Early Childhood – Knobbed Puzzles

Early Childhood – Knobbed Puzzles

Montessori Knobbed Puzzles include different animals, such as a frog and horse, and plant life, like a tree and leaf. A child might work with the same puzzle over and over, or choose to work with a different puzzle each time. The knob prepares a child’s hand to hold a pencil, and manipulation of the small puzzle pieces helps hone manual dexterity.

A child will learn the names of things before reading them on a label. In the case of this fish puzzle, this student might work with the teachers on naming parts of the fish, such as pelvic fin or dorsal fin. Once the student is confident with the names, he can work with labels to read the names they are already comfortable with. This process differs at the elementary level, when children will read labels with names that are entirely unfamiliar to them.

The Knobbed Puzzles, like many Montessori materials, have layers of engagement. From a child’s first experience of manipulating the knobbed pieces, to practicing literacy by reading labels, the knobbed puzzles are a well-loved material in the Montessori classroom.