The Leaf Cabinet (presentation one)
What is the leaf cabinet?
The leaf cabinet is a cabinet that holds three drawers of various leaf shape insets. The leaf cabinet is usually found in the Cultural area of a Montessori classroom.
How is the first presentation done with the leaf cabinet?
In the first presentation, the directress uses a drawer from the leaf cabinet. She begins the activity by showing the child how to carry the tray carefully with her thumbs on top and fingers underneath. She tells the child that they are going to be feeling different shaped leaves. She uses her right hand and pincer grip to remove the insets and places them on the mat.
She then picks up a leaf inset with her left hand. Using the pincer grip, she feels the back of the inset with her right hand, using her middle and index fingers in an anti-clockwise direction. The directress places the inset back on the mat and feels the socket in the same manner. She then picks up the inset with her right hand and places it in the socket.
The directress continues in the same manner with the remaining insets. She then invites the child to have a turn to feel the insets. When he is finished, she helps him pack away and thanks him for working with her.
What skills does the child acquire by doing the first presentation with the leaf cabinet?
This activity helps develop the child’s pincer grip, as well as the development of his matching skills, the child is required to sustain his levels of concentration and patience. The child also becomes more aware of the different shapes of leaves in his environment.
The child is encouraged to feel all the drawers in the same manner, before moving onto the next presentation.
The first presentation of The Flower Cabinet is presented in the same manner.
Looking for more Montessori activities
Here is a list of all the Montessori Cultural activities. These include: Nature table, Nature walk, Blindfold trail, Silence game, Living and non-living things, Importance of the sun, Sandpaper globe, Continent globe, Plant classified cards, The tree, The leaf, The flower, and the seed.