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Sound Cylinders are a piece of the Montessori Sensorial curriculum specifically within the Auditory sense.
DIY Montessori Materials – Sound Bottles
The products made by amazing Montessori companies like Nienhuis and Bruins are beautifully made and I drool whenever I am in the company of any of their products. However, there are some Montessori materials that are easy to do yourself. Sound cylinders are one example.
Materials:
- Small Cardboard boxes – I used jewelry boxes. Joann Fabrics has a number of options. Small paper mache cylinder-shaped boxes would be perfect.
- Glue & Glue Gun (or tape if you are brave)
- Objects to place inside your boxes
- Small stickers or a marker to mark the box indicating pairs
- A tray or basket for presenting the activity
Approach:
- I started with 6 sound boxes, 3 pairs. Ideally, for children ready for it, you have twelve sound boxes total with 6 pairs.
- Separate out pairs and place a star or some mark indicating the boxes are pairs.
- Fill pairs with identical amounts of objects. In our case, I used salt, beans, and pasta. Close boxes and glue boxes shut
- Allow time to dry
- Present in a basket or tray
Presentations:
- The first time you’re introducing the sound boxes to your child, simply take the time to listen to the sounds. Use only one box of the pair, and place the others aside (I wouldn’t even bring them out to my child). Shake the box to your ear, then ask your child: “Would you like to hear the sounds?”
- The next presentation would be to use TWO pairs: the loudest and the smallest.
- The next presentation would be to use additional pairs to match the sounds.
- The final presentation is to grade the sounds. Find the loudest sound first then the softest. Move back and forth from loudest to softest until you have a row from loudest to softest (left to right). Then ask your child if he would like to arrange the cylinders from loudest to softest.
Tips:
- Introduce the activity first to your child through a demonstration
- Ask your child if he would like to hear the sounds
- Shake the bottle or box near your right ear and shake three times. Lift the box carefully and slowly with a 3-finger grip.
- Supplement this exercise with a few great books like Look, Listen, Taste, Touch, and Smell: Learning About Your Five Senses by Pamela Hill Nettleton, My Five Senses by Aliki, and one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES, The Listening Walk by Paul Showers.
Thank you for choosing to read this post today. I hope that we inspired you. Warmly,
Marnie