Sensorial

Abstract concepts (eg. colour, weight, length, texture) are materialised into concrete materials so that the child can experience a particular idea directly. The abstraction is a key to universe. These materials were designed to spark an interest within the child and to stimulate his thirst to learn. The information in the material is intentionally limited in scope; it is meant to wet his appetite to know more.

Each exercise isolates one idea, concept, or difficulty. Meanwhile, the qualities that the child should not be focused on are maintained consistently to prevent distraction. For example, in the Tasting Bottles, all of the liquids are colourless and odourless; every aspect that we do want the child to pay attention to is uniform but what we do want him to focus on (difference in taste) is different. When we observe the child manipulating the material as intended, then it is evident that the child perceive the abstraction because he is manipulating the embedded idea.

The qualities of the materials are related so that there is a measurable, scientific difference between them. Objects of every single group represent the same quality in different degrees. For example, the cubes of the Pink Tower increase by 1 cm³.

The material has a natural conclusion and a clear outcome. By design, the 0-6 child naturally seeks out order; for him, an error is like a disruption in the mind. This allows the child to check his own work, to analyse, and solve any problems that arise. Without looking for external approval or confirmation, the child is able to work independently of the adult - building self-esteem and self-discipline. The child can begin to trust his own opinion; he develops his own way of thinking and feels confident with his own judgment and perception of his surroundings. With this strength in morality, the child follows the way of his own.

The Sensory materials help to draw the child’s eye to see gross differences, followed by unit differences; the relationship between qualities precedes the even finer relationship of quantification. The 0-6 child’s sensitivity to order corresponds to the natural sequence of the numbers, one to ten. This is used repeatedly in the Sensorial exercises to reinforce the natural idea of a ten-based system. The materials convey the unit increment, allowing the child to experience consistency and to see the differences and gradation; this is the preparation for studying sequence and progression of quantities in Mathematics. Geometry is explored at length, including the names of shapes and three-dimensional solids. Further lessons involve equivalences, sliding figures, flipping figures, and finding area. Also, after the work of matching and grading, each Sensory exercise extends into a language lesson in both English and Chinese. The child’s understanding of each word is deepened because he is allowed to experience the idea through the sense first. The child’s vocabulary expands with qualitative adjectives (eg. thick, thin), followed by comparative language (eg. thicker, thinner), and superlative language (eg. thickest, thinnest). With intention, the teacher will give different children different lessons, and let them share the information with one another as they work together; this social exchange greatly enhances the children’s learning experience.