Rough And Smooth Boards Set (Nienhuis)
Made by Nienhuis Montessori · shipped by Heutink International (Netherlands) About the maker
Three boards of 24 by 13 cm with sandpaper strips mounted on smooth wood, and they are meant to be worked in order. The first sets rough against smooth with nothing in between, which is the only contrast a young hand can be certain of. The second coordinates the finger movement itself and builds the dexterity the later work assumes. The third grades texture from fine to coarse, so the answer is no longer yes or no but where along a range. Wood with sandpaper, for ages 3 to 6.
“Education is a natural process spontaneously carried out by the human individual, and is acquired not by listening to words but by experiences upon the environment.”
The Rough and Smooth Boards Set addresses the young child's critical need to refine tactile perception during the sensitive period for sensorial exploration.
- Develops tactile discrimination and sensitivity in fingertips
- Builds vocabulary for texture descriptions (rough, smooth, rougher, smoother)
- Strengthens pincer grip and finger control for pre-writing
- Enhances concentration through focused sensorial exploration
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These three boards, with their precisely graduated sandpaper textures, isolate the quality of roughness, allowing children to perceive subtle differences through touch alone. Each board presents contrasting surfaces that train the fingertips to distinguish varying degrees of texture, developing the same light touch and finger sensitivity required for pencil grip and letter formation. The graduated sandpaper surfaces on these boards progress from coarse to fine, matching the child's increasing ability to discriminate subtle differences. By repeatedly tracing the rough and smooth sections with their fingertips, children internalize these tactile experiences, building neural pathways essential for writing readiness. The boards' systematic presentation allows children to develop precise vocabulary for describing textures while simultaneously preparing the hand for the delicate movements of writing.
How to present it
Follow the Montessori method of presentation for optimal child development.
Place the first board (alternating rough and smooth strips) on a table mat. Ensure hands are clean and dry. Have a small pitcher of warm water and towel nearby to sensitize fingertips if needed.
- 1
Sensitize fingertips by dipping them briefly in warm water and drying
Warm water heightens tactile sensitivity - 2
Demonstrate touching the smooth section with two fingers, moving left to right slowly
Use your dominant writing hand, model a light touch - 3
Touch the rough section with the same gentle, left-to-right motion
Exaggerate your facial expression to show you notice the difference - 4
Invite the child to feel both textures using the same movements
Watch for appropriate pressure - too hard reduces sensitivity - 5
Introduce vocabulary: 'This is rough' and 'This is smooth' while touching each
Speak only when touching the texture being named - 6
Proceed to the three-period lesson for language acquisition
Wait until the child has explored thoroughly before adding language
Every Child Is a Little Creator
Heritage
Since 1929
In classrooms
Around the world
European brands
Nienhuis, GAM, Educo
AMI approved
To the association standard
Rough And Smooth Boards Set (Nienhuis)
