Today we'll whip out the ole' feely box and have some tactile fun. What is tactile? Using our sense of touch to make determinations about the qualities of objects.

Reach in and feel what is in there, and decide whether or not they can be put into groups. If they can be put into groups, there must be some rationale for the groupings. (Say "rash-on-AAL," which means all of the reasons you have for doing a certain thing.)

You may decide that of all the objects in there, there are only three, four, or five different shapes of things. The objects could be grouped, then, by their shapes.

You may decide that all the objects fall into only three or four different sizes, so that the objects could be grouped according to size.

Some could be smooth and some could be rough, which could be still another way of grouping the objects.

It is important to be able to see one object as part of a group. It helps in many ways, especially when you see something you have never seen before. You can notice things about it, and suggest to yourself that these things you notice can place the unknown object into some kind of group. From there, with a little detective work, you can actually identify the object.

Sometimes, when we can place objects into a certain group because of that which we can see, feel, smell, hear, or even taste (only if it is safe), we can assume other characteristics about the objects. This gives us a wider range of choice in making an identification, or in deciding if the object is useful.

Often, the same collection of objects can be grouped in several different ways. We should try that with the things in our feely box. Remember, all you need is to be able to
find similarities and differences among the objects. Rationale.