori program help develop tactile sense?

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
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.

Note: For all different exercises mention above the pre-requisite is to sensitize fingers. Below
mention few exercises and how to do it.

Exploring Textures: Touch Tablets:

Materials:

✓ One box having five pairs of wooden tablets with gradations of roughness. A blindfold.

Exercise:

✓ Take out two to three pairs with greater contrast and put it on the table.
✓ Mix them and then pick one tablet at a time feel it in hand, lightly stroke it and then put aside.
✓ Tell the child “I am going to find the one which is just like this”.
✓ Find the other tablet and put it with previous one. Allow child to feel the similarity.
✓ 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.

Exploring Weight: Baric Tablets:

Materials:

✓ Three separate boxes having six to eight wooden tablets. Each set is a different weight,
color and wood from each other. Tablets are however same in shape and size. A blindfold.

Exercise:

✓ Bring two boxes on table which contains heaviest and lightest tablets.
✓ Directress shows the child how to hold the tablet in palm of a hand.
✓ Feel the heaviest tablet and also let the child to feel it. After that child can handle the tablet
himself. Now again repeat this exercise while using blindfold.

Here child learn a tactile sense to differentiate between the weights and later on for mathematics.
The blindfold will help the child to focus on his attention upon one sense. Children learn the
vocabulary by three period-lesson. Vocabulary: Heaviest and lightest

Directress plays five memory games with the child.

Exploring Temperature: Thermic Bottles:

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.

Exercise:

Directress prepares bottles.

✓ 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.
✓ 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 # 06 Prepare material of smell bottles and mystery bag and sent it along with your
assignment papers?

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