Broad Stair

From Montessori Album
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Broad Stair
Sensorial - Visual Discrimination of Size
Broad Stair.jpg
LevelPre-Primary
Primary
Age2.5 - 3.5
Prerequisitessmall muscle coordination
Pink Tower
Materialsset of Broad Stair prisms

Also called the Brown Stair.
Use of this material teaches the child visual discrimination of thickness.

Presentation

  1. Starting with the thinnest prism, carry the prisms one-by-one to a mat. Lay them out randomly, but all aligned vertically.
    Broad Stair 1.JPG
  2. Find the thickest and the thinnest of the prisms and set them at the bottom of the mat. Point to each and say to the child, "This is thick. This is thin." Then mix the two prisms back in with the others.
    Broad Stair 2.JPG
  3. Take the thickest prism and set it in the upper left-hand corner of the mat. Then find the next thickest and set it to the right of the first.
    Broad Stair 3.JPG
  4. Continue until all of the prisms have been put in order creating a stair.
    Broad Stair 4.JPG
  5. To put the work away, carry the prisms back to the shelf one at a time starting with the thickest one.

Video

Segment on Broad Stair begins at 15:20.

Points of Interest

Control of Error

Variations and Extensions

Material

Make Your Own

Where to Buy

Prices and links last checked: 28 April 2020

Absorbent Montessori $65.00
Adena $86.95 (stained wood)
Adena $86.91 (painted wood)
Affordable Montessori $105.00
Alison's $140.00
Alison's $60.00 (natural wood)
Alison's $71.40
Best Montessori Toys $124.99
Bruins $170.00
E & O $178.00 (brown lacquer)
E & O $178.00 (painted brown)
Hello Wood $175.00
IFIT $89.00
Kid Advance $87.99
Leader Joy $95.95
Materials Co. of Boston $135.00
Montessori Concepts $96.00
Montessori Outlet $94.95 (brown lacquer)
Montessori Outlet $94.95 (clear lacquer)
Nienhuis $178.80 (brown lacquer)
Nienhuis $162.50 (clear lacquer)
Pink Montessori $82.50 (clear lacquer)
Pink Montessori $62.90 (brown paint)
Pink Montessori $72.90 (brown paint)
Thinkamajigs $96.95

Further Reading