Montessori Sensorial

The sensorial materials are sets of objects designed to educate the senses. In addition, and perhaps even more important, they also appear to assist the child's concentration, ability to make judgments, move with purpose. Maria Montessori was greatly influenced by the ideas of his two predecessors – Jean Itard and Edouard Seguin. She took the idea of introducing didactic materials and the three period name lessons to the child in Sensorial curriculum from Seguin. In fact, it was Seguin who first followed the scientific method of teaching, which was later adopted by Dr. Montessori in a more concise and modified form. She also took the idea of isolating one sense. 1

“The sensorial materials establish a solid basis for the language and mathematical materials to follow. Materials introducing literacy and numeracy (numerical understanding) to the children do not represent subject matter for the children to “learn” in the usual sense. When feasible the sensorial materials are composed of sets ten objects, giving the children an indirect exposure to the basis of the decimal system. They also represent basic measurement designations and geometrical shapes. Ten rods represent variations in length, ranging from decimeter to a meter. A hexagonal box shows that a hexagon can be made of equilateral triangles, trapezoids and rhombi.” 2

Understanding how to conduct a three period lesson is fundamental to Montessori teaching. Teachers begin using the Three Period lesson when introducing sensorial material. It is initially used to teach properties such as size but is also effective in using geometric names for shapes or so. It is a simple tool for the teacher to use and an effective learning procedure for the child. Allow the child to use the material for several times before introducing the vocabulary. “Dr. Maria Montessori emphasizes that there is a period which comes before the three periods of Seguin. This is the period when the child works alone with the