Sensorial

For understanding the scientific foundation of the Montessori materials, the “ Sensorial” materials provide a natural means of discrimination (seeing, hearing or feeling differences in the environment), thus trying to understand life through the five senses. The word, sensorial, is limited in use to Montessori philosophy but describes to us the sensate foundation for children to understand their world. Even the young toddler can find visual matches in his environment and builds meaning and order for himself through his vision as well as hearing, touching, tasting and smelling. Dr. Montessori’s genius for creating materials to classify and organize the environment is abundantly clear in her sensorial materials. Large-small, short-long, thin-thick materials help the child to make sense of his world, therefore building on his natural self-confidence and independence.