Material Name: Baric Tablets – Montessori Baric Tablets
Curriculum Area: Sensorial (Baric Sense)
Purpose & Developmental Benefits
The Baric Tablets help children discriminate and compare weight—heavy and light—through muscular and tactile sensation rather than vision. The tablets are identical in size and shape but differ in weight, encouraging the child to focus entirely on the sensation of lifting and placing in order to perceive differences. This material plays an important role in refining the senses and preparing children for basic physical concepts.
Skills Developed
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Discriminating heavy and light through the muscular sense
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Refining concentration and subtle sensory perception
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Developing control of hand and wrist movements
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Expanding descriptive vocabulary (heavy, light, heavier, lighter)
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Indirect preparation for scientific thinking related to mass and force
Recommended Age
Material & Construction
The standard Nienhuis set consists of three wooden boxes, each containing ten wooden tablets of identical size but different weights:
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Light tablets (light wood color)
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Medium-weight tablets (neutral wood color)
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Heavy tablets (dark wood color)
Natural control of error is provided through color gradation: the lightest color corresponds to the lightest weight, and the darkest color corresponds to the heaviest weight.
Classroom & Home Use
Children typically follow this progression:
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Sensitizing the fingertips
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Bringing one or two boxes to a table or mat
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Closing or covering the eyes and lifting each tablet to match pairs by weight
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When proficient, working with all three boxes to arrange the tablets in order from lightest to heaviest
Language work is often included, with the child describing sensations and making comparisons.
