Practical life in the Montessori Classroom.
Spoons, Cups, Plates and Jugs are all things you will find in the practical life area of Montessori Oamaru. The Practical Life area is an essential part of any Montessori Centre, it helps to lay the foundation for all other activities within the Montessori classroom. Practical life can be described as those everyday activities that you do at home such as washing dishes, sweeping, preparing food and polishing. These activities help children to gain knowledge and life skills by participating in real experiences which are set up in purposeful ways.
‘The hands are the instrument of the mind.’ – Maria Montessori (You learn by doing)
Practical life activities are broken down into 4 areas:
- Care of the Person
- Care of the Environment
- Social Relations – Courtesy and Grace
- Control of Movement
Each area is very beneficial in helping to build new skills that will lay the foundation for other Montessori tasks. Hand and eye coordination, sequencing, and completion of a work cycle are skills that are developed while participating in practical life.
The next Blog will look at Sensorial and help to continue the journey to building a picture of Montessori Oamaru and why it’s so unique.