Activity
SensorialMake or substitute
Sound shakers matching
Isolates hearing and prepares the ear for the sound discrimination reading will need.
- Ages
- 3–4, 4–5 years
- Prep
- 10 minutes
Put this to work this week
A week gives you what to gather, one change at home and one thing to observe. It starts with four short questions.
Readiness signs
Signs to look for, not a checklist to pass.
- Turns toward and comments on sounds
- Matches by sight already
- Can wait through a quiet moment
What to gather
Six identical opaque containers, three filling materials — rice, coins, dried peas
How to present it
Show it slowly and in silence. Your hands are the lesson.
- 1Make three matching pairs and mark the bases so only you can check them.
- 2Shake one container beside your ear, then set it down.
- 3Shake the others one at a time until you find its pair, then place them together.
- 4Check the marks on the base at the end.
What to say — and what to avoid
Say
- Listen.
- Is it the same, or different?
Avoid
- Wrong one
- Try again properly
Control of error
The marks on the base let the child check every pair alone.
What to observe
Take these into the next cycle rather than judging the session.
- Does your child bring the container to their ear?
- Do they check the bases themselves?
- Do they stay quiet while listening?
Simplify or extend
If it's too hard
Start with two pairs that sound very different.
Once it's mastered
Grade them from quietest to loudest.
Sources and review
Nothing publishes here without a named reviewer and the sources it rests on.
Reviewed by Nicole · August 2026
- The Discovery of the Child — Maria Montessori. Education of the auditory sense