MODULE # 3

Name: Ms Shamsa KANWAL Roll Number: D9709

Q.1 Write a comprehensive note on the importance of sensorial exercises

Importance of Sensorial Exercises in Montessori

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. Gustatory Sense 7. Olfactory Sense 8. Stereognostic

 Sense

Visual Sense:
In this exercise child learns how to visually discriminate differences between similar objects
and differing objects.
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.
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
Thermic Sense:
In this exercise child works to enhance his sense of temperature.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Q2. What is stereo gnostic sense and how can we develop it?

What is Stereognostic Sense

Definition
Stereognostic sense is the ability to perceive and understand the form and nature of objects
by the sense of touch.
Stereognostic Sense: The stereognostic sense exercises enable the child to develop concepts
by feeling objects and making recognition based on the feeling. The exercises include also
movement of the hand and arm around the object, creating an impression of movement as
added to the sense of touch, resulting in what is known as muscular memory. This is the
knowledge derived from the recognition of the movements made. The Montessori materials
and exercises used in the stereognostic sense are Geometric solids, Mystery bags, Sorting
Trays, Puzzle maps, and Sandpaper Globe.
How to develop Stereognostic Sense:
The development of the Stereognostic sense is an important part of the child’s work in the
sensorial area. Just as important as any of the other of senses, the stereognostic sense allows
the child to discriminate size and shape through the use of touch. The use of this sense
allows the child to have a mental picture through the use of touch and movement. Once the
child knows how to feel the object in the hand and is familiar with it, the objects are then
used with the blindfold. In addition to using our sense of touch to determine texture and
weight, our sense of touch can also provide information about size and shape.
Exercises for Stereognostic Sense:
Below are few exercises that can be used to enhance this sense. The directress needs to do
all these exercise in front of the child herself. The stereognostic activities are first done with
 eyes open and then by using blindfold. But try not to force children to use blindfold. By
doing very simple but interesting exercises we can start developing strong stereognostic
sense.
Mystery Bags:

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

Ø Fill that bag with amazing contents such as tiny pebbles, glass marbles, soft feathers,
wooden blocks, ribbon, spoons, key, small cars, etc. and anything else you find interesting.
Ø Child look all these objects, feel them by touching via hands. Introduce names of each item.
Ø Then closes his eyes or used blindfold, put his hand in the bag feel the object and named it
and then takes it out from the bag.
Ø Then open his eyes and sees what it is.

Sorting Trays:

Ø A tray having four or more saucers.

Ø Each saucer contains different kind of grains, seeds, beans, peas, rice, lentils etc. separately.
Ø Another tray of same quantity of saucer but empty.
Ø Child first checks all these things by their hands and feels them. And then put each item in
the second tray’s saucer separately. Introduce names of each item.
Ø Then child closes his eyes or used blindfold, again feel the items, named it, and then put it
into the second tray.
Ø Then open his eyes and sees how perfectly he done.
Ø It can also be done by changing this exercise as by mixing all these items in one bowl and
child needs to separate them in different saucers.
 Puzzle Maps:
Ø A puzzle map of Pakistan and a Globe.
Ø Let’s take the puzzle map of Pakistan, where puzzles are divided in provinces.
Ø Show the child a globe and the complete map of Pakistan. Show the child where is Pakistan
in the Globe. After that put that globe aside.
Ø Focus on puzzle.
Ø Child point out the outline of each province and named the province.
Ø Slowly and carefully put all pieces of puzzles one by one back into the puzzle.

Sandpaper Globe:

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

These are great group and individual exercises that children can play anywhere.

Q4. Explain all exercises briefly in chapter 4.1 exploring dimensions. Make
illustrations and mention vocabulary also.

Exploring Dimensions with Sensorial Exercises

Exploring Dimensions:
Exploring dimension is a basic division of Visual sense. In these exercises child can
differentiate between objects which have similar shapes and color but different in length,
width, height and thickness. Below are the few exercises:
1. The Cylinder 2. The Pink Tower 3. The Broad Stairs
Blocks
4. The Long Rods 5. The knob less
Cylinders

The Cylinder Blocks:

Materials:
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, Vary in height, Same height of Same diameter of
length and length and 5.5cm 2.5 or 3 cm
diameter, 5.5cm to diameter by
1cm 1/2cm(5.5cm to
1cm)
Largest one is Height increases Diameter Height decreases
tallest and thickest by 0.5cm(from decreases by by 0.5cm(from
1cm to 5.5cm) 0.5cm(from 5.5cm 5.5cm to 1cm)
to 1cm)

I. Exercise:
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.

II. Exercise:
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.

III. Exercise:
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.

IV. Exercise:
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.

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.

I. Exercise:
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.

II. Exercise:
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.

III. Exercise:
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.

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
 I. Exercise: 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.
II. Exercise:
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 .

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.

I. Exercise: 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.
II. Exercise: 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.

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- Vary in height- Vary in diameter Vary in height
diameter diameter

I. Exercise: 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.

II. Exercise: 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)
 I. 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.

II. 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.
III. 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.
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.
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.

IV. 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.
V. 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.

VI. 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

I. 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.

II. 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

I. 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 knob 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-Shallowest Narrow-Narrower-Narrowest

Q5. How does Montessori program help tactile sense?

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

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.

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

Procedure:
Ø Bring two boxes on table which contains heaviest and lightest tablets.
Ø Directress shows the child how to hold the tablet in palm of a hand.
Ø 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.

Procedure: Directress prepares bottles.

Ø 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.
Ø 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.