Metal insets (presentation one)

What are Metal insets?

Metal insets are usually found in the language area of a Montessori classroom. There are ten geometric metal insets that live on two wooden shelves, there are five insets on each shelf. Each of the insets are blue in colour with pink frames. The frames are all the same size and each inset has a knob in the center of it.

The ten shapes are Circle, Oval, Ellipse, Curvilinear triangle, Pentagon, Rectangle, Triangle, Trapezium, Square, and Quatrefoil.

How we present Metal insets in Montessori?

In this activity, the child learns how to trace the shape of the inset’s frame. The directress shows the child how to draw horizontal lines inside the shape and eventually, he learns how to draw zig-zags inside the shape.

For the first presentation, the directress uses one frame, two pieces of inset paper, two different coloured pencils, and a tray.

The directress begins the activity by telling the child that they are going to make different shapes with the insets. She shows the child how to place the frame over a square piece of paper. She holds the left side of the frame firmly with her left hand for support. She then shows the child how to hold the pencil correctly with the pincer grip and begins to trace the frame in an anti-clockwise direction.

The directress then removes the frame and chooses another pencil to draw horizontal lines from left to right of the outline of the shape. The directress then invites the child to have a turn on a clean piece of inset paper.

What skills does the child acquire by doing this activity?

This activity helps the child develop dexterity and his muscles while holding a pencil, this activity encourages the child to be patient and concentrate fully on the task, it prepares him for reading and writing from left to right as well as this activity develops the child’s precision in direction and anti-clockwise movements.

How are the other Metal insets presentations done?

There are seven presentations using the Montessori Metal insets. The presentations are similar but they increase in difficulty over time. The child learns how to trace different patterns with the insets.

Presentation two

The second presentation is very similar to the first one. The directress uses one frame, two pieces of inset paper, three different coloured pencils, and a tray. She begins by showing the child how to trace the frame onto a piece of inset paper, like before.

She then turns the frame around into a different position on top of the first outline and traces the shape again using a different coloured pencil. She finally uses the third coloured pencil to draw horizontal lines.

Presentation three

For the third presentation, the directress uses one frame and its inset, two pieces of inset paper, three different coloured pencils, and a tray. The directress tells the child that they will be making shapes with the Metal insets.

She begins by tracing the frame of the inset on a piece of inset paper like before, she then puts the frame to one side and places the inset of the frame inside the outline. She uses another coloured pencil to trace around the inset and finally, she uses another pencil to draw the lines.

Presentation four

The directress uses one frame with a different inset, two pieces of inset paper, three different coloured pencils, and a tray.

The directress begins by tracing around the frame on a piece of inset paper like before. She then places the inset shape onto the shape already drawn and traces around it in a different coloured pencil. The third coloured pencil is used to draw the lines. The directress also shows the child how to zigzag.

Presentation five

For this activity, the directress uses various insets and frames, two pieces of inset paper, three or more different coloured pencils, and a tray.

The directress tells the child that they are going to be making shapes with the Metal insets like before. She shows him how to fill the page by making patterns using the frames and insets of different shapes. She then makes a border around the paper using the frame or inset and draws lines and zigzags randomly inside the shapes.

The child is encouraged to be creative in this activity.

Presentation six

In the sixth presentation with the Metal insets, the directress shows the child how to be creative by using colours to make different shapes from the various insets and drawing different types of lines.

The directress uses different insets and frames, an A4 piece of paper, different coloured pencils, and a tray.

Presentation seven

For the seventh presentation with the Metal insets, the directress uses two A4 pieces of paper, an inset, two coloured pencils, and a tray. The directress begins by showing the child how to grade the shape with one coloured pencil from dark to light.

She then draws lines with a different colour pencil using the same heaviness as the grading. The child learns additional pencil control by the force of the pencil on the paper.

Insets should be done daily as it is great for the development of fine motor control.

Looking for more Montessori activities?

Here is a list of all the Montessori Language activities. These include Early Language, Pink Language Materials, Green Language Materials, Later Language, and Grammar. Just click on the page you want to learn about to go there.