SE 4.05Fabric Box 3: Naming Fabrics

1. 1

   Choose three swatches that feel very different, such as velvet, denim, and silk.

2. 2

   First period: feel one swatch with the child and say its name, "velvet". Do the same for the other two.

3. 3

   Second period: ask "Give me the silk. Put the denim on your lap. Touch the velvet." Change the positions each time.

4. 4

   Third period: point to a swatch and ask "What is this?" Ask this only once the second period is easy.

5. 5

   If the child makes an error, do not correct it; go back to the second period or end the lesson.

6. 6

   Teach two or three new fabrics in later lessons until the child knows them all.

7. 7

   Show the child how to put on the blindfold and name a swatch by touch alone.

8. 8

   Return the swatches to the box.

What catches the child’s eye

• The ridges of corduroy and the thick pile of velvet under the fingers
• Finding a named fabric in their own clothes

Extensions, easiest to hardest

1. Name the fabrics blindfolded.
2. Find clothing and objects in the room made of each fabric.
3. Sort swatches by where the fiber comes from: animals (wool, silk) or plants (cotton, linen).
4. Match printed name labels to the swatches once the child reads.