Practical Life Exercises

Practical Life Exercises are known as the Foundation of the Montessori environment because it provides a safe and wholesome range of activities which allow the children to develop control and coordination of movement, awareness of their environment, orderly thought patterns, independent work habits, responsibility, and many more other characteristics which can only be achieved through spontaneous, purposeful work.

How the exercises of Practical Life will assist the child’s development of will?

By working with these Practical Life materials, it fulfils the child’s innate desire to imitate significant adults in their life. The children are also being freed from the hazards they face at home as they are shown on to the correct usage of these practical life materials. For example the ‘sweeping’ material the child learns to use his bodying mind for a purpose, concentrate, to complete cycles of activity, to finish what he started. Mostly importantly he understands the role he plays to contribute to the important well being of his environment.

How the materials in the Practical Life assist the child to form an inner conceptual framework?

The manner in which the materials are being displayed (in a basket and color coded) provides the child the order that is required for him to form an inner conceptual framework or which will allow him to understand and form a relationship with his immediate environment.

How exercises of Practical Life aids young children in their language development?

Practical Life area plays a very important role in the child's language development. The directress needs to ensure the names of all the materials are being introduced to the child before every presentation. This will increase the child’s vocabulary and it will also assist him in understanding there is a name for everything in his environment allowing the child to understand everything in his environment.

How exercise of care of self can assist in developing a child with a good self-esteem?

Dr Maria Montessori places a lot of importance in the self-esteem of the child. As a Montessori directress we are the dynamic link between the prepared environment and the child. Therefore we need to be careful and sensitive with the way we correct the child's mistake. We should also not tell the child that he is wrong for that may cause him to develop a phobia towards working with materials.

To learn more, visit http://www.infomontessori.com/practical-life/introduction.htm

3 Most Important Questions & Answers in Montessori

Why is freedom important to the child?

Through the freedom given in a Montessori environment, the child has a unique opportunity to reflect upon his own actions, to determine their consequences both for himself and for others, to test himself against the limits of reality, to learn what gives him a sense of fulfillment and what leaves him empty and dissatisfied, and to discover both his capabilities and his shortcomings.

Why are there real life materials in the environment?

The Montessori classroom has its basis in reality and nature. The child must have the opportunity to internalize the limits of nature and reality if he is to be free from his fantasy and illusions, both psychological. Only in this way can he develop self- discipline and security he needs to explore his external and internal worlds and to become an active and appreciative observer of life so as to reflect the real world.

Why does competition not encourage in a Montessori school?

Competition is not encouraged in a Montessori school because each child is an individual and they should be encouraged to work at the pace and not competition with each other. Children should work with freedom according to their development milestone. We do not grade our children with score or rank, we do encourage children by praising their hard work.

If you have any questions, feel free to write a comment. We will talk about the problems in our next post.

To learn more, visit http://ageofmontessori.org/montessori-and-freedom-of-choice/