Preparing the Child through Practical Life

“The exercises of Practical Life are formative activities, a work of adaptation to the environment. Such adaptation to the environment and efficient functioning therein is the very essence of a useful education.” - Maria Montessori

Practical Life Exercises

The exercises of Practical Life in the Montessori classroom help to lay the foundation for work done during a child’s experience in the primary classroom. The main areas of Practical Life include care of the environment (indoors and outdoors), care of the person, grace and courtesy and the control of movement. It is the process rather than the emphasis on the finished product that allows a child to work for the sake of joy rather than the end result. Through these exercises the child is presented many opportunities.

Independence

The dressing frames assist the child in becoming independent dressing himself. The children enjoy seeing the button slip through the button hole on the button frame or hearing the snap when it is positioned correctly to make contact. The various pouring exercises help the child develop control of movement so she can successfully pour juice or milk. Child size cleaning materials are within reach should there be a spill!

Focus and concentration

It is not uncommon to see a child working intently and be oblivious to work being done around him. An older child may be working with multiplication and a younger child scrubbing the table close by. Concentration is the result of inner growth. It can be developed by the exercises of Practical Life and other work in the classroom giving the chance for a lengthened cycle of work.

Completion of a task

The exercises of Practical Life range from simple to complex. Some of the exercises have numerous steps. Table washing, for example, involves many different processes and has several items to lay out in order. These assist the child in developing perseverance and follow –through, while experiencing a pattern having a beginning, middle and end. Sometimes as adults, we do not realize how many steps there may in an activity we do routinely such as tying a bow. The Practical Life exercises prepare a child to successfully carry a puzzle map, to carry a movable alphabet box level so the letters remain ordered, to place small beads in position as they determine the answers for multiplication, to successfully place number tickets next to beads while working with squaring and cubing chains and so on. The more advanced exercises require a longer period of time to complete and the Practical Life exercises lay the groundwork.

Mutual Aid and Cooperation

The children in the Montessori classroom have the opportunity to help each other. Some of the children are wonderful teachers. In our multi-age setting it is possible for an older child to help a younger child. This can help the older child strengthen his experience of that piece of work and feel comfortable being a leader. The younger child begins to trust and respect his older friend-the cycle continues. We see many examples of a child comforting another child who may have tripped on the playground or tying the shoe of a friend or even untying the shoe so he can practice tying over and over.

Respect for the environment

The children feel a sense of pride and love for their environment. They enjoy caring for plants, polishing the material, dusting the shelves, folding the classroom laundry and washing the lunch plates. The list is long! Out of these experiences the children form a sense of care and concern.

Indirect preparation for later academic work

Even in water pouring exercises, mathematical concepts are explored. The young child estimates how much water the glass will hold while pouring from a pitcher. The folding cloths are folded into geometric shapes. The hand is indirectly prepared for writing with circular movements involved while scrubbing a table or polishing a piece of silver. Many exercises involve placing pieces from left to right and top to bottom sequencing, an indirect preparation for reading.

As adults we use skills of daily living constantly at a different level. The children enjoy being included in the day to day activities in their homes.

Montessori Basics: Reality vs. Fantasy

We all know Montessori classrooms differ vastly from their more conventional, traditional counterparts, and views on how children developmentally react to fantasy and reality are one of the key components of those differences.

You may or may not already know, but Montessori schools discourage the introduction of fantasy to young children (children under the ages of 5 or 6). This means we do not use play kitchens, have a dress-up area in the classroom, or rely on books with dragons and fairies. This often evokes a visceral reaction from those new to the approach, but after learning the scientific reasoning it makes much more sense.

Some people hold a misconception about Montessori regarding their assumption that the method stifles imagination and creativity. The is unequivocally false. We wonder if this misconception stems from tangled definitions of fantasy and imagination, which are two very separate concepts. Fantasy is the stories and ideas drawn from a world which does not exist (those fairies, dragons, talking horses, etc.). Imagination is the ability to conjure images or scenarios in one’s own mind, separate from present sensorial input.

So, what is the difference, really?

Fantasy is giving wooden fruit to play with instead of a real banana to slice. Fantasy is reading a book about a talking dog rather than reading a book about the different breeds of dogs around the world.

Imagination is a child on the playground pretending they are an eagle because they saw a live one for the first time that weekend. Imagination is children playing ‘family’ because they are driven to practice the roles that are modeled for them in their own homes.

Imagination is inherent in the human mind. It’s where our creativity comes from, and it’s one of the ways we process learning about the amazing world around us.  As Montessorians, we revel in the magic of imagination (and, as children get a bit older, we use it to our advantage, but more on that later).

As Montessorians, we recognize that young children have a difficult time distinguishing the differences between reality and fantasy, and that blending the two within their experience can be confusing.  We also know, from Dr. Montessori’s own observations, that young children typically prefer reality to fantasy.  For example, in her first classroom, she had a dollhouse and read folktales.  Children were far more interested in leaving those activities behind to observe an earthworm or serve tea to visitors.

Our perspective asserts that in a young child’s life, everything they encounter is awe-inspiring and fills them with wonder.  We need not tell them tales of unicorns, in part because they often have a hard time distinguishing between whether they are real or not, but also because an actual horse is just as fantastic to them.  When the whole world is still relatively brand-new, animals, plants, the environment, and real people provide more than enough inspiration for their young minds.

We all know that even very young children utilize their imaginations (as we mentioned several examples above).  This is a normal and natural part of development which we value and honor.  We would just rather give our students real, authentic opportunities as opposed to presenting them with fake ones.  We know that a three-year-old is fully capable of learning basic food preparation skills, so we guide them and leave them with a sense of empowerment.  Even a toddler is old enough to begin learning how to sweep up a mess on the floor.  Rather than supplying a toy cleaning set, we make available real cleaning tools that are appropriately sized, and we guide young children as they learn to use them effectively.

Once children enter the second plane of development, around age 6, our approach shifts.  We know children are more able to differentiate between reality and fantasy, so we don’t discourage fantasy books (although we do provide plenty of nonfiction).  We also know that children at this age, through about age 12, are highly motivated to learn through the use of their imaginations.  

While we still do not rely on fantasy to drive our teaching, we do lean heavily on imagination for older children.  Several of our most important, foundational lessons about the universe, life on Earth, and humanity itself are delivered with the use of storytelling.  The stories we tell are true, but we allow children to mentally picture themselves in historically critical moments.  Elementary-aged children are seeking to find their own place in the universe, and their developed sense of imagination helps take them there.

So, what are the practical implications of these principles in regards to parenting? We would say give your young children the gift of reality! Give them opportunities to use real tools, to go outside and observe and discuss real things. The younger the child is, the closer to reality everything that you present to them should be.

The Montessori Approach to Monitoring Progress

Merriam-Webster defines assessment as:

“The Action or an instance of making a judgment about something: the act of assessing something.”

How do guides track progress?

Notes. Notebooks full of thoughtful and detailed handwritten notes. At least that’s the traditional way of recording progress. Many schools are now shifting over to digital platforms that are created specifically for Montessori schools. Still, many Montessori teachers continue to keep their own detailed records by hand.

Montessori teachers are masters of observation. They think like scientists and spend lots of time sitting back and quietly watching the children at work. When they’re not giving lessons, they’re observing. They write all these observations down and then review them later to help decide what lessons to revisit, what new materials to present, or even what parts of the classroom environment need attention or change.

Summative assessment vs. Formative assessment?

Traditional schooling relies a lot on summative assessment. Summative assessment relies on testing, which is usually done at the end of one unit, or a cumulative standardized test at the end of the year. This model is data-driven and typically in a format for adults to measure different points rather than giving students constructive feedback. Montessori relies much more on formative assessment, which allows the teacher to be more flexible and observe the child’s individual learning needs. With this approach, a teacher can assess what the student can accomplish by observing and determining the right time to move on to a new lesson or spend more time on another.

How is Mastery Evaluated?

In other schools, mastery is evaluated by a test score or a letter grade. Generally, in Montessori schools, mastery of a particular lesson or concept is evaluated during the lesson. This is done through a tool developed by Dr. Maria Montessori called the ‘three-period lesson.’

• First Period: The guide will introduce a skill to the child. For example, “these are the parts of a flower.” They will use images, puzzles, or other representative materials in order to show the child.

• Second Period: The guide will present the child with some information and let the child show the rest. For example, “What part of the flower is used for pollination?” then they will allow the child to show them.

• Third Period: The guide will determine if the child can independently express the information they have gathered during previous lessons. For example, “Now it is your turn to label the parts of the flower and explain what each part does. What is this part?”

Once the child is able to complete the Third Period successfully, the guide can assess that they have mastered that lesson. There is no need to give them a letter grade or a formal test; the child has shown you that they understand the lesson and the concept. Through the Montessori approach, assessment is done one-on-one, between the child and the guide. Each child is able to learn and progress at their own pace, continually being challenged and feeling engaged in their learning. The best part? Because of the beauty of the materials and the tone of the classroom, the child perceives this as a sort of game rather than a test to be dreaded.