Miniature objects are some of the most cherished items in the Montessori classroom. Both teachers and parents have seen preschoolers with full pockets of small found objects. Montessori explains this phenomenon as a sensitive period for small objects. Children in preschool are extremely focused on small objects and items in their environment because they are developing the skills of observation and fine motor manipulation. By adding small, intriguing objects to the environment, you can offer a variety of experiences for your children to work on. Some ways to consistently use these items in your classroom is through sorting, classification or object matching. In this newsletter we will give a few examples of ways you can incorporate small items into the work in the Montessori classroom.
The sensitive period for miniature objects is from the ages of one through four. During this stage, children are deeply focused on observing all small objects. This could be anything from little rocks to weeds, to seemingly every speck of dirt on the floor. By observing small details of objects in their environment, a child grows cognitively and can understand more complex topics later on.
When children are learning early reading skills, they need practice with sorting and classification. Adding small objects with this objective in mind is important work to have throughout the classroom. The fruits and vegetables sorting work is a great way to teach vocabulary of fruits and vegetables while also promoting the practice of sorting and classification. You can also add miniature animals in a wide range of work within the classroom from early vocabulary games to animal classification work.
In the language area, using objects is a fantastic way to expand vocabulary and isolate sounds. Whether you are using the A-Z language objects to isolate the beginning sound, or rhyming sets to focus on endings, children are naturally interested in works that include small objects.
