Sound Cylinders (Noise Boxes)

The sound cylinders isolate the auditory sense. Identical outer cylinders offer no visual clue; only the sound distinguishes them. Mismatched pairs sound wrong to the child's developing ear.

• Framework: Montessori
• Unit: Sensorial
• Learning area: Auditory Sense
• Level: Ages 3-4

Objectives

• Match pairs of cylinders by the sound they make
• Refine auditory discrimination
• Grade cylinders from loudest to softest
• Prepare for bells and for auditory attention in language

Materials

• Two identical boxes of six sound cylinders (red and blue), each with identical contents in matching pairs producing graded volumes when shaken

Instructions

1. Place the two boxes on a table. 2. Remove all cylinders and arrange them in two groups by color. 3. Shake one red cylinder beside the ear. 4. Shake each blue cylinder in turn until the matching sound is found. 5. Place the pair aside. 6. Continue until all pairs are matched. 7. Grade one color from loudest to softest in a row. 8. Repeat with the other color as a check. 9. Return the cylinders to their boxes.

Educator tip

Work in a quiet area. Place the cylinder near the ear, not at the mouth, to focus the listening.

Assessment

Note matching accuracy, especially of pairs with similar volumes, and whether the child grades the sequence correctly.

More from Sensorial

• Montessori Bells — Pitch Matching
• Baric Tablets
• Thermic Tablets
• Mystery Bag (Stereognostic)
• Smelling Jars
• Geometric Solids
• The Decanomial — Layout of the Table of Pythagoras
• Cubing Material — The Power-of-3 Cube