Tactile Sense

In Tactile sense child learns to perceive his world via touch. For young children, the sense of touch is a
key to understanding the world around them. Encourage touch and exploration, discussing what your
child is touching. Is it "rough" or "smooth"? Is it "bumpy" or "silky"? Use rich descriptive words that will
teach your child the language to describe what he feels. It is to be remembered that these games are of
the greatest importance in the method, because upon them, in union with the exercises for the
movement of the hand, we base the acquisition of writing.

Tactile Exercises are divided into four classifications:

Sense

Classifications

Different Exercises

Tactile Sense

Exploring Textures:

Touch Board, Touch Tablets, Touch the Fabric

Exploring Weight:

Baric Tablets

Exploring Temperatures:

Thermic Bottles, Thermic Tablets

Exercises of Stereognostic

Sense:

Sorting Trays, Mystery Bags, Puzzle Maps, Sandpaper Globe

How Montessori program help to develop Tactile Sense:

In Montessori program, materials such as the Rough and Smooth (Touch) Boards, Touch Tablets, and
Fabric Box are some of the first touch materials that child will use. Look for fabric, wood, different
grades of sandpaper, different types of paper, and other materials that help your child learn about the
language and explore the experience of touch.

Note: For all different exercises mention above the pre-requisite is to sensitize fingers. Below mention
few exercises and how to do it.

Exploring Textures: Touch Tablets:

Materials: One box having five pairs of wooden tablets with gradations of roughness. A blindfold.

Procedure:

Ø Take out two to three pairs with greater contrast and put it on the table.

Ø Mix them and then pick one tablet at a time feel it in hand, lightly stroke it and then put aside.

Ø Tell the child “I am going to find the one which is just like this”.

Ø Find the other tablet and put it with previous one. Allow child to feel the similarity.

Ø Repeat this exercise with all the rest tablets. Now again repeat this exercise while using blindfold.
Now again mix the tablets and allow child to do this himself.

Here child learn a tactile sense to differentiate between rough and smooth. The blindfold will help the
child to focus on his attention upon one sense. Children learn the vocabulary by three period-lesson.
Vocabulary: rough and roughest

Directress plays five memory games with the child.

Exploring Weight: Baric Tablets:

Materials: Three separate boxes having six to eight wooden tablets. Each set is a different weight, color
and wood from each other. Tablets are however same in shape and size. A blindfold.

Procedure:

Ø Bring two boxes on table which contains heaviest and lightest tablets.

Ø Directress shows the child how to hold the tablet in palm of a hand.

Ø Feel the heaviest tablet and also let the child to feel it. After that child can handle the tablet himself.
Now again repeat this exercise while using blindfold.

Here child learn a tactile sense to differentiate between the weights and later on for mathematics. The
blindfold will help the child to focus on his attention upon one sense. Children learn the vocabulary by
three period-lesson. Vocabulary: Heaviest and lightest

Directress plays five memory games with the child.

Exploring Temperature: Thermic Bottles:

Materials: Four pairs of metal containers, each pair containing water at various temperatures.

Bottle Pair 1: 37°(Room temperature), Bottle Pair 2: 27°(tap water), Bottle Pair 3: 17°(Refrigerated
water), Bottle Pair 4: 47°(warm water), Cool refrigerator water, tap water.

Procedure: Directress prepares bottles.

Ø Take out first set of bottles have the child feel the bottles one at a time. Tell the child that “I am
finding the bottle which has the same temperature”. Put bottles in a line and let the child take the
bottles and feel it.

Ø Repeat with second set, third and fourth. Mix them and line up and let the child do it by

himself under directress supervision.

Here child learn a tactile sense to differentiate between different temperatures. Children learn the
vocabulary by three period-lesson. Vocabulary: Hot and cold. Directress plays five memory games with
the child.