Alina Ali

Roll No: D20850

Pakistan Montessori Council PMC

Introduction to Montessori

Assignment No-03
Module-03

Name: Alina Ali

Roll No: D20850

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Roll No: D20850

Question No #01:
Write a comprehensive on the important of sensorial exercises?
Answer.
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. 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 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.
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(8) Stereo gnostic 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 No # 02:
What is Stereognostic sense and how can we develop it?
Answer.
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 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
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
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 Stereognostic sense. The directress
does all exercises in front of the children.
Activities.
(1) Sorting trays

(a) Material

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(i) A tray with three bowls or dishes.

(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.
(2) Mastery bag

(a) Material

(i) A cloth bag

(ii) 10 to 20 small objects different from one another such as, a key, a cotton
ball, a button, a small basket etc.
(iii) Invite children to repeat it.

(a) Presentation

(iv) Ask the child to come and work with you.

(v) Show and tell the name of mystery bag to students.
(vi) Ask them to sit in the semi-circle.
(vii) 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.
(viii) 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.
(ix) Then, pull the object out of the bag and checked whether you were right
or wrong. If right then say, yes! That’s right.
(x) 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.

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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

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

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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) Matching at a distance

(a) Place two different tables with distance.

(b) Put a pair of materials, one on each table.
(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.

(2) Grading from a distance

(a) From an extreme

(i) Place two different tables with distance.

(ii) Place the grading materials (e.g. pink tower, broad stairs etc.) 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.
(v) Continues up to the smallest cube.

(b) From a midpoint

(i) Place two different tables with distance from one another.
(ii) Place the grading materials at random on one of the table.
(iii) Then pick up middle sized cube in the pink tower and move it to
the other table.
(iv) Ask the child feel it and bring the cube which is just smaller or
bigger from that one.

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(3) 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.

(4) Material to the environment

(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.

(5) 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.

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Question no.4
Explain all exercises briefly in chapter 4.1 Exploring dimensions. Make illustrations/ diagrams
and mention vocabulary too.
Answer.

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

(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.
(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

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(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) Broad Stairs

(a) Material. 10 brown wooden prisms of the same length (20cm) but
differing in height. They vary from 10cm x 10cm x 20cm to 1cm x 1cm x 20cm.

(b) Exercise

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

(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.

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(v) Find the second thickest prism and compare it with other.
(vi) Bring it closer to the largest one and push it towards largest one
and there must not be any space between these two.
(vii) Continue to arrange rest of the prisms.

(c) Vocabulary

(i) Prism
(ii) Broad, narrow
(iii) Broad, broader, broadest
(iv) Narrow, narrower, narrowest.

(4) The Long Rods

(a) Material. Ten wooden rods usually painted red having height and
width constant and length increased by 10cm, shortest have 10cm and 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.
(iv) Repeat it until all rods finished.
(v) The shortest rod near to the directress and the longest rod farthest
on mat.

(c) Exercise-2

(i) Directress arrange the rods as in exercise 1.

(ii) Hold the smallest rod with the index finger of both hands and
place it aside with other rods just to compare its length.

(d) Vocabulary

(i) Long, short

(ii) Long, longer, longest
(iii) Short-shorter-shortest

(5) The Knobless Cylinders

(a) Material.

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

(ii) Green Cylinders (Deep-Shallow) Vary in height-diameter
(iii) Red Cylinders (Thick-Thin) Vary in diameter

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(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

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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

Tactile Sense Exploring Weight: Baric Tablets

Exploring Temperatures: Thermic Bottles, Thermic Tablets
Exercises of Sorting Trays, Mystery Bags, Puzzle Maps,
Stereognostic 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”.

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(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 Weight: Baric Tablets

(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.
(ii) Directress shows the child how to hold the tablet in palm of a
hand.
(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.

(3) 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

(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.

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(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.

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Question no.6

Prepare material of smell bottles and mystery bag.

Answer.

(1) Smell Bottles material for exercise

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Picture 1: (things to be used)

6 different colors bottles having holes upward
3 different smells bottles

Picture 2: (A baby cologne, perfume and nail polish remover smells)

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Picture 3: smelly cotton balls are ready to put into the bottles, every two cotton balls
are with same smell

Picture 4: (Cotton balls are in bottles)

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(2) Mystery Box material for excercise

Picture 5: Mystery bag

Picture 5: Things inside Mystery Bag

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