One of the key concepts and skills that Montessori education develops in different ways and from different perspectives through the entire childhood and through the entire educational process is independance.
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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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All you will need is 100g of soap, rubber molds, turmeric powder, lemon or orange essential oils, fresh lemon or orange, and a grater or zester.
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Food Preparation activities are very popular in a Montessori classroom. Not only do children enjoy eating food they’ve prepared themselves, but they learn skills throughout the process.
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Before the age of two, the child undergoes a series of developmental changes making them ready for a new social environment. Although the parents are still the most important people in their world, children now need an expansion of their social horizons: the experience of a peer group, of being socially independent. This is a big and valuable step: learning to function without the parents in a community of friends and teachers.
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“The first thing to realize about these exercises of practical life is that their aim is not a practical one. Emphasis should be laid not on the word “practical” but on the word life. Their aim is to assist development.” E. M. Standing, Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work
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