Practical Life
Practical Life
Practical life refers to the chores and tasks that are common in any family unit. Coined by Dr. Maria Montessori, this term describes the concept of home life, which the Montessori classroom embodies.
Educators work with learners to understand the value behind practical tasks like cleaning, food preparation, dishwashing, and more. This part of the curriculum can help the child appreciate simple activities of daily living and perform them with grace and courtesy. These tasks sharpen their sense of being and belonging, which helps prepare them for life.
Holistic growth through daily activities
The practical tasks included in this segment can help hone your child’s physical strengths like movement and coordination. They also allow the learner to concentrate better and become more independent. These skills can ultimately help them confidently play the roles expected of them and adapt to society in the future.
Letting children exercise daily life activities gives them a sense of fulfilment that they can contribute in meaningful ways. More than developing gross and fine motor skills, these tasks sharpen their problem-solving skills, too.
By performing these tasks repetitiously, learners can arm themselves with practical skills needed in life. At Lotus Montessori, there are various areas in Practical Life that we impart to our students. These are:
This part of the curriculum refers to the set of personal care activities that maintain the child’s health and hygiene. These activities include handwashing, brushing their hair, dressing up, brushing their teeth, and food preparation.
In the Montessori philosophy, your child’s environment is a huge part of their growth. As such, we imbibe in them the importance of caring for their surroundings. In this portion, they learn to water plants, grow produce, clean and sweep, as well as arrange flowers.
In social interactions, there are certain skills that they need to learn such as greeting people courteously. Shaking hands, introducing themselves, and politely waiting for their turn to talk are some of the learnings in Practical Life.
Physical exercises are a part of this curriculum, developing various motor and coordination skills. Some of the example activities include the silence game and walking on the line.
