Montessori Sensorial gives order to a child's environment. The materials isolate a specific quality and guide the child to better understand the world by “organizing” all that he is soaking up in his environment. I have written on Montessori Sensorial philosophy in the past. I hope you take the time to read up on Dr. Montessori's thoughts. Below is a lesson on the Montessori Color Tablets.
The Color Tablets are the 6th material in the sequence following Knobbed Cylinders, the Pink Tower, the Broad Stair, the Red Rods and the Knobless Cylinders, each building upon developing the child's Visual Sense.
The Color Tablets Lesson
Say to the child: “We hold the color tablets by the handles so the colors won’t get dirty.”
- Carry box with both hands on each side of the box. Place in center of the mat.
- Use the 3-finger-grip of the left hand on the left corner, and 3-finger-grip of the right hand on the right corner.
- Lift each tablet out from the box and arrange randomly on the work mat. Once empty, place the box on top of the lid.
Presentation I: Matching the Color Tablets
- Study the tablets. Move the matching tablet about ¼ inch to the right of the first one.
- Continue until all pairs have been matched. Check work. Offer the child a turn.
- Return tablets to box, in pairs, or move on to Presentation II.
Presentation II: Naming the Tablets
- Use the 3-period lesson
- “This is red, can you say red? This is blue, can you say blue?”
- “Which one is red? Which one is blue?”
- “What is this?” Point at red. “What is this?” Point at blue.
- Mix them up again. Add the yellow tablets.
- “This is red. This is blue. This is yellow.”
- “Can you show me the…?”
- “What is this? What is this? What is this?”
- Return tablets to box.
Best,
Marnie