Adena Montessori Knobbed Cylinders Blocks Home Toys Baby Game

The Montessori Knobbed Cylinders are the very first sensorial material a child works with. Their purpose is to support visual discrimination skills. Additionally, the Knobbed Cylinders include work with language development, tactile sense, and even pre-writing skills. The Montessori Knobbed Cylinders consist of four separate blocks, within each of which a specific set of cylinders fit. Each cylinder has a handle on its top (a knob) with which the child can grasp and transport it. Working with one block at a time to begin, young learners work to place the cylinders into their correct spots. They vary in height, width, or both. In Montessori we begin without language, to isolate the variable of visual discrimination. Teachers will model silently running their fingers along the circumference of each block’s base and comparing that with the puzzle hole. After the child can visually sort and arrange by height and width, we give them language to describe the process. In this way, they fully understand the concepts and integrate them into their daily vocabulary going forth.