How does Montessori program help develop tactile sense?
Tactile sense is defined as the sense in which the child explore the world through his sense of touch and always eager to touch. In Montessori school, the directress values tactile urges and understand their roll in holistic development of the child. As Montessori states;
“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.”
Tactile exercises are classified into four sets.
Exploring texture
Exploring weight
Exploring temperatures
Exercises of stereognostic sense
Development of tactile sense in children:
In Montessori classroom, Rough and Smooth Boards, Touch Tablets, and Fabric Box materials are introduced to do tactile exercises. Children use these materials in order to develop the sense of tactile. Fabric, wood, different grades of sandpaper, different types of paper, and other materials are also helpful for the child to learn and explore the experience of touch.
Exploring textures (prerequisite-
sensitizing Fingers)
Touch the fabric:
Material:
Boxes containing square pieces of different fabrics.
Box1) 8 to 10 pairs of fabrics made of neutral materials such as silk, cotton, etc.
Box2) 8 to 10 pairs of fabric made of coarse materials i.e. corduroy, burlap, denim etc.
Box3) 8 to 0 pairs of fabric made of fine material for instance, chiffon, satin, felt, etc.
Exercise:
Bring material to the work place.
Then open the box and select the pair of contrasting fabrics.
Feel the fabric by the use of thumb and fingers.
Ask child to feel the fabric.
Then go through all of the fabric and feel them afterwards ask child to do same.
Now mix all fabrics and ask place them in single pile.
Close your eyes and tell children that “I am going to match the fabrics with my closed eyes”.
Feel it in the same way as before but with closed eyes and reach to the next fabric.
Now match both fabrics one in each hand and feel each one in the different hand.
Place it in the pile in the case of not matched.
Then reach for the next fabric on the top of the pile.
If you think that is matched tell the child that you think that is matched.
Then ask the child to touch both of them in order to check.
Place it to the left of the large pile.
Repeat the matching until all have been matched.
Mix them and ask your students to make pairs of fabrics.
When he is done three pair, introduce third one and so on.
Finally give the child materials to work with.
Exploring weight:
In this group, sense of touch is believed as the sense to differentiate textures but it can also provide information about weight. By doing exercises of baric sense, children learn to feel different pressure or weight of different objects.
Exploring temperature:
In this group, children learn to differentiate between hot and cold. They recognize that hands and skins are used to more than just discerning textures. For example thermic bottles are prepared to differentiate between cold and hot.
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. For example;
Sorting trays:
Material:
A tray with three bowls or dishes:
Small dishes are filled with buttons and beans; one type in each bowl.
One large dish will be placed empty in the middle of the tray.
Material should be different in shapes and size.
Exercise:
Place tray in front of the child.
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.
Then ask child to feel the object with his eyes opened and closed. And place it in the large empty dish.
Repeat it again for other items.
The child first checks all these things by their hands and feels them. Introduce names of each item.
Then child closes his eyes or used blindfold, again feel the items, named it, and then put it into the second tray.
Then ask child to open his eyes and sees how perfectly he has done.
Invite children to repeat it.
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