Touch the Fabrics

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MATERIAL:

There are several boxes containing two of each of a variety of fabrics

cut in the same sized squares. Include all the basic fibers - silk, linen,

velvet, muslin, satin, wool, and cotton. Also include some man made

materials. There should be six pairs of materials per box. There are so

many materials that more than one box will be needed. Each pair of

fabrics is a different color or pattern.

 

 

PURPOSE:

1) Development and refinement of the tactile sense.

2) An awareness and appreciation of fabrics and observation of

fabrics used by man.

APPROXIMATE AGE:

2 1/2 to 5 years

CONTROL OF ERROR:

Visual, by color and pattern

PRESENTATION:

The teacher selects two or three of the most contrasting fabrics

from the point of view of touch. Linen and cotton, for example,

are too much alike and therefore would be too difficult to begin

with. Velvet, book muslin and serge are very different. The

teacher takes two to three pairs to the child's table, leaving the

other pairs in the box and mixes the chosen pairs on the table.

 

The teacher shows the child how to feel the fabric lightly with his or her

finger tips and between his finger and thumb, as one usually feels

materials. The teacher allows the child to feel each piece and lets him or her

pair them by feel, placing the matched pieces together one piece

on top of another.

 

Next the teacher encourages the child to feel and pair the fabrics with 

eyes shut or with a blindfold over his or her eyes. After the child has done 3

pairs, the teacher gives the child the whole box.

EXERCISE:

The child pairs the fabrics by touch. When the child has paired the materials, he or she takes the blindfold off. The child can see by the color if the pairs are matched correctly, as two of the same color are always the same material.

VOCABULARY:

The names of the fabrics

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