MOLTT Thermic Tablets: Exploring the Sense of Temperature

Product Overview

The MOLTT Thermic Tablets are a classic Montessori sensorial material designed to isolate and refine the child's sense of temperature perception. This carefully curated set introduces young learners to the fascinating physical property of thermal conductivity through direct, hands-on experience with natural and manufactured materials.

Material Composition & Design

The set is presented in a structured wooden box divided into six distinct compartments. Each compartment holds a matched pair of tablets crafted from a different material, offering a range of thermal responses:

Felt

Wood

Steel

Slate

Glass

Cork

All tablets are identical in size and shape, ensuring that the child's focus is isolated on the single quality of temperature feel, rather than on visual or dimensional differences.

Primary Educational Purpose

The central aim of this material is to cultivate a conscious awareness of temperature as a tangible property of objects. It demonstrates how different materials conduct heat at varying rates, leading to distinct thermal sensations when touched. This work moves the child from an unconscious physical reaction ("this feels cold") to a conscious, categorized sensory understanding.

Key Learning Objectives & Process

Through guided exploration, the child develops:

Thermal Discrimination: The ability to perceive, compare, and grade materials from "warmest" to "coolest" to the touch.

Sensory Vocabulary: Enrichment of language with descriptive terms such as "warm," "cool," "room temperature," "insulating," and "conductive."

Scientific Observation: A foundational experience in physical science, linking material composition to its observable properties.

Concentration & Stereognostic Sense: The activity refines focus and contributes to developing the ability to identify objects based on touch and memory alone.

In practice, a child might be guided to feel each tablet with their fingertips, pairing the matching materials, or arranging them in a sequence from least to most conductive. The self-correcting nature of the pairs allows for independent exploration and discovery.

Ideal Age & Application

This material is typically introduced to children around 3 to 6 years of age. It is an essential component of the sensorial curriculum in Montessori classrooms and is equally valuable for homeschool environments, providing a concrete, scientific experience that connects the child's tactile sense to the physical world around them.