Montessori Sensorial: Thermic Tablets

Montessori Thermic Tablets are a Sensorial material that defines the child’s haptic sense. Children truly enjoy this work and you can purchase or create the materials at a reasonable price.

These Five Senses books from Montessori Services are a great way to introduce the senses and a new lesson (or simply to leave on the shelf) to children.

Thermic Tablets Lesson

Thermic Tablets Lesson: Presentation I

• Use only the two most contrasting pairs (felt and steel)
• “Would you like to have a lesson with the thermic tablets? Let’s go wash hands first.”
• “These are the thermic tablets. Can you say thermic?”
• Carry the box to the work area and place it in the center of the table.

• Remove the lid and place it in the upper left corner of the work area.
• Remove tablets one at a time by grasping the top edges with a 3-finger-grip.
• Lifting tablet from the box, grasping bottom edge with a 3-finger-grip when it clears the box
• Arrange from left to right in a horizontal line

Touch the index and third finger of the dominant hand to the center of each tablet, moving from left to right, slowly and thoughtfully: “Would you like to touch the tablets?”

• Randomize the tablets in a horizontal line: “Now let’s see if we can find a match.”
• Isolate the left tablet by moving it down and to the left. Touch it once in the center.
• Touch each of the tablets once in the center until you find a match.

• Move the match slightly out of line.
• Touch the control, then the match: “These two match, they are a pair.”
• Move the matched pair to the left below the box and match the remaining pair.
• Recheck both pairs by touching the center once of the left and then the right tablet belonging to the same pair: “They all match. Shall I mix these up now and you can have a turn to match them?”

Thermic Tablets Lesson: Presentation II

Add the wood pair, then the slate pair

Thermic Tablets Lesson: Presentation III

• “Let’s wash our hands.”
• Remove tablets with 3-finger-grip:“These are … (wood, steel, felt, slate).”
• Place them in random order in a horizontal line.

• “I will find the coolest.” Feel the whole line, then move the two coolest aside to the left.
• “Now I will find the warmest.” Feel the remaining tablets and isolate the warmest. Place at the right of the new line.
• “I’ll find the next coolest now.”
• Feel the remaining tablet. “This is the next to warmest.” Move the tablet beside the warmest tablet.
• Check the order by touching each tablet once in the center, moving from left to right.
• Randomize the tablets. Offer the child a turn: “Would you like to grade the thermic tablets from warmest to coolest?”

Best,
Marnie