Why Are the Sensorial Materials an Essential Part of Prepared Environment in a Montessori School? Discuss How to Initiate a Child Into These Exercises with Sensorial Materials.

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“It is necessary to begin the education of senses in the formative period, if we wish to perfect these sense developments with the education which is to follow” Dr. Montessori explains that the child is born with a pre-determined pattern and has sensitive periods; and one of the sensitive periods is learning through five senses. If the child’s sensitive periods are discovered at the right time and he is exposed to Sensorial education, he will be able to perfect his senses and be prepared for tomorrow. Montessori materials are designed to help the child's mind develop the necessary skills for later intellectual learning. “All knowledge comes through the senses” (Aristotle; The Undivine Comedy: Detheologizing Dante, page 153;1) Sensitive periods in a child's life are like windows of opportunities a child gets to learn different skills. The child is extra sensitive to the stimuli it gets to learn a particular skill at those periods. Children absorb this opportunity and through repeated experiences do master the skills. There is an innate intrinsic motivation to learn that skill which is never the same at another time in the child's life. If they are missed, if the child does not get those stimuli, the opportunity is missed forever. This is an important thing to understand and as adults we must be aware so that we can provide help to the child when needed. Although all children experience the same sensitive periods, the sequence and timing vary for each child. One role of the teacher is to use observation to detect times of sensitivity and provide the setting and materials for optimum fulfillment. The sensitive periods are: sensitivity to order, learning through five senses, and sensitivity to small objects, sensitivity to co ordination of movement, sensitivity to language, and sensitivity to social aspect of life. "A child starts from nothing and

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