Students use the knobless cylinders to explore size and form
Dr. Montessori was a trained scientist who valued observation as a tool used throughout her career, and it is still central to the practice of Montessori educators today. Montessori also believed that children should be given "the power and means for this observation...through education of the senses."
In order to foster this development, she created many materials especially designed for this purpose. At the Children's House, the Sensorial materials are found in the basement, each isolating one of the five senses. Additionally, these materials are self-correcting, therefore simultaneously promoting independence.
Sensorial materials also offer the opportunity for language and vocabulary lessons (for example: thick, thicker, thickest; thin, thinner, thinnest; names of two- and three-dimensional shapes; identification of colors).
The Sensorial materials can be combined in various ways to extend this exploration with increasingly complex comparisons.
Children work side by side with materials that highlight different senses. By observing one another, children are inspired to try new things, make connections and learn from their peers.
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