Practical Life

Practical Life Exercises are the foundation of the Montessori environment, provide a sane 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 other characteristics which can only be attained through spontaneous, purposeful work.

Dressing Frames
These individual Dressing Frames present a variety of activities which introduce self-help skills - buttoning, lacing, zipping, buckling,
snapping, tying, etc.

While doing these exercises, children also hone fine finger motor skills, understand the importance of sequence in tasks, as well as enhance focus and concentration.

Pouring Exercises
Dry & Wet Pouring

Children are shown how to pour without spilling the contents of the containers. Eye-hand coordination is developed as the children exert their efforts to pour in the same manner presented by the teacher. Thus, all their focus and attention, their entire body concentrates to complete the activity without spilling.

This procedure promotes what Montessori calls "integration of the mind and the body" which is the primary foundation for the child's "development of will". The child discovers that he can conduct his bodily movements through the direction of his will. When translated to a life skill, this gives the child confidence in facing challenging activities realizing that he can practically accomplish any task as long as he wills it.

Making a mess and spills is no problem. This helps children learn the skills to clean up after themselves.

Transferring Exercises
Spooning & Tong Exercises

Transferring Exercises in the Practical Life Area provide interesting opportunities for the child to build eye-hand coordination, develop focus and attention, refine motor skills and hone muscular control.

Making use of things mostly found around the home, these activities promote learning of skills that also enable them to participate fully and independently in their home life. With independence comes also the building of the child's self-confidence and initiative which carries out to his attitude towards learning in general.

Washing Hands Exercise

The Washing Hands Exercise is only one of the many "Care of the Self" exercises of the Practical Life Area. In doing these exercises, children are able to integrate and practice a variety of skills while gaining a better understanding of the importance of sequence in completing a task.

Since the completion of this activity requires a series of related steps, children learn to follow a logical sequence, learn to improve on their focus on the task and increase their attention span to see the task through its completion.

Other examples of Practical Life exercises include:
-Sewing projects
-Polishing
-Fruit and vegetable slicing
-Table scrubbing
-Sweeping
-Flower arranging
-Social graces
-Folding