Rough and Smooth Boards

Materials:

Board I

a rectangular board divided into 2 equal squares; one square is covered with sandpaper and the other is highly polished wood (or smooth paint)

Board II

a rectangular board divided into 10 equal strips, 5 covered with the same grade of sandpaper as Board I and 5 highly polished wood (or smooth paint)

Board III

a rectangular board divided into 5 equal sections, covered with a gradation of sandpaper

Sensitizing Fingertips activity

Purposes:

Age: 2 ½ - 3 ½

Preparation: None

Presentation Board 1:

Invite the child for a lesson on the Rough and Smooth Boards.
Sensitize the fingers.
Show the child how to carry the boards. You each take one to the table. Place Board 1 in front of the child, rough side on the left, and Board 2 top right.
Show the child you are closing your eyes. Use the right fingers to lightly stroke the board from top to bottom, moving left to right.
Invite the child to feel the board.
When the child is finished, take another turn feeling the bard just as before, except verbalizing “rough” and “smooth” accordingly after each stroke.
Invite the child to feel and verbalize.

Presentation Board 2:

Place board 2 on the table in front of the child with the rough side on the left.
Show the child you are closing your eyes. As in the previous board, lightly stroke each alternating rough and smooth strip from left to right on the board.
Invite the child to have a turn.
When the child is finished, take another turn and repeat the stroking process, except adding language “rough” and “smooth” accordingly after each strip is felt.
Invite the child to have a turn. Encourage repetition.

Control of Error:

Language: Rough-smooth (The material does not lend itself to the three-period lesson)

Following Exercises:

Let the child know there is a third board available, and they can explore it on their own.

Memory Games: None

Pedagogical Notes:

Orient the board so the rough is on the left.
Sensitize both hands because we do not know what hand the child will use.
The lightness that we use in stroking the boards helps to train the hand in the light hand/wrist movements for writing. When a child has the lightness of touch, they are less likely to tear through the paper when writing due to pushing too hard on the pencil.
We immediately give language because there is not much to do with this board.
Once we give this lesson to the child, they will often go out and explore things that are rough and smooth in the environment.
Once the child can manage the movements of the board you can invite them to use a blindfold.
The blindfold can more fully isolate and focus the attention of the tactile sense.

Sensitizing the Fingertips