When observing a Montessori classroom, you may see children preparing fruit for snack, folding laundry, or even making candles. You might ask yourself, “Is there a point to this activity?” or “Is this helping my child learn?” The answer to both questions is yes. What you see is called Practical Life, a cornerstone of the Montessori experience that lays the foundation for academic learning.
A middle school student makes candles for the class micro-business.
Practical Life activities fall into four categories and may look like;
- Grace and Courtesy: helping others, preparing a community meal, disagreeing peacefully.
- Control of Movement: threading a needle, assembling furniture, walking in a line.
- Care of Self: packing their own lunch, washing of hands, tying their shoes.
- Care of Environment: setting a table, watering plants, repairing the chicken coop.
Through these meaningful and purposeful works, children hone their ability to focus for long periods, communicate their needs, refine their dexterity and fine motor skills, and gain a sense of confidence by completing tasks from start to finish. The skills children learn by participating through Practical Life experiences in the Toddler classroom will carry over and be built upon all the way through in Middle School and beyond. Practical Life lessons do not stop or become less important as the child gets older, rather they evolve to meet the development needs of children at each level.
As children get older, they become social explorers. Incorporating Practical Life experiences like creating a classroom agreement and holding class meetings helps them navigate interpersonal relationships. The use of a work journal instills a sense of time management, while planning group excursions and being part of a microbusiness sets the child up for success in the real world.
Two primary students wash napkins after lunch.
Whether learning to thread a needle as a toddler, helping prepare community snack in Primary, engaging in peaceful conflict resolution in Elementary, or planning a capstone trip in Middle School; Practical Life lessons prepare your children for a world that expands far beyond the classroom walls.
