PMC Module 3
PMC Module 3
Answer no 1:
Since a child naturally uses all his powers of observation during his early years, thesis 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.
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.
Sensorial Exercises were planned to cover every quality that can be apparent byte 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:
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:
(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 work to differentiate one taste from another. He can then take these
senses, and apply them to other tastes in his environment.
(7)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.
(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 muscular sense, and which permits
many impressions to be stored in a “muscular memory”, which recalls movements that have been
made”.
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 no2:
Answer no 2:
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 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.
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 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 developStereognostic sense. The directress does all
exercises in front of the children.
Activities.
(1)Sorting trays
(a)Material
(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.
(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.
(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.
(2)Mastery bag
(a)Material
(ii)10 to 20 small objects different from one another such as, a key, a cotton ball, a button, a small
basket etc.
(b)Presentation
(iv)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.
(v)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.
(vi)Then, pull the object out of the bag and checked whether you were right or wrong. If right then say,
yes! That’s right.
(vii)Repeat it with all children till all objects are done. To sum up, Stereognostic sense exercises are very
helpful for children to develop Stereognostic sense.
Question no 3:
Answer no 3:
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.
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.
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.
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 relearnt.
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)Matching at a distance
(c)The teacher takes one object from the table and asks her student to feel it by holding the object in his
hand.
(d)Then asks the child to bring the same object from the distant table.
(a)From an extreme
(ii)Place the grading materials (e.g. pink tower, broad starlet.) at random on one of the table.(iii)Pick up
one of the extreme (for instance largest cube in the pink tower) and move it to the other table and place
it there.
(iv)Then ask your student to feel it and bring that cube which is just a smaller than this one.
(b)From a midpoint
(iv)Ask the child feel it and bring the cube which is just smaller or bigger from that one.
(3)Stereognostic
(c)Then directress gives them material in their hands (for instance one cube of the pink tower to each
student).
(e)Then directress asks for the largest cube and it should be placed on the mat.
(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.
(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 also?
Answer no 4:
Exploring dimensions group come under the visual exercises. As visual exercises is 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.
Exercises
(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 from1cm 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 to5.5cm.
(b)Exercise
(ii)The directress begins exercises with holding the knob of the first cylinder.
(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.
(v)After completing her presentation, she will ask children to do the exercise.
(c)Vocabulary
(b)Exercise
(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.
(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
(3)Broad Stairs
(a)Material
(b)Exercise
(ii)Mix the prisms on the floor but make sure they are not touching each other.
(iii)Hold the largest prism and compare it with others and make sure that you are holding largest and
thickest one.
(iv)Place it towards the far left side of the mat in such a way that square side of the prism is facing
towards you.
(vi)Bring it closer to the largest one and push it towards largest one and there must not be any space
between these two.
(c)Vocabulary
(i)Prism
(ii)Broad, narrow
(a)Material.
Ten wooden rods usually painted red having height and width constant and length increased by 10cm,
shortest have 10cmand longest one is 100cm.
(b)Exercise-1
(i)Place all rods horizontally and randomly on it.(ii)First hold the smallest rod with both hands compares
with others and put it on the left of the mat.
(iii)After that, take the slightly longer rod compare with other rods; put it carefully without any mistake
aside of first rod.
(v)The shortest rod near to the directress and the longest rod farthest on mat.
(c)Exercise-2
(ii)Hold the smallest rod with the index finger of both handstand place it aside with other rods just to
compare its length.
(d)Vocabulary
(i)Long, short
(iii)Short-shorter-shortest
(a)Material
(b)Exercise
(ii)Teach the child how to open the lid of the box of cylinders.
(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.
(c)Vocabulary
(i)Large, small
(iv)Thick, thin
(vii)Tall, short
(ix)short,shorter,shortest
Question no 5.
Answer no 5:
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.
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 putt 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.
(a)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.
(b)Procedure
(i)Bring two boxes on table which contains heaviest and lightest tablets.
(iii)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.
(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
(ii)Take out first set of bottles have the child feel the bottles one at a time. Tell the child that “Iam
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 upervision.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.
Question no 6:
Answer no 1:
Smell bottles
Picture 2: (A baby cologne, perfume and nail polish removers smells)
Picture 3: smelly cotton balls are ready to put into the bottles, every two cotton balls are with same
smell
Mystery bag
Mystery Bag material for exercise