It's very easy to create a fabric basket to use with a Montessori sensorial lesson. It's a great sensorial and language work for your preschooler. The basket includes same size pairs of fabrics. In our case, the basket is a derivative of the traditional Montessori fabric basket. I included different fabric designs, but traditional Montessori is same color, same size, and different textured pairs.
Fabric Basket Montessori Sensorial Lesson
To introduce this work to your child, first include only one of each pair. Sit with your child and go through each fabric using “economy of words”. So, you would say, “Striped. Spotted.” Then add the other part of the pair and categorize the fabrics by finding the match. Do this step with the child first, then allow the child a turn.
I also prepared fabrics of different textures that to introduce with a blindfold (to isolate the quality). Invite the child to feel each piece of fabric and describe with economy of words, “Rough. Bumpy. Smooth. Soft.”
The Traditional Fabric Matching Work Presentation
This work belongs in the Sensorial area of a Montessori classroom and typically holds the same color and same sized fabrics of different textures. Here is how you would present the traditional Fabric Matching work:
“Today, I would like to show you some new work, fabric feeling. Let’s go wash our hands first.”
Lay the fabrics neatly on the mat in a single horizontal line.
Feel a few fabrics intently. Look away to emphasize that you are doing the work with your hands and not your eyes.
“Now I want to find a match. I want to find two fabrics that are the same. I want to match this fabric using just my fingers, not my eyes.”
Isolate one of the fabrics at the lower left of the mat.
Feel the contrasting fabric, and then put it down. Feel the control, and then put it down. If you have found a match, feel the fabric again and place it next to the control. “These two are the same. They match,” and place one on top of the other.
Move the matched pair to one side and match the rest.
Offer the child a turn.
Have you created your own fabric matching basket for this Montessori sensorial lesson? What fabrics and textures did you include?