EXERCISES OF SENSORIAL

DEVELOPMENT

Windows User
[COMPANY NAME]  [Company address]
 NAME: SUNDUS FARASAT
ROLL NO.: D14898

Assignment module 3
1. WRITE A COMPREHENSIVE NOTE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SENSORIAL
EXERCISES.
Senses play a vital role in our lives. They act like a connecting bridge to the environment. Since
a child naturally uses all his powers of observation during his early years. it is important to
provide appropriate surrounding to sharpen his senses and use them properly over time. Dr.
Maria Montessori noticed that at certain ages children around the world engage in similar
activities. Children appear to have a natural inner interest in exploring their world through their
senses and refining their ability to use their senses schools should provide appropriate materials
which suits the child’s interest and activity. She carried on with making numerous materials of
sensory discrimination. She developed materials and activities for all the functions of the five
senses.
IMPORTANCE OF SENSORIAL EXERCISES
From 0 to 7 years of life in every child is the period of rapid development, it is possible to
sharpen any ability of child. As development of our senses continues even after [Link] the time
of birth, a newly born child can hear, smell, see, feel, and taste, the ability to use the senses is
very poor. The modern research has proved that our ability to use our senses develops during the
first six years of life very rapidly as the nervous system is also developed during these years,
providing proper nutrition and adequate stimulation This can only be made possible by providing
better opportunities of sensory interaction with the environment. These exercises sharpen the
ability to uses the senses, the more information that can perceive from the environment. A person
with the better abilities to use the abilities to use the senses will always be ahead of others as he
can adjust in any kind of circumstances, can make better decisions and can learn fast.
DIFFERENT GROUPS OF SENSES
Sensorial exercises are grouped according the presence of senses. That are able to sense size,
shape, composition, texture, hardness, softness, matching, weight, temperature [Link] the module,
sensorial exercises are categorized into eight different groups that are,
I. VISUAL SENSE
Visual exercises make child to learn how to visually discriminate differences between
similar objects and differing objects that are exploring dimensions, colors, shapes and
patterns.

II. TACTILE SENSE

Tactile sense is developed through touch. The sense of touch is spread throughout the surface of
the body but in Montessori it is limited to the tips of fingers and particularly of the right hand.
This enables the child to focus on what he is feeling, through a concentration of a small part of
his body.
 NAME: SUNDUS FARASAT
ROLL NO.: D14898

III. BARIC SENSE

Baric sense is the sense the weight of the object. This senses is heightened through the use of a
blindfold or of closing your eyes. The child learns to feel the difference of pressure or weight of
different objects.
IV. THERMIC SENSE
Thermic sense is to discriminate the temperature of different liquids or object of different
materials. Those exercises are included the refine the thermic sense in child ad make the child
aware of different temperatures.
V. AUDITORY SENSE
Appropriate interaction with sounds, music and rhythm leads to the development of hearing
senses and overall progress greatly. Auditory exercises make child to differentiate between
different sounds.
VI. GUSTATORY SENSE
In this exercises the child is introduced to his tasting sense and child then able to differentiate
one taste from other. Once they aware of taste of different objects, they also enjoy to chew their
food. Limited taste exercises are done with children.
VII. OLFACTORY SENSE
The exercises that involve the development of the sense of smelling in child. Different pleasant
things are offered to smell. Children enjoy exploring different smells.

VIII. STEREOGNOSTIC SENSE

It is the combination of tactile sense and muscular memory. It is the sense to recognize to object
just by feeling it. This attributes to the special sixth sense which is called muscular sense and
permits to store impression of objects in muscular memory.
NEED OF SENSORIAL EXERCISES
Sensorial exercises are very important in Montessori education. It covers all area of child that
need to be refine to become independent and confident individual. These sensorial exercise are
also added the fun in learning and exploring different objects. Children show enthusiasm to learn
different vocabulary used in different exercises. These exercises assist children in achieving
through development by attracting, capturing their attention, fulfilling their developmental needs
and initiating a process of concentration. They are designed keeping in the view the active
personality of the child who develops on its own through active interaction with the
environment. Sensorial exercises help the child to distinguish, to categorize and to relate new
information of different objects. The materials that ae used in sensorial exercises are auto-
educational and inbuilt control of error. Those materials are designed to prepare the child
indirectly for future learning like writing skills are developed by holding the knobs of cylinder
blocks. Montessori material progress from simple to more complex design and usage. These
 NAME: SUNDUS FARASAT
ROLL NO.: D14898

sensorial exercises have been designed after closely observing the children, studying their
sensitive periods and understanding their developmental needs.
2. WHAT IS STEREOGNOSTIC SENSE AND HOW CAN WE DEVELOP
IT?
It is the combination of tactile sense and muscular memory in which a child can recognize to
object just by feeling [Link] Dr. Maria Montessori says;
“When the hand and arm are moved about the 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
movement that have been made.”
By doing different kinds of stereognostic exercises, the child can recognize things by touching or
feeling them in his hands without seeing. Different materials are used to develop this sense such
as geometric solids, mystery bags, sorting trays, puzzle maps and sandpaper globe.
DEVELOPMENT OF STEREOGNOSTIC SENSE
Stereognostic sense can be developed by let the child feel the object by moving hands around it.
this will able the child to discriminate between different sizes and shape of objects. This will
form mental image of the object by using the tactile sense and form muscular memory of the
object. Stereognostic sense are performed first with open eyes and then with closed eyes by using
blindfold. these stereognostic exercises can done with the number of things for examples
different shape of Marconi, nuts, buttons, beans, pulses, etc. The directress performs all the
exercises in front of children and ask the children to participate. Following are the exercises in
detail,

 SORTING TRAYS
MATERIALS
1. A tray with three bowls/dishes:
 Two small dishes are filled with collections of large items such as buttons and large
beans one type in each bowl. Each type of object should be different in shape or size and
preferably color also. Initially two to three large items are used and later the number of
items is increased and smaller items are used at an even later stage.
 The relatively large dish is placed empty in the center of the tray.
2. Blindfold
EXERCISE
3. have the child carry the tray to the table and have him place it in the middle of the table.
4. pick up one of the large items from the bowl.
5. close your eyes and feel the item using both hands.
6. tell the child I feel different when I close my eyes.
7. have the child feel the item with his eyes opened and closed.
8. Then place the item into the large empty bowl.
9. Repeat the object from the second bowl.
 NAME: SUNDUS FARASAT
ROLL NO.: D14898

10. Then place all the items from larger bowl into smaller two bowls.
11. Repeat until all the items have been placed into their correct bowls.
12. Then open your eyes and check each of the bowls for correct sorting.
13. Invite the child to repeat the work as you have shown and offer him the use of the
blindfold.
CONTROL OF ERROR
The difference of color, shape and size of each set of objects provide control of error. After
removing his blindfold, the child can see if all the same type is in a dish.
LANGAUGE
The name of the shape, seeds and grains can be introduced.
AGE
3.5 to 4 years

 MYSTERY BAG
MATERIALS
1. An attractive cloth bag
2. About 10 – 20 small objects (depending up the number of children and available time)
objects must be well known to the children and very different from each other such as
key, rubber, button, small pencil, bead, coin, ring, small toy, rock, etc.
EXERCISE
1. Invite the child/children to come and work with you.
2. Show the mystery bag and name the items in it to the child/children.
3. Make the children to sit in a semi-circle.
4. Take out all the objects on the table from mystery bag and allow the children to handle
them. When children are well familiar with contents of the bag, put them back in the
mystery bag.
5. Place the bag flat on the table with the opening near you.
6. Put one of the hands into the bag and feel the object and tell the children what it feels like
soft, light etc. say the name of the object loud enough like I think it is a ball. Take out the
object from the bag and you can say yes it is a cotton ball.
7. Place the object to the side of the table and allow the child sitting to your left to try.
8. Remind him to feel and guess the name of the object then Take it out.
9. Repeat with other children till all the objects are out of the bag.
AGE
 Generally, before 5 years
 With older children smaller objects can be included
 NAME: SUNDUS FARASAT
ROLL NO.: D14898

3. WRITE A NOTE ON THREE PERIOD-LESSON AND MEMORY

GAMES.
THREE PERIOD LESSON
Three period lesson is used for the teaching new words to the children. The relate vocabulary of
a material is given after the child has mastered using it. Both the names of materials and name of
the qualities (positives, comparatives and superlatives) related to these materials. The three
lesson period is divided into three steps, that make language absorption easier for the child.
PERIOD 1: NAMING PERIOD
In this period, the directress represents three different objects on the mat or table to the child,
leaving some distance between them. Then she and child feel the object one by one and place
them back. She places her finger on the object and gives the name saying “this is a _____”. for
example, this is a [Link] the same way she names other objects, sometimes changing their
positions.
PERIOD 2: RECOGNITION AND ASSOCIATION PERIOD
After naming the objects a few times, the directress asks the child to recognize the object by their
names saying show me _______. For example, show me the cube. This period should be
extended than first period. The directness may also ask the child “please place the object in my
hand or on the table.
PERIOD 3: PRONOUNCING
Once the directness is sure that the child can name the object then she asks the child to name the
object himself. For example, she points one object and ask the child “what is this? Then the child
should say for example “this is cube”.
Three period lesson is also used for grading the objects. The degree of grading is known as
positive, comparatives and superlatives. Comparative grading uses for comparing two things and
superlative for three or more things. Adjectives are used to express degrees of grading. Adjective
provides more information and status of an object. With the example of cube, three period lesson
for grading is given below,

GRADING POSITIVES COMPARATIVES SUPERLATIVES

ST This is big or small This cube is slightly Among all these, this
1 PERIOD
cube. bigger or smaller than is the biggest or
this. smaller… the biggest
or the smallest.
2ND PERIOD Show me big or Show me the cube Show me the biggest
small cube. which is slightly bigger or smaller amongst all
 NAME: SUNDUS FARASAT
ROLL NO.: D14898

or smaller than this? these?

RD What is this? Big or What is this as What is this amongst
3 PERIOD
small. compared to this … all these…the biggest
bigger or smaller? or the smallest?

MEMORY GAMES
Memory games can be introduced to the children before or after the Three Period Lesson,
depending on the type of [Link] can be helpful in the following ways,
 Helpful to rejuvenate the child’s interest in the material which he begins to know well.
 Revise sometime of what children have already mastered.
 help the child make classifications before moving on to another piece of material.
 Prolong the child’s activity with the material which results in a deeper assimilation of
concepts.
 Provide children with motive to discover more variations of the material.
 Verify the child’s language of the material.
Following are some examples of memory games,
GAME 1
MATCHING AT A DISTANCE
 Place 2 different tables or mats at a distance from each other.
 Place one of a pair of materials, one on each table or mat.
 Then directress selects one of the pairs, feels it thoroughly with hands and ask the child to
feel it. Then child bring the match from other table/mat.
 Repeat until all matches have been made.
GAME 2
GRADING FROM A DISTANCE
For these game, the child must have completed his grading three period lesson.
From an extreme
 Place two different tables or mats at a distance from one another
 Place the grading materials for example pink tower, broad stairs, tablets at random on one
mat.
 Pick up the extreme like largest cube of pink tower, move it to the other mat and place
there.
 Ask the child to feel it and bring the cube which is slightly smaller than this one.
 Continue up to the smallest cube.
From a midpoint
 NAME: SUNDUS FARASAT
ROLL NO.: D14898

 Place 2 different tables or mats at a distance from one another and place the grading
material at random on one table or mat.
 Pick up one of the piece for example middle sized cubes of pink tower, move to the other
table and place it there.
 Ask the child to feel it and bring the cube which is just a little bit smaller or bigger from
that one.
GAME 3
STEREOGNOSTIC
 This is done in a group of children.
 The directress asks the children to sit around the mat.
 She would hand over the material for example one cube of the pink tower to each child.
 The children hold the cube behind their backs and feel them.
 The directress would ask for the largest cube to smallest cube.
GAME 4
MATERIAL TO THE ENVIRONMENT
In this game, the material is related to the environment for examples color tablets, shapes etc
 Spread out a mat.
 Place the material for example color tablets on to the mat at random.
 Take one tablet and ask the child to find something form the environment of that same
color or shade.
 Repeat for all the color or shade of color.
GAME 5
MATCHING AT A DISTANCE
this is opposite of above game.
 Spread out the mat
 Place the material for example color tablets or red rods onto the mat at random.
 Give the children something like leaf, rock etc. and ask them to match it to its closet
match in the material on the mat.
 NAME: SUNDUS FARASAT
ROLL NO.: D14898

4. EXPLAIN ALL EXERCISES BRIEFLY IN CHAPTER 4.1.

EXPLORING DIMENSIONS. MAKE ILLUSTRATION/DIAGRAMS
AND MENTION VOCABULARY ALSO.
EXPLORING DIMENSIONS
Exploring dimensions are part of visual exercises in which child learns to develop his ability to
discriminate between objects having similar shapes and colors but varying in length, width,
height or thickness. Following are the examples of exercises for exploring dimensions,
1. THE CYLINDER BLOCKS
MATERIAL
4 wooden blocks each containing ten cylinders with
wooden/plastic knobs. The cylinders vary in size in
regular pattern by 0.5cm, either in height or diameter or
both.
 BLOCK 1 (BIG/SMALL)
Cylinders vary both height and diameter by
0.5cm. the largest one is 5.5cm in both height
and diameter, whereas the smallest is 1cm.
 BLOCK 2 (DEEP/SHALLOW)
The height of the cylinder increase by 0.5cm
(from 1cm to 5.5cm).
The diameter of the cylinder decrease by 0.5cm
(from 5.5cm to 1cm).
The tallest cylinder is the thinnest and the
shortest is the thickest.
 BLOCK 3 (THICK/THIN)
The height of the cylinders is same that is 5.5cm.
The diameter is decreased by 0.5cm from 5.5cm
to 1cm.
 BLOCK 4 (TALL/SHORT)
The diameter of the cylinders is same that is 2.5cm or 3cm.
The height of the cylinder is decreased by 0.5cm from 5.5cm to 1cm.
EXERCISE
i. The directress begins the exercise with holding the knob of the first cylinder.
ii. She removes and place it on the table without making noises.
iii. She will start with largest cylinder of the block and return it to its appropriate hole
without making noise.
iv. After completing the presentation, she will ask children to do the exercise.
 NAME: SUNDUS FARASAT
ROLL NO.: D14898

v. After doing block 1, then she presents the exercise with block 2,3 and 4.

VOCABULARY
 Block 1: big-bigger-biggest and small-smaller-smallest
 Block 2: deep-deeper-deepest and shallow-shallower-
shallowest
 Block 3: thick-thicker-thickest and thin-thinner-thinnest
 Block 4: tall-taller-tallest and short-shorter-shortest

2. THE PINK TOWER

MATERIAL
Ten wooden cubes varying in size from 1cm3 to 10cm3.

EXERCISE
i. spread the mat and take the consent of the child.
ii. If the directress is right handed, then the child should
stand on the left side of her.
iii. Hold the largest cube, take it among other cubes to figure
out its sizes and place it on the mat.
iv. Then look for the larger cube and place it on the largest
cube.
v. Compare and place all the remaining cubes in the same way.
vi. Now move both hand around tower of cubes upward to give the children idea about the
tower that gradually it becomes narrow.
VOCABULARY
 Cube
 Large, small
 Large, larger, largest
 Small, smaller, smallest

3. THE BROAD STAIRS

MATERIAL
Ten brown wooden prisms of the same
length that is 20cm but vary in height and
width like 1cm,2cm,3cm and 10cm.
 NAME: SUNDUS FARASAT
ROLL NO.: D14898

EXERCISE
i. spread the mat on the floor and mix the prisms on the mat.
ii. Hold the largest prism and compare it among others.
iii. Place it on the left side of the mat in such a way that square side of the prism is facing
towards you.
iv. Find the second thickest prism and place next to the first thickness prism in such a way
no space is left between them.
v. Continue to arrange rest of the prisms to form stairs.
VOCABULARY
 Prism
 Broad-narrow
 Broad-broader-broadest
 Narrow-narrower-narrowest
Or
 Thick-thin
 Thick-thicker-thickest
 Thin-thinner-thinnest

4. THE LONG RODS

MATERIAL
10 wooden rods have constant height
and width but vary in length by 10 cm.
The shortest rod is 10cm and the longest
one is of 100cm.
EXERCISE
i. Place all the rods horizontally and randomly on the mat.
ii. First hold the smallest rod comparing with others and put it on the left of the mat.
iii. After that take slightly longer rod compare with other rods, put it carefully next to the
first rod.
iv. Repeat until all rods are finished.
VOCABULARY
 Long-short
 NAME: SUNDUS FARASAT
ROLL NO.: D14898

 Long-longer-longest
 Short-shorter-shortest

5. THE KNOB LESS

CYLINDERS
MATERIAL
4 sets of wooden cylinders vary in colors
and by 0.5cm in height and diameter like
cylinder blocks.
 Yellow cylinders vary in height and
diameter from big to small
 Green cylinders vary in height and
diameter from deep to shallow
 Red cylinders vary in diameter from
thick to thin
 Blue cylinders vary in height from tall to short
EXERCISE
i. Use the table or mat for this exercise.
ii. Teach the child how to open the lid of the box of cylinders.
iii. Place all the cylinders on the mat or table.
iv. Hold the largest cylinder and put it on the center of the table.
v. Then take slightly shortest cylinder and place it on the first largest cylinder.
vi. Repeat it until all cylinders finished and tower build.
VOCABULARY
Yellow box
 Large-small
 Large-larger-largest
 Small-smaller-smallest
Red box
 Thick-thin
 Thick-thicker-thickest
 Thin-thinner-thinnest
Green box
No vocabulary
Blue box
 NAME: SUNDUS FARASAT
ROLL NO.: D14898

 Tall-short
 Tall-taller-tallest
 Short-shorter-shortest

5. HOW DOES MONTESSORI PROGRAM HELP DEVELOP TACTILE

SENSE?
TACTILE SENSE
Tactile sense is developed through touch. The sense of touch is spread throughout the surface of
the body but in Montessori it is limited to the tips of fingers and particularly of the right hand.
This enables the child to focus on what he is feeling, through a concentration of a small part of
his body.
CLASSIFICATION OF TACTILE EXERCISES
Tactile exercises are classified as under,
1. exploring texture
2. exploring weight
3. exploring temperatures
4. exercises of stereognostic sense
DEVELOPMENT OF TACTILE SENSE THROUGH MONTESSORI
PROGRAM
In Montessori program, the materials are provided for exploring different textures that are touch
board, touch tablets and touch the fabric to discriminate textures. Baric tablets are for exploring
weight to develop baric sense for different objects. Thermic tablets and thermic bottles are
included in Montessori program for exploring different temperatures. Stereognostic sense is
developed with exercises that are sorting trays, mystery bag etc. In those exercise, children are
challenged to guess an object just by feeling it with their hands without seeing. Mostly all the
tactile exercises are performed by closed eyes or by using blindfold or blackout glasses. Tactile
exercises are helpful in exploring different types of textures and enhance vocabulary.
1. EXPLORING TEXTURES
Our sense of touch is at its best when we have clean hands at normal temperature. Touch
board, touch tablets and touch the fabric are the examples for exploring textures.
TOUCH BOARD
MATERIALS
 Three rectangular boards,
 Rough and smooth board 1: divided into 2 parts, first half is polished and other half is
sandpaper.
 Rough and smooth board 2: divided into 10 strips, 5 are polished and 5 are sandpaper.
 Rough and smooth board 3: divided into 5 strips from very rough to nearly smooth.
 NAME: SUNDUS FARASAT
ROLL NO.: D14898

 Blindfold or blackout glasses.

EXERCISE
i. Bring board to the table with the help of the child.
ii. Sensitize fingertips and ask the child to sit on the left of directress.
iii. Secure board wit left hand and use right hand to stroke over the board.
iv. Remember to keep hand relaxed.
v. Invite the child to stroke gently over the board. Help him to stroke lightly over the board
by holding his hand.
vi. When you are touching the rough part say rough and for smooth say smooth.
vii. Complete three period lesson firstly with opened eyes then closed eyes.
viii. Repeat same with all boards
[Link] WEIGHT
Sense of touch also provide the information about weight or pressure of different objects.
This sense is called baric sense.
BARIC TABLETS
MATERIALS
 3 boxes each containing 6 wooden tablets same in shape and size but differ in weight,
color and wood from each other.
 A blindfold
EXERCISE
i. Bring two boxes on table which contains heaviest and lightest tablets.
ii. Directress shows the child how to hold the tablet in the palm of a hand.
iii. Feel the tablet and also let the child to feel it.
iv. now ask the child to feel two tablets at a time and decide they are same or different.
v. Later use the blindfold and mix all tablets on the table.
vi. Child will pick them up by himself and sort them by weight.
vii. When child is able to pair up two extremes light and heavy, the directress introduces the
medium weight tablets.
viii. Finally, child can handle all three sets. And sort them.

[Link] TEMPERATURES
Thermic sense is developed through exploring temperature of different objects. This will help
the children to discriminate the temperature and aware them from hot and cold.
THERMIC TABLETS
MATERIALS
2 tablets each of the following material
 Steel
 Wood
 Marble
 NAME: SUNDUS FARASAT
ROLL NO.: D14898

 Glass
 Rubber

EXERCISE
i. Put the above tablets in two vertical column
ii. The teacher places her left hand on the tablet, feels the temperature and look for the
same in other row by using right hand.
iii. Once she finds the right temperature she brings both the tablets together in the middle
and place them side by side.
iv. Continues the exercise until all the tablets are paired.
v. Do not place hand too long as it will change the temperature of tablet.
vi. Once the child knows how to do the exercise a blindfold can be introduced.
vii. Vocabulary hot and cold can be taught to the children by three period lesson and
memory games can be play.
[Link] OF STEREOGNOSTIC SENSE
It is the combination of tactile sense and muscular memory in which a child can
recognize to object just by feeling [Link] Dr. Maria Montessori says;
“When the hand and arm are moved about the 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 movement that have been made.”
MYSTERY BAG
MATERIALS
 An attractive cloth bag
 About 10 – 20 small objects (depending up the number of children and available time)
objects must be well known to the children and very different from each other such as
key, rubber, button, small pencil, bead, coin, ring, small toy, rock, etc.
EXERCISE
i. Invite the child/children to come and work with you.
ii. Show the mystery bag and name the items in it to the child/children.
iii. Make the children to sit in a semi-circle.
iv. Take out all the objects on the table from mystery bag and allow the children to handle
them. When children are well familiar with contents of the bag, put them back in the
mystery bag.
v. Place the bag flat on the table with the opening near you.
vi. Put one of the hands into the bag and feel the object and tell the children what it feels like
soft, light etc. say the name of the object loud enough like I think it is a ball. Take out the
object from the bag and you can say yes it is a cotton ball.
vii. Place the object to the side of the table and allow the child sitting to your left to try.
 NAME: SUNDUS FARASAT
ROLL NO.: D14898

viii. Remind him to feel and guess the name of the object then Take it out.
ix. Repeat with other children till all the objects are out of the bag.

6. PREPARE MATERIAL OF SMELL BOTTLES AND MYSTERY BAG

AND SEND IT ALONG WITH YOUR ASSIGNMENT PAPERS.

SMELL BOTTLES
Bottles labelled A =
lemon juice
Bottles labelled B =
perfume
Bottles labelled C =
vanilla essence

MYSTERY BAG
1. Cube
2. Toy car
3. Small spoon
4. Key
5. Button
6. Coin
7. Bottle cap
8. Ball
9. Rock
 NAME: SUNDUS FARASAT
ROLL NO.: D14898

10. Small brush

11. Whistle
12. Sharpener
13. Rubber
14. Ring
15. pencil