Metal Insets are Montessori materials used with paper and colored pencils for tracing shapes and making patterns. Each blue inset has a knob and fits inside a pink metal frame.
Choosing a shape
The set described here includes a square, triangle, circle, rectangle, oval, trapezoid, pentagon, curvilinear triangle, quatrefoil, and ellipse. The frames are the same size, while the shapes within them differ.
To set up the activity, the child selects a frame and inset, colored pencils, and a piece of paper cut to fit the frame. A tray holds the materials for the work.
Making a double outline
The child removes the blue inset and places the frame on the paper. Using one colored pencil, the child traces the inside edge of the frame, following its corners or curves. Moving the frame aside reveals the outline.
Next, the child places the blue inset within that outline. Holding the inset by its knob, the child traces around its outer edge with a different color. The frame and inset offer two ways to draw the same shape.
Adding lines and patterns
The child can fill the outline with lines spaced far apart, lines closer together, or an area of color. The outline gives a visible reference for looking at where the pencil marks fall.
A guide can introduce variations as the child becomes familiar with the material. The immediate work is choosing colors, guiding the pencil along an edge, and making marks within a shape.
