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“The
Importance of the Practical Life Area in a Montessori classroom.”
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The Practical Life area provides the child with
many characteristics. It allows them a time to imitate the adult
and builds confidence. Working in this area provides them a
care of person and environment. They are able to do work “to
gain satisfaction from a task well done” (Wolf, 1995,
pg. 13). They learn good working habits and pay attention to
detail. Lessons in this area build skills like Order, Coordination,
Concentration and Independence, which are very important for
the child to continue in other areas of the classroom. These
lessons also set the foundation for long lessons in Math and
Language.
The items used in this area are familiar, mostly items they
have seen at home which is comforting to the child. They are
items adults use from real life; glass pitchers, bowls, beautiful
trays, spoons, real materials used from pouring, spooning, etc.
They use real utensils for snack; fork, spoon, knife, which
they hand wash when finished. The materials are aesthetically
pleasing as well as textures. This area uses tiny objects, since
the child is in a sensitive period and has a natural interest
in them, the objects attract the child to the area.
The Practical Life area meets 5 main sensitive periods of the
child: order, movement, language, tiny objects and social graces.
The sensitive period for order begins at age 2 and lasts for
about 2 years, showing most at age 3. The child requires order
in both time and space and will become irritated if something
is off “…because he is constructing himself out
of the elements of the environment” (Standing, 1998, pg.
126). Often times their day could be thrown off by something
adults would not even notice. The sensitive period for movement
begins at birth and continues on throughout their development.
The children require a lot of large muscle movement, jumping
on the trampoline, scrubbing a stool or working with shaving
cream. The sensitive period for Language is the longest sensitive
period the child will experience. It also begins at birth and
continues throughout their development. We offer a lot of vocabulary
in the classroom, always giving the proper names for objects,
planets, people. The sensitive period for tiny details starts
around 1 ½ and lasts until around age 4. The children
are naturally drawn to tiny, beautiful objects. The sensitive
period for Social graces starts around age 2 ½ and lasts
until around age 6. Children “…insist on doing things
in the accustomed – and therefore to them right way”
(Standing, 1998, pg. 131). On a daily basis we use “Yes,
please” or “No, thank-you” when passing out
snack or lunch. Each morning the children are greeted at the
door, shaking their hand and telling them “Good morning.”
The Practical Life lessons prepare the child for work in other
areas of the classroom. They gain body control, strengthen their
hand for handwriting, build hand/eye coordination, build concentration
skills, develop gross muscle coordination, build self-confidence
and build a respect for their environment. This area will benefit
the child throughout their 3 year cycle in the environment. |
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