Stereognosis.
Does this word sounds familiar to you or not ?
Stereognosis, or tactile gnosis, is recognizing and identifying the characteristics of an object only by soliciting touch (tactile perceptions) as well as the position, weight,... (proprioceptive information) of an object.
What's the point ?
Each of us, on a daily basis, often mechanically uses our ability to use or recognize objects without seeing them.
It is the handle of the fork that we take without looking at it, the keys that we seek in the pocket, ...
Tactile discrimination, motor control, etc. are thus developed and allow ease in everyday life and the ability to then perform more complex actions.
Early detection of difficulties in these areas will then allow a specialist to provide appropriate interventions.
The mystery bag is one of the tools for developing stereognosis.
But... what is this mystery bag?
In the shape of a T-shirt but closed in its widest part by a zipper and sewn for the shortest part, the mystery bag has two sleeves in which the hands are introduced.
Having previously entered the widest part of a GOSTOP board (with an adhesive pad) and, for example, the pieces of a tangram, the player must recognize the pieces by touch and match a model on this board without seeing pieces.
The adhesive pad on which the player positions the pieces avoids an untimely movement of the pieces, which allows the realization to be removed from the mystery bag without the pieces moving.
The board defines the playing surface and also facilitates tactile tracking.
A simple progression is proposed using first a few pieces with model cards describing the steps up to model cards with a reduced format showing only the outer contour of the shape to be made.
Cards in A4 format offer to make the model step by step by first using a few parts.
The House:
Christmas tree:
The arrow:
The boat:
The castle:
The cat
We will first introduce only the parts essential to the realization of the model, then all the parts.
The blue markers on the model cards help to select the pieces needed for the game.
More traditional model cards are then offered to the player.
The judoka:
The runner:
The rabbit:
The Swan:
For one player, the mystery bag, reference 718 725, contains:
1 mystery bag
1 GOSTOP tray with its adhesive pad
1 Tangram
3 A4 size game cards and 4 A7 size game cards, all printed on both sides on a tear-proof and washable material.
All packaged in a fabric bag.
During Childcare & Education Expo Coventry scheduled next 24th and 25th September, a special launch offer is avaible for a group set:
The mystery bag can of course be used for many purposes related to tactile activities and be seen as an additional playing occupation to the Montessori curriculum.
Here for instance, during a math lesson, recognize the geometrical shape only by touching.