Practical Life Exercise

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Montessori Practical Life Curriculum As every parent knows young children want to be with adults and to take part in the activities of daily adult life. The Montessori Practical Life materials allow them to do just that. The Practical life area provides the link between home and school. In the classroom, with child sized tools that really work the young child is able to perform the same activities he has seen adults do: pouring, sweeping, ironing, polishing, scrubbing etc. The pace is unhurried and an adult is nearby to help if required but not to interfere. A three year old is of course, more interested in the scrubbing motion of washing a table than they are in ensuring the table is clean. The motion helps them gain gross motor control and hand-eye co-ordination, which will enable them to successfully perform more precise tasks in the future. The purpose of the Practical Life curriculum in Montessori is to improve concentration, co-ordination, control, independence and order which lay the foundation for learning. Concentration Watch a child who is pouring beans from one jar to another. As they pour, they become transfixed by the look of the beans emptying, as well as the sound of them hitting the glass jar. It is a satisfying, almost calming sound that they strive to repeat over and over again. They focus intently on the task at hand, developing those concentration skills that are necessary to observe the world around them, and to focus on later learning. Co-ordination A degree of coordination is required to successfully pour those beans without spilling them. Balancing beads on a spoon, sewing a button, picking up rice with chopsticks, all require great dexterity and strong fine motor skills. All activities in the Montessori Practical Life curriculum exercise those finger muscles and develop fine motor skills. Co-ordination is necessary when learning

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