Sensory Table Center Overview

Sensory Table Center Overview

Description

The sensory table center, sometimes called an investigation table, provides opportunities for students to collaborate, engage in learning, and build language skills through conversations and exploration.  Children have the opportunity to practice sorting, classifying, measurement, letter recognition, and counting skills through hands-on experiences and investigations.  Scientific thinking is also encouraged through using senses to describe attributes of objects.  Seasonal materials and curricular related tasks can be incorporated into this center.

Purpose

  • ask and answer questions through exploration
  • cause and effect
  • plan and carryout investigations
  • hand-eye coordination
  • fine motor control through the use of tools such as shovels, tweezers, and scissors
  • develop persistence and self-control
  • use observation and exploration to make discoveries
  • build understanding of capacity and volume
  • a variety of curricular related skills such as counting, sorting, and letter identification can be connected to this center by varying the objects in the table

Suggested Materials (materials will depend on table activity)

  • containers of various sizes (cups, bowls, pitchers, etc.)
  • measuring tools
  • water beads, rice, beans, or sand to fill table
  • other fillers for the table
  • tweezers, funnels, scissors
  • spoons and shovels of various sizes
  • timers
  • smocks
  • collections of small objects (rocks, shells, leaves, insects, etc)
  • magnifying glasses
  • content related sensory materials (for example rocks or shells with letters written on them with a Sharpie, counters to find sort, and count, plastic insects in plastic grass used for Easter baskets during the spring or while studying insects, etc.)
  • writing materials (pencils, crayons, paper, clipboards) 
  • for a water discover table include pumps, eye droppers, water wheel, food coloring or water coloring tablets, tubing, and pitchers)
  • books and magazines related to materials and concepts addressed at the table

Questioning Examples

These guiding questions can be used to assist the teacher, instructional assistant, or parent volunteers in supporting children's development and learning during play.

  • How could you sort the objects?
  • Which containers holds more?  Which holds less?
  • How does the ________ feel?
  • Why does the taller container hold less than the short container?  
  • How many scoops do you think it will take to fill the container?  Test then ask, which tool could you use to fill the container with fewer (or more) scoops?

Considerations

Please note materials should be rotated throughout the year as students' interests and themes change.  At the beginning of the school year it is important to start with larger objects such as pompoms, kidney beans, or small balls for easy cleanup.  This center should allow for enough space for at least two students to engage in sensory exploration simultaneously.  The sensory table may be integrated into the science center or may be a separate stand alone center.  For example, while studying shells in science the teacher may intentionally set up a specific task that asks students to explain how they sorted the different shells.

Photo Examples


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