Saima Sadaf

DK2222

Assignment Module#3
1. Write a comprehensive on the importance of sensorial exercises?

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.
Saima Sadaf
DK2222

(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.

(8) 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.
Saima Sadaf
DK2222

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.
Saima Sadaf
DK2222

2. What is Stereognostic sense and how can we develop it?

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
(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.
Saima Sadaf
DK2222

(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.
(viii) Invite children to repeat it.

(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.

(b) Presentation
(i) Ask the child to come and work with you.
(ii) Show and tell the name of mystery bag to students.
(iii) Ask them to sit in the semi-circle.
(iv) 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.
(v) 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.
(vi) Then, pull the object out of the bag and checked whether you were
right or wrong. If right then say, yes! That’s right.
(vii) Repeat it with all children till all objects are done.
Saima Sadaf
DK2222

To sum up, Stereognostic sense exercises are very helpful for children to develop
Stereognostic sense.
3. Write a note on Three Period lesson and memory games?

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.

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

Third Period What is this? Which cube is bigger? Which cube is

Saima Sadaf
DK2222

biggest?
Mystery Box material for excercise
Saima Sadaf
DK2222

Picture 5: Mystery bag

Picture 5: Things inside Mystery Bag