Sensorial Theory Paper Introduction

Sensorial work aims to enhance a child’s acquisition of information that is not only conscious, but also clear in a way that enables the child to make sense of the environment and create or fashion classifications. It is important to note that Maria Montessori was of the opinion that a child’s sensorial experiences commenced at birth and that a child’s study of the environment takes place through these senses. This text concerns itself with sensory education. Amongst other things, it will highlight sensory education mechanisms and define the role of teachers in sensory education. Further, the text will also restate the relevance of sensory education and how it leads a child to abstraction.

Sensory Education: Background

Sensory education does not have an assigned definition. This is to say that no standard definition for sensory education exists. In that regard, therefore, it would be prudent to rely on Maria Montessori’s theories on education in an attempt to note only make sense of education, but also develop a definitive definition of sensory education. It should be noted, from the onset, that some of the theories Maria Montessori developed on education are largely founded on the thoughts and ideas of other scholars such as Froebel and Sequin. As she points out in the text titled, Dr. Montessori’s Own Handbook, Sequin was successful in attempts to teach idiots, amongst other things, “….to feel, beginning the education of the muscular sensations by touching, and reading the difference of temperature, and ending with the education of the senses” (Montessori 41). According to Maria Montessori, one of the key assets in relation to the learning of a child has got do with the utilization of a child’s five senses to experience the world. As Maria Montessori further pointed out, knowledge acquisition, as well as problem solving and critical thinking skills in children begin with the movement as well as manipulation of their senses. Towards this end, Maria Montessori proposed a model of sensory education that would permit children to engage in practical hands-on engagements that required children to further enhance their intellectual abilities by way of tuning their five senses (Montessori 175). This approach to learning is logical largely because it permits and encourages the active participation of children in knowledge acquisition. As a matter of fact, when children are encouraged to interact with the environment via the utilization of their senses, they effectively become active (as opposed to passive) participants in the knowledge acquisition process.

Maria Montessori observed that at specific stages during their development, children tend to have a heightened predisposition to the acquisition of some specified skills. Maria Montessori refereed to the said phases as ‘sensitive periods’ (Montessori 203). It should be noted that whereas sensitive periods happen to be transitory in nature, the amount of time each stage takes is largely dependent upon how long the child takes in a specific developmental stage. In basic terms, these periods ought to be viewed as ‘learning readiness’ phases as the child may engage in repetitive actions until he or she develops or learns a new skill. Towards this end, there were several (six to be specific) sensitive periods that were highlighted by Maria Montessori. These include; sensitivity to order, sensitivity to language, sensitivity to walking, sensitivity to the social aspects of life, sensitivity to small objects, and finally sensitivity to learning through the senses (Povell 211).

Children ought to have the necessary skills as well as knowledge so as to play a meaningful role in the society. Maria Montessori was of the opinion that sensory education was the key towards this end. This is more so the case given that sensory education permits children to develop independence as well as self-discipline. According to Maria Montessori, skills and knowledge acquired this way at a young age meant that children would grow to be responsible individuals who would engage in a process of lifelong learning, without necessarily requiring or being in need of the intervention of a teacher. In Maria Montessori’s own words, given that the child in this case “learns to move rather than to sit still, he prepares himself not for the school, but for life; for he becomes able, through habit and through practice, to perform easily and correctly the simple acts of social or community life” (Montessori 87).

According to Maria Montessori, the relevance of practical knowledge in knowledge acquisition cannot be overstated....

Towards this end, Maria Montessori advanced the need to lay down strategies meant to enable children experience the satisfaction that emanated from being active participants in their own education. In Maria Montessori’s words, the goal of education ought to be making “it possible for children to achieve the satisfaction of their own individual aims and desires” (Montessori, 97). The acquisition of knowledge, and thus education (as per Maria Montessori’s theories) is life. Towards this end, education (in general) results from our interactions with the environment and the experiences that we gather from such interactions. This is, in essence, what develops our perception of the world and forms the basis for meaningful and informed interaction with the society. In that regard, therefore, the more an individual interacts with the environment around him via the utilization of various tools availed to him, the more prepared he becomes for future interactions with the society.
In the final analysis, it should be noted that Maria Montessori’s version of knowledge acquisition involved sensory education, environmental manipulation, enhanced self-discipline, as well as the development of meaningful and practical life skills. In this framework, these factors ought to be viewed as being of great relevance in seeking to promote not only active learning, but also lifelong knowledge acquisition.

The Mechanism of Sensory Education

Maria Montessori was of the opinion that children required human tendencies to advance as well as develop in a fashion that could be deemed natural or real. The said human tendencies include, but they are not limited to, the desire to have order, reflect, and adopt corrective measures (Povell 107). On this basis, Maria Montessori sought to extend the interests of children using various materials which, in her opinion, would come in handy in seeking to satisfy the identified human tendencies in children. The materials she developed in this case sought to appeal or entice each sense. It is for this reason that she ensured that certain attributes of the materials were appropriately isolated so as to make the refinement of the relevant senses possible. The said attributes included, but they were not limited to, shape, size, as well as color.

It is important to note that in an attempt to address all the qualities that the senses could perceive, Maria Montessori proposed materials that were deemed instrumental in the building of the visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, stereo gnostic, baric, thermic, and muscular senses of children. To begin with, the visual sense has got to do with a child’s abilities to use his or her eyes to tell differences between objects. In that regard, therefore, the materials of relevance in this case include pink tower, broad stair, red rods, knobless cylinders, and color tablets (Isaacs 78). For instance, with regard to the red rods, the said rods vary in length and the child learns to make use of his or her eyes to assess length. Next, we have the auditory sense and related sensorial activities. In this case, the target sense happens to that of hearing. The child, therefore, is supposed to develop the ability to discriminate between various sounds using his or her ears. It is important to note that in this case, sound boxes comprise of the Montessori works in this particular category (Isaacs 78). When it comes to the olfactory sense, the focus is on enabling the child to differentiate between various smells. Towards this end, we have such items as smelling bottles and smelling trays (Isaacs 79).

Fourth, the gustatory sense has got to do with taste. In this case, the child ought to learn how to discriminate tastes. For instance, a child should tell that bitter and sweet are different tastes using their tongue as the central organ for tasting. The materials of relevance on this front are tasting trays and tasting bottles (Isaacs 79). Fifth, when it comes to the tactile sense, the focus is on touch. The central body part in this case is the hand, particularly the fingertips. In exploring various surfaces, the child should be able to tell the difference between a rough and a smooth surface. The materials of relevance in this case, therefore, include touch boards, touch tablets, and fabric boxes (Isaacs 78). In basic terms, the stereo gnostic sense is largely founded on the ability of the child to discriminate between 3-dimensional items. On this sense Maria Montessori pointed out that a movement impression is integrated into the movement of an arm or hand around or about a specific object. In her own words, “such an impression is attributed to a special, sixth sense, which is called…