ACADEMIC TEXTS REPOSITORY

Summary

This scientific and methodological article addresses the significance of sensory development in preschool children as a fundamental prerequisite for speech formation. Based on a comprehensive literature analysis, the study examines sensory materials within the Montessori system and identifies key factors for effective language acquisition. These include a sensory-enriched environment, the systematic application of specialised didactic materials, and customising activities to meet individual needs. The research clarifies how targeted engagement with sensory materials enhances speech activity, expands vocabulary, and improves expressive description skills in young learners. Practical examples are provided for implementing these tools in preschool settings to stimulate perception and linguistic growth. The study asserts sensory experience is the primary tool for cognitive activity and speech enrichment. However, the harmonious integration of perception and language formation remains insufficiently realised in current educational curricula. Scientific evidence suggests that sensory experience is the basis for expanding a child's lexical stock, as it facilitates awareness of properties, signs, and patterns within the environment. Conversely, incomplete stimulation of the sensory sphere – including visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic channels – complicates conceptual understanding and the ability to generalise. The article further develops Maria Montessori's ideas on sensory education as the foundation of intellectual growth, alongside the theories of S. F. Rusova, A. M. Bohush, and T. I. Ponimanska concerning the essential unity of sensory experience, cognition, and speech.