Practical life classes help children acquire skills they will need in their everyday life. To ensure the effectiveness of the class, it is essential to set up an effective practical life area. The principles for choosing materials for the area include being safe, close to life, easy to use, and available. Gestwicki (2016) notes that the materials should be as close to live as possible because practical life classes should not be associated with the creative art area.
Children should be able to recognize objects that they are likely to see in their homes. Of course, all the items should be safe (safe materials should be used, no hazardous forms, and so on) (Whitebread, Dawkins, Bingham, Rhodes, & Hemming, 2015). Finally, each child should have the necessary number of items to complete a variety of tasks.
One of the major most important characteristics of practical life exercises is simplicity and the proper instruction. Isaacs (2014) stresses that these exercises should be simple enough for children to feel competent and successful. The complexity of exercises increases steadily as children acquire various skills to complete easy tasks. It is also vital to make sure that the teacher provides clear and detailed instructions for children to be able to perform the task. For example, the teacher tells and shows how exactly to use a spoon with a focus on the way to hold it and fill it.
It is important to explain to parents the importance of having a practical life area in the classroom. The teacher can say that practical life classes develop important skills as well as a sense of responsibility, motor skills, and independence (Isaacs, 2013). The teacher should also point out that the area is needed to make sure that children know exactly how to use some objects and how to complete some important tasks. Some parents may say that their children can do all those things, but the teacher should stress that there can never be too much practice. More so, a child can learn about different methods of doing simple tasks, which is important for the development of problem-solving skills as well as motor skills and confidence (Isaacs, 2013).
A task of sewing a button will be divided into several phases. First, children will practice size sorting. It is necessary to use buttons of different sizes. After that, size sorting and color sorting will be practiced. Buttons of different sizes and colors, as well as pieces of fabric of different colors, can be used. They should understand which button to choose when sewing is needed. The next step is to teach children to use a needle and a thread. Children practice up and down movements using a needle and a thread. First, they practice with a piece of Styrofoam, and then they can use a piece of fabric (Practical life, 2016). When they have the necessary skills, they can sew a button. It is important to make sure that children use buttons of the right color and size.
A shell washing activity is important as it contributes to the development of motor skills and children’s independence (Bhatia, Davis, & Shamas-Brandt, 2015). Children acquire the necessary skills to complete various tasks including taking care of their toys, footwear, prizes, collections (of coins, for instance), and so on. To make children interested in the task, a teacher can say that they will learn about secret methods of keeping their toys (or coins, or it can be anything) as good as new. Of course, it is possible to launch a competition of the most shining shell, which will motivate children. A reward can be a shell or an item that may need polishing (a cup, a toy, and so on). This will encourage a child to use the acquired skills.
Washing clothes can be a difficult task for children, so it is vital to divide the process into a number of activities that will help children develop the necessary skills (Practical life, 2016). First, it is important to develop fine motor skills that will help children to use clothespins. The use of tongs (to transfer cherries, snowflakes, and so on from one bowl to another) will be the first stage. The use of clothespins will be the next stage. Pouring is the following phase. First, dry pouring is practiced, and children ‘pour’ pebbles, corn, buttons, and so on. Pouring liquids is the next stage. Sponging is the next step. Children learn how to squeeze sponges, which will help them in wringing out water. Mixing the soap and rubbing it will be the next stage. After these activities, children are ready to try to wash small towels or small pieces of fabric.
Practical life exercises can help a child develop fine motor skills that are crucial for writing skills (Gestwicki, 2016). For example, children learn how to hold small objects (similar to pens and pencils). As to reading, practical life exercises are suitable for the development of kinesthetic exercises aimed at the development of reading skills. For example, children often cut out letters and make small words. As for mathematics, practical life tasks can be seen as good drilling exercises. For example, students can count snowflakes they transfer from one bowl to another. They can count clothespins necessary to dry a certain number of pieces of fabrics or towels.
References
Bhatia, P., Davis, A., & Shamas-Brandt, E. (2015). Educational gymnastics: The Effectiveness of Montessori practical life activities in developing fine motor skills in kindergartners. Early Education and Development, 26(4), 594-607.
Gestwicki, C. (2016). Developmentally appropriate practice: Curriculum and development in early childhood. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Isaacs, B. (2013). Understanding the Montessori approach: Early years education in practice. New York, NY: Routledge.
Isaacs, B. (2014). Bringing the Montessori approach to your early years practice. New York, NY: Routledge.
Practical life. (2016)
Whitebread, D., Dawkins, R., Bingham, S., Rhodes, H., & Hemming, K. (2015). ‘Our classroom is like a little cosy house!’ Organising the early years classroom to encourage self-regulated learning. In D. Whitebread & P. Coltman (Eds.), Teaching and learning in the early years (pp. 25-57). New York, NY: Routledge.