Exploring Practical Life Through Cloth Washing

Toddlers need hands-on experience with life skills in real purposeful ways.

In a Montessori environment, we call this practical life work. This cloth washing activity is extremely beneficial for your child because it gives them the opportunity to practice a variety of skills such as pouring water, scrubbing, squeezing, making soap bubbles, mopping, and cleaning spills. Through these steps, your child is strengthening their hand muscles and hand-eye coordination, learning about the changes from dry to wet materials, and internalizing a sense of order. These skills help build a foundation of self-confidence and independence which your child will carry with them as they continue to grow and learn, setting them up for success later inlife. Practical life activities, like cloth washing, can easily be introduced into your home simply by knowing what to use, the proper steps, and how to set it up appropriately given your space.

Montessori toddler practising independence

In our communities, we work together and everyone plays a part to help in its functioning. This gives the child a sense of belonging and through participation, they feel like a valued member with a sense of purpose. This period of growth is important in creating the young child’s sense of self and helps them to become confident, responsible, and caring for the world around them. Providing opportunities to gain practical life knowledge and skills and creating an environment that meets the child’s’ needs are both essential in helping our children reach their fullest potential.

by Lindsey Taylor

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Watch how we prepare food in the classroom

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Cooking With Children can be fun

It is often said that “the family that eats together, stays together”. We would like to suggest taking it a step further – and encourage every family to cook together, too. In Montessori, we know that kitchen work provides a host of benefits to children, all the way from toddlers to adolescents; it is a part of the Practical Life curriculum as soon as children can walk! However, its advantages are in no way tied to the classroom and can be just as easily – if not more so – applied at home.

Help! How Can I bring Montessori Into my Home?

You may see your child doing all kinds of productive work at school and then it seems that they are a completely different child at home. Does this happen to you? Toys lying all around the house and maybe your child does not want to clean up, or perhaps you are stuck with a sink full of dishes after dinner with no offers to help. There are some simple adjustments and additions that can easily be made in your home which will help you and your family build a happier and more cooperative household.

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Grace and Courtesy is a major part of the Practical Life curriculum from infancy through adolescence. You might overlook the Grace and Courtesy curriculum when you first visit a Montessori classroom; unlike Mathematics or Language, there usually isn’t a dedicated shelf or corner for it. However, it is nonetheless an essential part of the curriculum, with set lessons and goals; its „didactic materials“ are the teachers themselves, as well as the children’s community. Its aim is far more than simply teaching etiquette: it is to aid the self-construction of the child in their task to assume their full place in the human community.

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It can be an exciting time when your child begins to read and write their first words. They are at the dawn of an exhilarating literacy journey that will open their eyes to a world of books, knowledge, and wonder!

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In Montessori education, we often speak about independence. Helping raise children into confident adults is a priority for all of us – but why is independence so important and how do we nurture it in even our youngest learners?