The Montessori Whole to Parts activity is a beautiful way to help children practise seeing how a whole can be made up of smaller parts. By matching a complete object (like a tree) to close-up images (like a leaf), children learn to look carefully, notice small clues, and make thoughtful connections. This kind of work strengthens visual discrimination as the child begins to recognise the details that link a part to its whole.
It’s also a gentle way to practise critical thinking and recognising relationships, whether connecting a petal to a flower or stripes to a zebra. Over time, these exercises support attention to detail and spatial awareness, while naturally sparking curiosity about how the world is put together.
Your digital download contains:
27 pairs of a combination of hand-illustrated and realistic images for whole to part matching.
A mix of illustrated and realistic images
5 worksheets to use as an extension and to practice pincer grip and pencil control.
Montessori-aligned guidance for presenting and extending the activity
As a follow-up to the matching activity, you’ll find worksheets that invite your child to draw a line from each whole image on the left to its matching part on the right. This not only sharpens visual discrimination, but also gently encourages pincer grip and pencil control for future handwriting. For added durability, you can laminate the pages and offer a whiteboard marker - children can trace, then wipe the page clean and enjoy practising again.
The Montessori Whole to Parts activity is a beautiful way to help children practise seeing how a whole can be made up of smaller parts. By matching a complete object (like a tree) to close-up images (like a leaf), children learn to look carefully, notice small clues, and make thoughtful connections. This kind of work strengthens visual discrimination as the child begins to recognise the details that link a part to its whole.
It’s also a gentle way to practise critical thinking and recognising relationships, whether connecting a petal to a flower or stripes to a zebra. Over time, these exercises support attention to detail and spatial awareness, while naturally sparking curiosity about how the world is put together.
Your digital download contains:
27 pairs of a combination of hand-illustrated and realistic images for whole to part matching.
A mix of illustrated and realistic images
5 worksheets to use as an extension and to practice pincer grip and pencil control.
Montessori-aligned guidance for presenting and extending the activity
As a follow-up to the matching activity, you’ll find worksheets that invite your child to draw a line from each whole image on the left to its matching part on the right. This not only sharpens visual discrimination, but also gently encourages pincer grip and pencil control for future handwriting. For added durability, you can laminate the pages and offer a whiteboard marker - children can trace, then wipe the page clean and enjoy practising again.
