Broad Stair

Broad Stair
Sensorial - Visual Discrimination of Size
Level	Pre-Primary Primary
Age	2.5 - 3.5
Prerequisites	small muscle coordination Pink Tower
Materials	set of Broad Stair prisms

Also called the Brown Stair.
Use of this material teaches the child visual discrimination of thickness.

Presentation

1. Starting with the thinnest prism, carry the prisms one-by-one to a mat. Lay them out randomly, but all aligned vertically.

   

2. Find the thickest and the thinnest of the prisms and set them at the bottom of the mat. Point to each and say to the child, "This is thick. This is thin." Then mix the two prisms back in with the others.

   

3. Take the thickest prism and set it in the upper left-hand corner of the mat. Then find the next thickest and set it to the right of the first.

   

4. Continue until all of the prisms have been put in order creating a stair.

   

5. To put the work away, carry the prisms back to the shelf one at a time starting with the thickest one.

Video

Segment on Broad Stair begins at 15:20.

Material

Make Your Own

• Free laser cutting pattern on Thingiverse

Where to Buy

Prices and links checked: 23 January 2022

Broad Stair
Store	Price
Adena stained wood	$89.95
Adena painted wood	$87.92
Affordable Montessori	$115.00
Alison's	$63.00
Alison's natural wood	$63.00
Alison's	$63.00
Bruins	$180.00
E & O brown lacquer	$189.00
E & O painted brown	$189.00
Hello Wood	$175.00
IFIT	$95.00
Kid Advance	$94.99
Leader Joy	$95.95
Materials Co. of Boston	$135.00
Montessori Concepts	$96.00
Montessori Outlet brown lacquer	$94.95
Montessori Outlet clear lacquer	$94.95
Nienhuis brown lacquer	$184.20
Nienhuis clear lacquer	$167.40
Pink Montessori clear lacquer	$82.50
Pink Montessori brown paint	$62.90
Pink Montessori brown paint	$72.90
Thinkamajigs	$118.95

Further Reading

• Basic Montessori: Learning Activities for Under-fives by David Gettman, pages 76-78