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Crystal Mendez

Professor Dr. Montgomery

ECE 250

8 May 2022

Maria Montessori: Sensorial Materials and Experiences

Maria Montessori with her passion and dedication to became to be one of the first special

educators. She strongly believed on early childhood; Montessori relays the importance on

unconscious cognitive processes. Montessori interest increased in teaching special education

when she visited an asylum for the insane. When she entered the asylum, she noticed that the

children were not being stimulated. This is where she developed materials and space to educate

individuals that were deemed uneducable. “During this time, she developed a program

specifically designed to teach academic skills, life skills, and social skills to children with special

needs” (McKenzie). Montessori had a significant impact on children’s sensorial experiences to

enhance and intensify early recollection. She encouraged students to learn independently and

designed the didactic apparatus to intellectually, sensory, and motor development by using

children’s interest (Cosgrove et al. 1).

The critical concept is in Montessori education is the child, having the adult aware and

the prepare environment. She saw the importance of how educators should “follow the Child”

(Cosgrove et al. 1). Montessori methodology has developed over the years, but the three

principles are the same: teaching academic skills, teaching life skills, and modeling social skills.

This method involves of the use of manipulative materials, individual instruction and greatly
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influenced the development of special education pedagogy. Montessori observed that all children

on their own time pass through critical sensory periods. This gives children the opportunity to

experiences in real life sensory explorations and assist with their progression of cognitive skills.

Montessori strongly believed in letting children to uncover their own unique learning style and

personal needs that is in a nurturing environment. She saw the importance in using senses for

children’s education. “The method used by me is to measure the sensation of making a

pedagogical experiment with a didactic object and awaiting the spontaneous reaction of the

child” (Cosgrove et al. 5). This is because when children have sensorially experience, then they

can classify it, categorize it, and name it. In learning to distinguish sensorial elements set forth

the base for progressing their intellectual development. Using manipulating materials in different

sizes, textures, experiencing weight variations, and using sound cylinders involving sound

discrimination. The teacher starts off by showing children to distinction based on differences in

color (light to dark) and over time students improve their perception on the difference between

the colors and train their senses.

Montessori the significance in having early childhood classrooms and her curriculum

uses instructional materials, and for each grade level builds conceptual understanding. The

teacher would provide a controlled environment and give the students the option to what sparks

their curiosity. For example, when teaching vocabulary, it is important to identify sensory

differences and teach exact nomenclature. This will help students with learning the differences

between similar shades of color or variations of tones. There are many other ways that sensorial

activities can be taught to improve children’s learning and social development.

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Work Cited

Cosgrove, Sara Anne, and Roger A. Ballou. “A Complement to Lifestyle Assessment: Using

Montessori Sensorial Experiences to Enhance and Intensify Early Recollections.” Journal

of Individual Psychology, vol. 62, no. 1, Spring 2006, pp. 47–58. EBSCOhost,

https://search-ebscohost-

com.ezproxy.library.csn.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=20983348&site=ehos

t-live.

McKenzie, Ginger K., and Victoria S. Zascavage. "Montessori Instruction: A Model for

Inclusion in Early Childhood Classrooms and Beyond." Montessori Life, vol. 24, no. 1,

Spring, 2012, pp. 32-38. ProQuest,

http://ezproxy.library.csn.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/magazines/montessori-

instruction-model-inclusion-early/docview/1009924821/se-2?accountid=27953.