Rational of Practical Life activities
These exercises involve simple and precise tasks. The child has already observed adults/parents perform these activities in their home environment. The child wishes to imitate. It can be cleaning the prepared environment, setting the table or prepare simple snacks. Of course nothing as complicated as cooking or preparing cornbread dressing, just slicing bananas, washing the baby carrots and such. :-)
The desired imitation is intellectual in nature because it is based on the child’s previous observation and knowledge.
There can be no prescribed list of materials involved.
The purpose is not to master these tasks for their own sake i.e. you don’t really hope to train your child to be a plumber by letting him play with PVC pipes, nuts and bolts. :-)
It is rather to aid the inner construction of discipline, organization, independence, and self-esteem through concentration on a precise and completed cycle of activity.
Maria said “The exercises of practical life are formative activities. They involve inspiration, repetition, and concentration on precise details.”
Filed under Montessori, Practical Life Activities |
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