practical life

Focused Movement in Practical Life Exercises

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“One single idea runs through every complex activity, and this single idea must be sought as the key to any general problem. There is also a secret key to the perfecting of the most varied types of movements. And the key is balance.”

Thoughts after reading: 5. Education in Movement (Part 2)

For the young child perfecting movement is important in developing control and mastery over their bodies. The implementation of practical life into the classroom allows the child to practice repetitive movements that help them conquer daily challenges in life and develop habits which can last them a lifetime. During my Early Childhood teacher training, I was amazed at my unrefined movements. I have always rushed through life, diving into the next thing, often bumping into coffee tables, spilling drinks, and walking heavy footed. Learning to slow down and pay attention to small movements to show the child was great practice for me. One of my favorite lessons is how to shut the door. I had never thought about this simple task beyond opening and shutting. The lessons shows the child how the doorknob works and how to turn the knob so the bolting mechanism go inside as the door is shutting and gently releases when the door is in place. The task is successful when the door closes without a sound.

Other activities practiced in practical life could be buttoning, zipping, latching, pouring, using locks and keys, opening containers, walking around obstacles, carrying objects, shoe tying, blowing noses, washing hands, washing a desk, polishing shoes, and much, much more. If I had been a Montessori child and practiced perfecting practical life skills, my adult life would be much easier. My clothes would last longer, I would experience less injuries, I would move about quieter and I would not have to redo tasks. Taking the Montessori training did help me slow down and appreciate each movement that is related to a task and appreciate the child’s efforts to perfect their own movements.

Montessori, M. (1972). Education in Movement. In The discovery of the child (pp. 88-90) New York: Ballantine

Mastery of movement

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Montessori, M., & Costelloe, M. J. (1972). Introduction, Childhood: A Social -Problem. The secret of childhood (pp. 96-99). New York: Ballantine Books. (Original work published 1966)

Thoughts after reading PART 1: 15. Movement

“A child has a natural desire to master the voluntary use of his organs of movement. If he fails to do so, he cannot externalize the fruit of his intelligence.” (p. 99, para. 1)

Every purposeful movement we make is connected to our mind. Our thoughts align with our movements. A child is working to master this connection between their mind and body. Maria emphasizes the importance of movement in the development of intelligence and reasoning abilities.

It is one thing to know how to do something, but quite another to have mastered the physical ability to perform the task. Some activities require a great deal of practice or even special muscle development. One may understand the mechanics behind performing a front flip; however, it is quite a different skill to perform the gymnastic feat.

In a Montessori classroom, children learn through movement. Many children have learn to care for their environment. Various lessons include the gathering of materials from the shelf to a work area. Many classrooms have a line for children to practice balancing on. In addition to gross motor movement, many of the classroom’s practical life exercises involve very precise movements developing fine motor skills, including the pincer grip in preparation for writing. When learning the sounds of the letters, children touch and trace each sound practicing the muscle movement associated with writing the letter.