Sensorial materials help a child develop an awareness of physical qualities in their environment and build a foundation for future learning. Sensorial activities appeal to all the different learning styles, making this one of the most critical areas of Montessori education.
So what is sensorial in Montessori? Sensorial activities focus on the five senses (touch, smell, sight, taste, and sound) and how they can be used to help children learn. It is essential because it helps children develop their senses and explore the world.
Montessori Sensorial lessons
Sensorial lessons are based on the five senses and are an essential part of early childhood education because they help children develop their ability to learn.
Children can’t use their senses until they’re about one year old, but it’s an excellent way to experience the world around them and learn new things once they do.
For example: if we want our children to recognize colors, then we’ll show them different colored objects, or if we want the children to remember numbers, then we’ll show them numbers with various things.
An excellent sensory activity should include both hands so that both sides of your baby’s brain get involved in exploring objects which will help them develop better balance later on in life.”
Sensorial Exercises
visual sense activities
Visual sense activities can help students learn about the world around them and how to interact with it. These activities are also helpful for teaching students about the different colors, shapes, and sizes that exist in the world around them.
In addition to these basic concepts, visual sense activities can also help students learn about different types of textures and materials.
Touch Exercises
Touch exercises are the most important for children, and these exercises are essential to their development, both emotionally and intellectually.
Tactile sensory integration is an integral part of child development in the first 2 years of life. It gives babies a sense of safety and security as they learn to explore their environment, discover cause-and-effect relationships, and build motor skills.
This can help them feel more secure about themselves and develop trust in others at a young age.
Auditory Sense
The auditory sense is the capability to hear. Montessori exercises for this sense include:
- Listening to music
- Listening to the sound of animals
- Listening to the sound of water
Smell Exercises
In Montessori schools worldwide, children spend many hours smelling different scents. They learn to distinguish between them, and they know their names in several languages: English, Spanish, and French.
They also learn how to arrange flowers in vases according to the color and scent of each one of them. This way, they can make bouquets with a very personal touch.
Taste Exercises
Taste exercises may include trying new foods or familiar foods in new ways. For example, you might taste food that you usually wouldn’t eat. Or you might explore a dish that’s already a favorite by trying it with an unfamiliar spice or seasoning.
You can also reflect on what things taste like: Is the flavor sweet? Sour? Spicy?
Another way to practice tasting is by experimenting with different types of liquid-water, juice, and milk are just a few examples.
Have fun combining flavors to create your unique concoctions.
These exercises are not to teach children how to cook or prepare meals but rather to allow them to expand their sensory experiences while learning about healthy eating habits along the way.
Montessori Sensorial Philosophy
Sensorial materials are used to engage and develop the senses. They are not teaching tools but rather materials that allow children to explore and discover independently.
Sensorial materials support children in developing their bodies, minds, feelings, emotions, eyesight, and hearing.
These types of materials provide an ideal environment for children to learn about themselves.
Montessori Sensorial Materials
The Pink Tower
This is one of the most popular tactile materials in a Montessori classroom because it has many different aspects for children to explore with their hands and fingers.
Children have fun stacking these pieces onto each other or pouring them onto the floor and making patterns with them on their own time.
Staircase
Another popular item used in classrooms today is a set of stairs because they stimulate two senses at once, touch and sight.
Children love climbing up these steps while holding onto their favorite stuffed animal or dolly, so they don’t fall down like before when they were younger.
Touch Boards
Touch boards are a great way to introduce the child to mathematics. They are typically made up of a series of numbered wooden blocks shaped like other geometric shapes.
The blocks come in different colors, and each block has a number on it. It is essential that you have several sets of touch boards so that your child can explore them at different times, as they will learn more when they have time to explore the materials than if they were only able to play with them for five minutes at a time.
Stamp Game
The stamp game is an activity that helps introduce the child to the world of mathematics.
It is played by placing a number of small objects on a tray and asking the child, “How many?” The child then points to each object and names its quantity.
In this way, you can teach your child how to count and order numbers and understand the concept of zero.
This game teaches a very important math lesson, understanding how large or small something is by comparing it to another object.
This is critical when learning how much change you get back from buying something at the store!
Summary
Try out some of these at home with your child, or take them with you on a trip to the zoo or museum.
You can use any object with interesting properties, from feathers to balls, and start asking your child questions such as “What happens when I hold up this feather?” or “What do I see when I look through the lens?” There are endless possibilities for fun science-based activities with just basic materials around the house. So get creative and enjoy.
FAQs
What is the goal of sensorial in Montessori? The main purpose of sensorial in Montessori is to develop the senses and imagination.
What are the sensory skills? They are your ability to see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. You use these skills every day to make sense of the world around you and how it changes over time.