Bells

The bells isolate pitch as the only variable. Matching and grading bells develops the musical ear and prepares children for reading musical notation.

• Framework: Montessori
• Unit: Sensorial
• Learning area: Auditory Discrimination
• Level: Ages 4-6

Objectives

• Discriminate musical tones
• Match identical pitches
• Develop ear for music
• Prepare for musical notation

Materials

• Montessori Bells: Two sets of 8 bells
• One set on brown stands (control set)
• One set on white stands (working set)
• Mallet for striking
• Damper

Instructions

1. Strike brown bell with mallet, listen to tone. 2. Dampen vibration when done listening. 3. Strike white bells one at a time, comparing. 4. Find matching pitch, move white bell next to brown. 5. Continue until all matched. 6. Eventually grade white bells from low to high pitch.

Educator tip

The room should be very quiet. Strike bells gently for clear tones. Allow each tone to ring fully before dampening.

Assessment

Child correctly matches bell pairs by pitch and can grade bells from low to high.

More from Sensorial

• Smelling Bottles
• Tasting Bottles
• Mystery Bag (Stereognostic Bag)
• Geometric Solids
• Baric Tablets (Weight)
• Knobbed Cylinders
• Knobless Cylinders
• Geometric Cabinet