Material
- First Board: A rectangular board. One half is very shiny wood or paper, the other half is a medium sandpaper. Note, you do not want this too course because the children will not want to use it if it is painful to touch.
- Second Board: A rectangular Board. Five sandpaper strips and four smooth strips alternating. Vertical. Two notes, 1) for the smooth strip use a paper strip the same size as the sand paper strip so as to give a “bounded” area to touch that perceptibly contrasts with the sandpaper strip, 2) on the board it should have five sandpaper strips alternating with four paper strips so that it begins and ends with a stimulating tactile sandpaper touch.
- Third Set of Boards: Five pairs of graded sandpaper boards from coarse to fine.
First Presentation
- To individual at a table
- After the child has dipped his fingers in warm water he is brought to the shelf and shown the material..
- Bring first board over to the child’s table. Show him how to use the first two fingers and which part of his fingers he is going to use (the tips).
- Very lightly, stroke each section of the board in a downward movement. Invite the child to try.
- The child may be presented with the 2nd board in the first presentation. After he has had the experience of feeling he is given the names ‘rough’ and ‘smooth’.
Second Presentation, The use of the sandpaper pairs
- Take one of each of the coarsest and finest boards. Show the child the contrast between the two and let him feel them.
- Then take the pair of each and show him how to pair them, feeling very carefully. Introduce the pairs gradually, and mix them.
- Tell him to shut his eyes and get him to do the exercise by touch. Use two pairs only at first.
Aim
Development of the Tactile Sense and Muscular Control.
Point of interest
Feeling the boards.
Age
2½ and not later than 3.
Control of error
The child’s own sense of touch.