TimeTEX Rough Gradation Tablets "Montessori Premium"

Working with this material enables the child to recognize tactile features of objects even without seeing them (blindfolded). It promotes fine motor skills and is an excellent activity to prepare for writing. Like other Montessori sensorial materials for young children, this material helps to develop concentration, will and intelligence and sharpens observation of the environment.

By working with definitions (rough and smooth), the child's vocabulary is gradually expanded. This material further refines the skills developed by working with the 3 Rough Gradation Tablets.

The material consists of a box made of beech wood containing 5 pairs of tablets. The surface of each tablet is covered with sandpaper and has a different grain size, from a finer gradation to a coarser one.

Learning objectives:

• feel and recognize surfaces
• name and describe the properties of surfaces
• compare and assign structures
• refine the sense of touch
• practice tactile perception in order to learn to measure finger strength
• indirect preparation for writing - lightness of the hand

Methodological and pedagogical tips / presentation:

• invite the child and soften the fingertips
• take the tablets and go to the table
• introduction: Take two matching pairs from the extremes and place them randomly on the right side
• take one tablet and feel it
• let the child feel it
• then take one of the other contrasting pairs and compare the two, feel both tablets
• ask the child if he/she can feel the difference
• now start the comparison by taking one tablet and with eyes closed look for and feel the matching tablet; bring the pair to the left side of the table
• do the same with the other pair
• shuffle the pairs and pass the task on to the child
• when the child is ready to expand the exercise, give more pairs
• when the handling and moving of the tablets on the table is well practiced, the child may use a blindfold

Note: Place the two extremes in the wooden box before the others. Working with a blindfold helps the child isolate the sense of touch from all others.

Further exercises:
Use one tablet from each pair and sort them for roughness. Feel all the tablets before sorting them.
Sort the others and see if they match the set above.

Language: Superordinate and comparative levels of rough and smooth.

Control of error: Using the colors

Additional tips and activities:

• extend to the natural environment
• look for objects in the room that feel rough and smooth
• glue things on paper that are rough and smooth, e.g. sandpaper, sisal rope, plastic, etc.
• make your own tactile boards with sturdy cardboard and different types of sandpaper, drawing paper, glossy paper, tracing paper
• draw with sand and glue
• process leftover textured wallpaper. Glue different types of wallpaper onto a sturdy piece of cardboard, cut them out and play games with them, e.g. finding blindfolded pairs
• cut out shapes from sandpaper and stick them on
• feel together with another child blindfolded

Wooden box dimensions: approx. 21.5 x 10 x 14 cm

• feel and recognize surfaces
• name and describe the properties of surfaces
• compare and assign structures
• refine the sense of touch
• practise tactile perception to learn to measure finger strength
• indirect preparation for writing - lightness of the hand

Contents: 1 box made of solid beech wood with 10 Rough Gradation Tablets (5 pairs with different grain sizes)

Under the „Montessori Premium“ brand, we offer high-quality and excellently crafted Montessori materials that are very popular. If these products or parts thereof are made of wood, they are FSC-certified.