Material
A drawstring bag made of beautiful fabric.
A number of small objects, rotated from time to time:
e.g. a key, small comb, walnut, marble, feather, sea shell, toy car, paper clip, lego, pinecone, birthday candle, wooden bead, cookie cutter, sponge, small bottle, cotton ball, coin, small spoon, brush, etc.
Presentation
- Invite the child to the lesson, demonstrate how to hold the bag, and ask the child to take it to the table.
- Slowly open the bag.
- Explain to the child that you are going to put your hand in the bag and carefully find an object.
- Explain to the child that you are not going to take the object out yet and that you are not going to look inside the bag.
- With the object in your hand, describe to the child how it feels, using descriptive words as you feel the texture, temperature, shape, weight, etc.
- Once it has been described, make an educated guess at what you think it is.
- Remove the object from the bag and see what it is.
- Place the object on the table and invite the child to explore the object.
- Repeat this process for a couple more objects.
- Invite the child to place his hand inside the bag and do as you did, feeling an object, describing it, and inferring what it might be.
- You might stay for a short while to hear the child describe a few objects before you leave him to work independently.
Exercises
Independent work as shown.
Language
This lesson is an accumulation of sensorial language, such as: rough, smooth, warm, cool, hot, cold, heavy, light, round, long, short, etc.
Control of Error
Visual upon removing the object from the bag.
Direct Purpose
Refinement of the stereognostic sense.
Applying the language of sensorial.
Mental visualization.
Age
4 1/2 to 5
Notes
You want many items to rotate in and out of the bag, changing about half of them at a time.
It’s wise for you and the child to wash hands before using this material.