SENSORIAL:

Aristotle said, “Nothing comes to the intellect which was not first in the senses.” Sensorial materials are the building base of all the rest of the Montessori curriculum. They educate the senses.

Using his/her hands, the child becomes an observer and through the manipulation of objects, he/she feeds the intellect. These materials help a child to isolate a particular quality contained in the material such as discrimination of shape, size, color, sound, touch, smell and taste. These materials also have indirect aims such as the development of the mathematical mind, language, muscle coordination, control of movement, and preparing the hand for writing. These materials help the child move from the concrete to the abstract level. Abstraction is never forced; it is a point the child arrives at him/herself.

Exercises in this area teaches a child perception, observation, fine discrimination, and classification. Children develop their sense of logic and concentration through sensory training. Begins at preschool age 3 years old through Kindergarten 5 years old.

Discrimination of length, width, and height

Discrimination of volume
Discrimination in multiple dimensions

Discrimination among color tones

Discrimination among geometric shapes for shape and size

Discrimination among solid geometric shapes by sight and touch

Solving of complex abstract puzzles in three dimensions

Discrimination of intensity and nature of sounds

Discrimination among musical tones

Discrimination of texture by touch

Discrimination of weight by touch

Discrimination of temperature by touch

Discrimination of scents


Sensory training helps older students to:

Accurate observation of the natural world.
Culinary discrimination

Artistic and musical appreciation

Architectural appreciation