This area deals with the exploration and refinement of the five senses.
Montessori designed each piece of equipment to specifically isolate and
focus a particular sense. This is achieved by using objects that are identical apart from one variable quality.
The child has to focus a particular sense in order to complete the activities. Montessori believed that by focusing the senses, a child’s powers of observation and discrimination are developed so that they become more aware of their environment and more receptive to learning.
One of the pieces of equipment designed to refine the visual sense is the Pink Tower. The cubes of the tower are identical in colour but each one varies slightly in dimension. The child has to build the tower starting with the biggest cube and ending with the smallest. The fact that the cubes are all one colour enables the child to focus on the difference in dimension. By handling the cubes in the tower, he also “feels” dimension.
|
