PMC

NAME: RUQIA BIBI

MODULE: 03
ROLL#: D18402
EXERCISES OF
SENSORIAL
DEVELOPMENT
Q1: Write a comprehensive note on the importance of sensorial
exercises.
Ans:

The word sensorial is derived from the word sense. It refers to the sensation that
a sense sends to the brain at the time of receiving a stimulus from the
environment. So that the Sensorial exercises are those exercise which sharper the
ability to use the senses.

➢ Importance of sensorial exercises:

Sensorial exercises are very important for children. The child needs to acquire
clear, conscious, information that one can perceive from the environment. So, in
order to get better abilities to use senses, sensorial exercises are important.
These exercises enable the child to adjust in all kind of circumstances. During

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Sensitive period (0-7) of development, the child develops his sensorial
development very rapidly. Sensorial exercises enable child to make decisions and
can learn fast. Through sensorial exercises, the child begins to understand his
environment. Dr. Montessori said that:

The senses, being explorers of the world, open the way to knowledge. Our
apparatus for educating the senses offers the child a key to guide his
explorations of the world, they cast a light upon it which makes visible to him
more things in greater detail than he could see in the dark, or uneducated
state."

The child has inner urge to explore this world through their five senses. Sensorial
exercises have materials and activities related to the functions of five senses for
example discriminate the size and shape, color, and patterns etc. these activities
help him in development. Sensorial exercises have a great influence on
intelligence and ability to read, write and do anything. For example, the child
could not differentiate between the letters b or even p, and b. He claims that the
words are same. Because he cannot distinguish between lines, shapes and
position. Sensorial exercises help him to distinguish between them.

➢ Groups in senses:
Senses are grouped in eight categories due to the size, shape, composition,
texture, loudness or softness, matching, weight, temperature etc. These are;

✓ Visual Sense
✓ Tactile Sense
✓ Baric Sense
✓ Thermic Sense
✓ Auditory Sense
✓ Gustatory Sense

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✓ Olfactory Sense
✓ Stereognostic Sense

❖ Visual Senses:
In visual sense, children learn to discriminate differences between similar objects
and different objects.

❖ Tactile sense:
In this type of sensorial exercise, children learn through their sense of touch.

❖ Baric sense:
In this exercise, child learns to sense the difference of pressure or weight of
different objects. This sense is sharp through the use of a band or of closing your
eyes.

❖ Thermic Sense:
In this exercise child works to enhance his sense of temperature.

❖ Auditory Sense:
The child can differentiate between different sounds through auditory sense.
Thorough practicing these auditory exercises, children can improve their sense of
hearing.

❖ Gustatory Sense:
This is related to sense of taste. The child learns to differentiate between
different tastes.

❖ Stereognostic Sense:
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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”.

Through these categories, the child experienced his first step in organizing his
intelligence. The child needs to master in all senses. He gets clear, conscious and
he able to perceive his environment more effectively. Dr.Maria Montessori
believed that senses are developed at birth.

Q2: What is stereognostic sense and how can we develop it?

Ans:

➢ Stereognostic sense:
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 sterognostic 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:

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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.

❖ Exercise: Sorting trays:

✓ Material:
A tray with three bowls or dishes:

• Small dishes are filled with buttons and beans; one type in each bowl.
• One large dish will be placed empty in the middle of the tray.
• Material should be different in shapes and size.
❖ Exercise:
• Place tray in front of the child.
• 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.
• Then ask child to feel the object with his eyes opened and closed. And place it
in the large empty dish.
• Repeat it again for other items.
• The child first checks all these things by their hands and feels them. Introduce
names of each item.
• Then child closes his eyes or used blindfold, again feel the items, named it, and
then put it into the second tray.
• Then ask child to open his eyes and sees how perfectly he has done.
• Invite children to repeat it.

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Exercise: Mastery bag:
✓ Material:
• A cloth bag
• 10 to 20 small objects different from one another such as, a key, a cotton ball,
a button, a small basket etc.
✓ Presentation:
• Ask the child to come and work with you.
• Show and tell the name of mystery bag to students.
• Ask them to sit in the semi-circle.
• 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.
• 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.
• Then, pull the object out of the bag and checked whether you were right or
wrong. If right then say, yes! That’s right.
• 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.

Q3: Write a note on Three Period –lesson and Memory Games.

Ans:
➢ Three - Period Lesson & Memory games:

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Three period lessons are used throughout the Montessori environment to
help introduce a new lesson or concept and lead the children along a path to
understanding and mastery. However, in the area of language they are used
to increase, enrich and broaden a child's vocabulary.

The Three Period Lesson is to be given after the child has had much experience
with the material itself.

The Three Period-Lesson: The Three Period-Lesson are:

1) Naming 2) Recognition and Association 3) Pronouncing

Period Period Period

Begin this learning, by putting three contrasting objects on a table in front of a

child. For example a block of, circle, square and triangle.

1) Naming Period:
✓ This period is overall rather short as it simply involves giving the object a
name.
✓ Directress point to the first object and say circle.
✓ Repeat names several times clearly and slowly. Also make small sentences
like “This is a circle”.
✓ Child observed the object hold it in his hand feels it.

2) Recognition and Association Period:

This period is much longer then the first one.

Rearrange the objects and ask the child to show you.

Ø Ask child to “Show me the circle”, or “Put your finger on the triangle”.

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Ø Rearrange the objects and again ask these questions.

3) Pronouncing Period:
Ø When directress sure that child remember all the objects plus their names in to
his long term memory, than this period starts. This is a testing period.

Ø Directress challenges the child to name the object himself.

Ø Point out to one objects and ask “What is this?”

Ø If child fails to tell any name, casually end the lesson without making the child
feel as though he is failed. For this repeat second period.

There is the Three Period-Lesson for grading an object positively, comparatively,

and superlatively. Here taking an adjective to explain these periods.

Grading Positives Comparatives Superlatives

First Period This is big book This book is bigger This book is
than this. biggest.

Second Show me the big book Show me the book Show me the
Period which is slightly biggest book.
bigger than this
book.

Third What is this? Which book is Which book is

Period bigger? biggest?

Memory Games: Memory games are to be introduced to the child when the
child’s interest in the materials is fading and to bring new interest to the material
the child already know very well. These games could also be shown to bring the

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older to revisit the material and can be given before or after the three period-
lessons is given, depending on the game itself.

❖ Purposes of Memory Games:

To prolong the activity with the material, this will assure a stronger absorption by
the child.

2. The games work as a motivation in discovering more variations of the

material.

3. To help directress verify the child’s language of the material.

4. To bridge the work of quantity and to allow the child to discover the quality of
the materials in the word around him.

Game 1: Matching at a Distance:

✓ Two different tables placed with a distance.
✓ Take a pair of material and put one on each table.
✓ Directress takes one of the objects from one table and offer child to feel it by
holding in his hand.
✓ Directress asks the child to bring the same object from the distant table.
Repeat this until all pair of material matched correctly.

Game 2: Grading from a Distance:

Two different tables placed with a distance. Placed a grading material like pink
tower randomly on one table.

A) From an Extreme:
✓ Pick up one of the extremes like the largest one. Put it on the second table.
✓ Ask the child to bring the slightly smallest of it and put it on the second table.

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✓ Complete this exercise after child put all the blocks on second table from
largest to smallest.
B) From Midpoint (For this game child must have the
vocabulary)
✓ Pick up one of the middle of the block from it. Put it on the second table.
✓ Ask the child to bring the slightly smallest then largest of it and put it on the
second table.
✓ Complete this exercise after child put all the blocks on second table from
largest to smallest.

Game 3: Stereognostic:
✓ Play this game with a group of children, who are sitting around a round table/
mat.
✓ Directress gives Pink tower block to each child. Children hide them at their
back while holding them in hand.
✓ Directress asks for the largest block. Children feel them and put it on the table.
✓ Repeat this until complete tower blocks placed from largest to smallest.
Game 4: Material to the Environment: In this game materials are
related from environment. (Color tablets/ shades, geometric shapes/ solids etc.)

✓ Place a mat, put the material on the mat e.g. color tablets.
✓ Directress point to one of the color and ask children to find something from
the environment which is of that color.
✓ Repeat this for all the colors and shades.
Game 5: Environment to the Material: This is similar to the above game
but opposite in directions.

✓ Place a mat, put the material on the mat e.g. color tablets.
✓ Directress point to one of the color from the environment and ask children to
find the same color from the color tablets.

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✓ Repeat this for many of the colors and shades.
Q4: Explain all exercises briefly in chapter 4.1 Exploring
Dimensions. Make illustrations/diagrams and mention
vocabulary also.
➢ Exploring Dimensions:

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.

Exercise 1: The cylinder blocks:

Materials
4 blocks each contain 10 cylinders with knobs, each cylinder fitting into its
respective hole.

Block 1: The cylinders vary in two dimensions: The diameter increases from 1cm
to 5.5cm
the height remains constant at 5.5cm.

Block 2: The cylinders vary in three dimensions: The diameter increases from 1c,
to 5.5cm
the height increases from 1cm to 5.5cm.

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Block 3: The cylinders vary in three dimensions: The diameter increases from
1cm to 5.5cm
the height decreases from 1cm to 5.5cm.

Block 4: The cylinders vary in one dimension: The diameter remains the same.
The height increases from 1cm to 5.5cm.

❖ Exercise:
✓ Take consent of a child.
✓ The directress begins exercises with holding the knob of the first cylinder.
✓ Remove and place it on the table without making any noise.
✓ When she is done, she will select the largest and return it to its place it to its
appropriate hole without making any noise.
✓ After completing her presentation, she will ask children to do the exercise.
✓ After doing block 1, then he should be presented with 2, 3 blocks.

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❖ Vocabulary:
Block 1: Thick and Thin
Block 2: Large and Small
Block 3: No language because no dimension is isolated
Block 4: Tall and Short. The positives, comparatives, and superlatives.

Exercise 2: The Pink Tower:

Material:

Ten wooden cubes varying in sizes from 1 cubic centimeter to 1 cubic decimeter.

Exercise:

✓ Select a mat and spread it on the floor.

✓ Take the consent of the child.
✓ If the directress is right handed, the child should stand on the left side of
her.
✓ Hold the largest cube and move it closer to other cubes and figure out the
sizes of the cubes.
✓ Place the biggest one on the mat and then look for the second biggest.

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 ✓ Place second biggest cube on the biggest one.
✓ Compare and place all the remaining cubes in the same way.
✓ 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.
❖ Vocabulary:
• Cube
• Large, small
• Large, larger, largest.
•Small, smaller, smallest.
➢ Exercise Brown Stairs:

❖ 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.
➢ Exercise:
✓ Select a mat and spread it on the floor.
✓ Mix the prisms on the floor but make sure they are not touching each other.
✓ Hold the largest prism and compare it with others and make sure that you are
holding largest and thickest one.
✓ Place it towards the far left side of the mat in such a way that square side of
the prism is facing towards you.
✓ Find the second thickest prism and compare it with other.
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✓ Bring it closer to the largest one and push it towards largest one and there
must not be any space between these two.
✓ Continue to arrange rest of the prisms.

❖ Vocabulary:
• Prism
• Broad, narrow
• Broad, broader, broadest
• Narrow, narrower, narrowest.
Extension Exercise:

Pink tower and broad stairs (vertical):

❖ Material:
Pink tower, broad stairs and a mat.

Presentation:

✓ Spread the mat on the floor.

✓ Bring the broad stairs (prisms) to the work place.
✓ Place the thickest prism on the mat with a rectangular side facing you.
✓ Then, place second thickest prism on the first thickest prism.
✓ Arrange all in the same way.
✓ Then, take largest cube of pink tower and close it to the right square side of
the thickest prism.
✓ Place cube gently with both hands and make sure that it completely contact
with the square face of the prism.
✓ Take second cube and place it on the first cube in a way that it contacts
exactly with the side of the second prism.
✓ Continue to assemble the rest of the cubes in the same way.

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Q5: How does Montessori program help develop Tactile Sense?
Ans:

➢ Montessori helps develop Tactile Sense:

Tactile sense is defined as the sense in which the child explore the world through
his sense of touch and always eager to touch. In Montessori school, the directress
values tactile urges and understand their roll in holistic development of the child.
As Montessori states;

“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.”

Tactile exercises are classified into four sets.

▪ Exploring texture
▪ Exploring weight
▪ Exploring temperatures
▪ Exercises of stereognostic sense

❖ Development of tactile sense in children:

In Montessori classroom, Rough and Smooth Boards, Touch Tablets, and Fabric
Box materials are introduced to do tactile exercises. Children use these materials
in order to develop the sense of tactile. Fabric, wood, different grades of
sandpaper, different types of paper, and other materials are also helpful for the
child to learn and explore the experience of touch.

➢ Exploring textures (prerequisite- sensitizing Fingers)

Touch the fabric:

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Material:

Boxes containing square pieces of different fabrics.

Box1) 8 to 10 pairs of fabrics made of neutral materials such as silk, cotton, etc.

Box2) 8 to 10 pairs of fabric made of coarse materials i.e. corduroy, burlap, denim
etc.

Box3) 8 to 0 pairs of fabric made of fine material for instance, chiffon, satin, felt,
etc.

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❖ Exercise:
Bring material to the work place. Then open the box and select the pair of
contrasting fabrics. Feel the fabric by the use of thumb and fingers. Ask child to
feel the fabric. Then go through all of the fabric and feel them afterwards ask
child to do same. Now mix all fabrics and ask place them in single pile. Close your
eyes and tell children that “I am going to match the fabrics with my closed eyes”.
Feel it in the same way as before but with closed eyes and reach to the next
fabric. Now match both fabrics one in each hand and feel each one in the
different hand. Place it in the pile in the case of not matched. Then reach for the
next fabric on the top of the pile. If you think that is matched tell the child that
you think that is matched. Then ask the child to touch both of them in order to
check. Place it to the left of the large pile. Repeat the matching until all have been
matched. Mix them and ask your students to make pairs of fabrics. When he is
done three pair, introduce third one and so on. Finally give the child materials to
work with.

❖ Exploring weight:
In this group, sense of touch is believed as the sense to differentiate textures but
it can also provide information about weight. By doing exercises of baric sense,
children learn to feel different pressure or weight of different objects.

❖ Exploring temperature:

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In this group, children learn to differentiate between hot and cold. They recognize
that hands and skins are used to more than just discerning textures. For example
thermic bottles are prepared to differentiate between cold and hot.

❖ 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. For example;

Sorting trays:

Material:

A tray with three bowls or dishes:

Small dishes are filled with buttons and beans; one type in each bowl.

One large dish will be placed empty in the middle of the tray.

Material should be different in shapes and size.

Exercise:

Place tray in front of the child. 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. Then ask child to feel the object with his eyes
opened and closed. And place it in the large empty dish. Repeat it again for other
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items. The child first checks all these things by their hands and feels them.
Introduce names of each item. Then child closes his eyes or used blindfold, again
feel the items, named it, and then put it into the second tray. Then ask child to
open his eyes and sees how perfectly he has done. Invite children to repeat it.

Q6: Prepare material of Smell Bottle and Mystery Bag and send
it along with your assignment papers.
Ans:
➢ Mystery Bag:
This work presupposes the child already knows that names of each of the objects

Materials:
A bag as attractive as possible with approximately 10 objects that are very
different from each other such as, a key, a cotton ball, a pine cone, a button, a
small basket, etc.

Presentation:
Invite the child or children to come and work with you. Show the child/children
the Mystery Bag and name it for him/them. Tell the child/children that we will be
working with the Mystery Bag today. Bring the bag over to a table and have the
child sit to your left, or if there is a group, have them sit around the table.

Procedure:

▪ Place the bag flat on the table with the opening near you.
▪ Put one of your hands into the bag.
▪ Choose one object to feel.
▪ Feel the object and tell the child/children what you feel, i.e. soft, fluffy,
light, etc.
▪ Once you think you know what you are feeling, say the object’s name out
loud: i.e. “I think this is a cotton ball.”

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 ▪ Pull the object out of the bag and you can say, “Yes! It is a cotton ball.
▪ Place the object to the side of the table.
▪ Allow the child sitting to your left to try.
▪ Remind the child to feel, and then to say the object’s name before taking it
out of the bag.
▪ Once the child has had a turn, allow the next child to have a turn or if there
is only one child, you can have another turn.
▪ If you are working with one child, you can take turns feeling and guessing
the objects in the bag until all of the objects have been chosen.
▪ If you are working with a group, make sure each child has a turn until all of
the objects have been chosen.

Age:
3 1/2 – 4 years
Notes:
Change the objects as often as needed to keep the children’s’ interest.
Use real objects. Do not put any objects in the bag that are sharp, dangerous, or
breakable.

➢ Smell bottles:
Materials
A tray with two sets of opaque jars, each containing a ball of cotton moistened
with substance of different odors: These sets make up four pairs. The tops of each
set should be a different color. The tops should open and close easily.
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Purpose:

If the children have a garden, some herbs and plants with aromatic leaves should
be grown. Flowers should be grown for the sweetness of their scent.

❖ Introduction:
Bring the child to the shelves and show him the smelling jars. Tell the child that
you will be showing him how to use the smelling jars. Have the child carry the tray
to that table, placing the tray in the upper part of the table. Have the child sit to
your left.

❖ Presentation:

The smelling substances (either dry, or liquid applied to a cotton ball) are placed
in small muslin or cotton bags of two contrasting colors, one for each of a pair,
and the tops are sewn up. These are placed inside air tight, transparent bottles. A
different colored dot inside the lid and on the bottom of each pair of bottles can
help the child match the correct lid to each bottle, and also serves as a control of
error.

Dry substances which can be used include any sweet smelling herbs, pot-pourri,
dried lavender, lemon or orange rind, coarsely ground coffee, and spices. Only
substances with a pleasant smell can be used.

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The 12 cylinders are them taken out of the boxes and placed on the rug.

Liquid substances: pleasant smelling liquids are used. Example: Vanilla or other
cooking essence, perfume, rose water, coffee essence, etc.

few drops of a liquid are put on the cotton ball, which is then placed inside the
cloth bag, and into the clear bottle. Two bottles are prepared for each scent, using
contrasting cloth bags.

There are three or four pairs of contrasting scents in a set, but more than one set
could be made. It is not really possible to match more than three or four pairs by
smell, because smell is volatile. If there are too many pairs, everything begins to
smell the same. Smells deteriorate and must be replaced from time to time, and
the containers must be washed before refilling.

***********

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