Sensorial

Sensorial activities are fundamental to the Montessori method as Maria Montessori believed everything came through the senses. At the Waverley Montessori Preschool develop children’s sensorial skills by introducing them to activities from early on that will help them be logical, aware and perceptive. These activities encourage children to identify patterns, discrimination and order.

The pink tower (often the children’s favourite activity) develop children’s discrimination of sizes. The cubes decrease in size by one centimetre and children build a tower from largest to smallest. The knobless cylinders (green cylinders above) take this on step further and refine their discrimination skills. This activity also targets fine motor skills  and concentration. The rod rods also refines children’s discrimination skills as children order the rods from longest to shortest (length). The colour box encourages children to identify colours and grade colours from darkest to lightest.

Mathematics

Mathematics is introduced to each child at the Waverley Montessori Preschool from early on. It is important that children understand the concept of the numbers to ten – this is the foundation of mathematics in Montessori. We have a range of Montessori equipment and the children understand that each number represents a certain quantity. The equipment helps children visualise the concepts concretely rather than working with abstract ideas.

The rods and numeral cards activity assist children in associating quantities with the number symbol. The cards and counters activity above (green dots) also introduce the children to the concept of odd and even numbers – the odd numbers being the ones that have a dot without a partner. The spindle boxes introduce children to the concept of zero and loose units making up a number quantity.

Once the children master their counting and understanding of the numbers to ten, they are introduced to more complex concepts such as the decimal system and the teens and tens.