Why Practical Life?

Building Vocabulary: Practical life activities provide opportunities for the child to learn many words including names of fruits, vegetables, tools, utensils etc. They not only know the name but they know what they are because they get to touch, smell, taste, use and really understand them. In juicing an orange, the child learns what an orange is, what it looks like before and after peeling. What the inside looks and smells like, that it has juice, seeds and chaff. He learns what a juicer is and what it looks like. He learns that it has a handle, a reamer and a spout.

Functional Independence and visual discrimination: Practical Life activities provide opportunities for the child to look at objects and notice the difference. To analyze and make decisions… these small decisions prepare him for big decisions in the future. Which side of the orange should face down? how do I center it on the reamer?

Strengthening of the hands: Maria Montessori said that the hands are the instruments of man’s intelligence. They need to be strengthened and precise to prepare for future use in writing, stitching, building, painting, playing an instrument etc. Juicing an orange require the child to press and squeeze… both movements help strengthen the hands.

Order and Sequencing: Many situations in life and academics require order and sequences. Practical life activities often include processes/ a specific sequence of actions and require order/ a place for everything. After squeezing, you put the orange in the bowl and then you need the pitcher. The child internalizes this process and order every time he repeats the activity. I’m done squeezing… may I have the pitcher?

Gentleness, Precision: Hand-Eye Coordination: By allowing him to work with real tools made of glass, the child learns to be gentle and handle them with care. Pouring from the wide mouthed juicer without a lid into the narrow mouthed pitcher helps with the development of hand-eye coordination and precision. With practice he has learnt to pour without spilling. If he had spilled some, he would have known how to wipe it up.

Understanding of quantities and preparation for math: Practical life activities provide plenty opportunities for counting, quantity recognition, fractions, volume,  sets and many other math concepts to be absorbed concretely. He juiced “half” of “one” orange and pours the juice into the pitcher until the juicer is “empty”.

Social Etiquette: Practical life activities provide a lot of opportunities to learn and practice social etiquette. You drink from the glass, not a pitcher and so you have to pour from the glass into the pitcher and this time, you don’t have to empty the pitcher… just pour as much as you need.

Self-Confidence, Self-Esteem and Self-Control: Best of all,

I don’t have to congratulate him for a job well done and let him know if he did it right or wrong.

The rewards are built in. He knows he is capable of satiating his thirst. He has learnt to concentrate, delay gratification and go through the process to enjoy the fruits of his labor.