Where Children Develop a Love for Learning

The Purposes of Practical Life in Montessori In a Montessori classroom, practical life activities play a foundational role in supporting children’s development, independence, and connection to their environment. Because children are actively absorbing and adapting to the world around them, everything we offer in practical life serves a developmental need. Supporting Independence One of the primary goals of practical life is to nurture children’s functional independence—the ability to care for oneself and the environment and interact meaningfully within a community. The first plane of development (0 to 6 years) is marked by a strong drive for independence, with children eager to do things for themselves. By the time a child enters the Children’s House (approximately ages 2.5 to 6), they have already made strides toward independence. However, they still require an environment that allows them to refine their skills. In the world, children generally encounter a number of obstacles to their independence: Household processes (e.g., cleaning dishes in the dishwasher) may be hidden or too complex. Tools are adult-sized and difficult for small hands to use. Movements happen too quickly for children to absorb (e.g., tying a shoe). The Montessori environment addresses these barriers by providing: Child-sized tools for daily activities, such as preparing food and caring for the classroom. A clear, ordered sequence of movements that children can observe and repeat. The freedom to practice skills at their own pace, allowing them to move from passive observers to active participants. Supporting the Sensitive Period for Movement We also recognize that young children are in a critical period for refining their control and coordination. So practical life activities are designed to help children refine their movements in purposeful ways, directing children’s attention and energy toward focused, intentional actions. Walking on the line of an ellipse develops balance and control. Pouring water from a basin to a bucket refines precision. Carrying a tray teaches careful, measured movements. One of the most challenging yet essential aspects of movement is control. It takes effort to stop pouring just before a cup overflows or use only a small drop of polish when shining an object. By engaging in these exercises, children strengthen their willpower and gradually master their own actions. Supporting the Sensitive Period for Order Children in the first plane of development have an innate need for external order, which is reflected in their surroundings and daily routines. Montessori environments support this in a variety of ways. We ensure that activities have a logical sequence of steps so as children learn new concepts, they can also rely on the sequencing. Materials are placed in a specific order on the shelves, moving left to right and top to bottom so children begin to internalize the same patterning we use for reading as they work through the easier and most concrete activities to the most challenging and abstract. Montessori activities are color-coded. For the youngest children this means that all of the items for something like window washing will have the same color which helps children keep the set together. As children get older the color-coding is designed to help them grasp concepts like place value in math or parts of speech in language. Once children internalize these structures, they gain confidence and independence, allowing them to complete tasks from start to finish without adult intervention. Assisting with Cultural Adaptation Practical life activities reflect real-world tasks that children observe in their daily lives. Children are naturally drawn to meaningful work—they want to help, imitate, and participate. For example, in Dr. Montessori’s early observations in San Lorenzo, she saw that children were fascinated by the gardener and the custodian, eagerly following and watching their work. Children see adults doing marvelous activities, and children want to learn the skills to participate! Through practical life activities, children engage in culturally relevant tasks that allow them to feel like valuable members of their community. Supporting Orientation Orientation is a fundamental human tendency—we all seek to understand our surroundings and how to function within them. Practical life exercises help children orient to the Montessori classroom by introducing essential routines. For example, we take the time to teach children things that might otherwise be taken for granted, such as: How to carry a chair properly. How to greet a friend. How to roll and unroll a work rug. How to ask for help. By taking time to demonstrate these tasks, we show respect for the child and provide the knowledge they need to act confidently in their space. Supporting the Development of Concentration Practical life activities serve as a gateway to deep concentration. The freedom to choose and repeat exercises allows children to follow their intrinsic motivation and work toward self-perfection. When children reach deep concentration, they experience: Joy and a sense of fulfillment. An increased connection to others. A natural reduction in undesirable behaviors. The ability to repeat an activity for as long as needed also supports children’s sensitive period for order and mastery. This is why practical life often serves as the first point of engagement for children in the Montessori classroom. Supporting the Development of the Will Practical life exercises help children develop willpower and self-control by bridging the gap between impulse and deliberate action. At first, children act on instinct, but through repeated exercises, they learn to: Act consciously and voluntarily. Perfect their actions through self-correction. Develop grace, courtesy, and social awareness. Whether through learning how to clean up a spill or preparing snack to share with others, children learn to control their impulses and consider the needs of others. Dr. Montessori beautifully summarized this transformation in The Discovery of the Child: “The grace and dignity of their behavior and the ease of their movements are the corollaries to what they have gained through their own patient and laborious efforts. In a word, they are ‘self-controlled,’ and to the extent that they are thus controlled, they are free from the control of others.” Practical life is far more than just pouring, scrubbing, and folding—it is the foundation for independence, concentration, order, and social development. These carefully designed activities help children orient to their world, refine their movements, and develop the willpower to act with purpose. By embracing practical life, we give children the tools to engage meaningfully with their environment, take ownership of their learning, and ultimately, become confident, self-sufficient individuals. Contact us to schedule a tour so you can see how young children use practical life activities in powerful ways!

Most of us have had the experience of a child walking into the room and proclaiming, with exasperation and desperation, “I’m bored!” Without even thinking, we begin to offer suggestions. Despite our best intentions, this situation tends to not end well. Our brilliant ideas are often quickly refuted. We feel frustrated. Our children haven’t engaged. And we’ve missed an opportunity to help our children take responsibility. What Does it Mean to “Own the Problem”? It helps to think proactively about how to respond when our children face problems, choices, or situations. These aren’t necessarily the big issues, but rather daily moments that can help our children learn important coping skills that will be crucial in their lives. At its core, figuring out who owns the problem is about determining whether we or our children are the ones who are primarily responsible for addressing an issue. For example, when our children forget to bring something to school (a coat, gym shoes, snack, etc.), it’s their problem to own and solve because they are directly impacted. Plus, they are also capable of problem-solving (e.g. borrowing a coat, talking to their teacher, asking if there is any food they can have for a snack). Owning the problem helps children take more responsibility and learn from their mistakes. Whereas, if we rush to their rescue and bring anything that was left at home, our children learn that remembering to bring essential items isn’t really important because we take care of covering for them. The Challenges However, watching our children struggle can be heart-wrenching. We don’t like to see our children upset, in pain, or even frustrated. Often, without even thinking, we jump in and try to protect our children from whatever problem, conflict, or challenge they are experiencing. In addition to this urge to rescue, we may also experience time constraints, diminishing patience, worry about how others will perceive the situation, doubts about our children’s capability, and even pushback from our children. It may seem faster to tie our children’s shoes or clean their messy room than to wait for them to do it themselves. We may worry that our children won’t meet expectations with a school project or that teachers, other parents, or extended family members will judge the results if we don’t help. Or maybe we aren’t sure that our children will make the “right” decision or if our children are mature or skilled enough to handle a situation. We may even feel guilty about allowing our children to face the natural consequences of their actions, even though it’s a necessary part of learning. The Value All problems have owners. Being thoughtful about who owns the problem helps create a clear boundary between guiding our children and taking over their challenges, which is crucial for raising independent, confident, and capable individuals. If we take the time to think ahead about specific (and even recurring) situations, we can be prepared to empower our children to take ownership of the challenges they face, rather than automatically intervening. It’s also important to remember that if we regularly take ownership of our children’s problems, we are inadvertently teaching our children that they are not capable. The result? Our children grow more needy and dependent on (and sometimes even more demanding of) adults. If our children own the problem, we can let them handle the problem and provide support as necessary. This is a growth opportunity for us and our children! Steps to Take The next time our children express frustration or emotion in response to a problem they own, we can try a simple, three-step response. Tell them what we see When our children approach us, consider using detective skills to determine what emotion is at play. “It looks like you don’t know what to do right now,” or “It looks like you are disappointed,” or “It looks like you are feeling sad.” This simple first step provides acknowledgment and helps children accept that their feelings are normal and acceptable. For younger children, this also helps them learn to identify different emotions. In addition to validating our children’s feelings, active listening shows empathy and helps us avoid jumping to solutions. For example, if the upset is about an interaction with a friend, we can try saying something like, “That sounds really frustrating. Tell me more about what happened." Ask them what they can do Next, we can act as a coach rather than trying to provide solutions. This requires listening closely to determine the root cause of their problem and helping them come up with a solution (without doing it for them). For example, if facing the “I’m bored” statement, we can ask questions, “What do you think you could do on your own so that you would feel busy?” Even if they respond by saying, “I don’t know,” we can continue to focus on their ability to think through possibilities. Sometimes, even just replying with something like, “make believe you know,” grants them permission to use their imagination. Additional types of questions to have mentally prepared can include: “What do you think you could do to fix this?” “How do you think _____ might react if you explain?” “What’s the first step you could take?” Offer to help if appropriate Once our children have come up with a solution to their problem, we can offer to help without taking over and implementing the solution for them. Sometimes our children might need support with generating ideas. It’s okay to brainstorm together, which is different than trying to come up with solutions for them. If we do offer brainstorming support, it’s important to let our children choose the best course of action. For example, if the problem revolves around forgetting to bring something to school, we can help with some scaffolding, “Let’s think of ways you have remembered to bring your instrument for band. What’s one technique you’ve used before that worked well?” We can also offer support by providing access to tools or resources. For example, if the struggle involves organization, we can offer to provide a calendar or checklist and teach our children how to use this tool rather than organizing their assignments or chores for them. Role-playing can also sometimes help children practice the solution they’ve identified. Ultimately, we want to set clear exceptions by letting our children know what is expected and giving them the responsibility to follow through. Asking what their plan is is a great way to shift the focus to their ability to solve the problem. The best part is that the more often we allow our children to solve their own problems, the more capable they become. Are you curious to learn more about supporting children’s emerging sense of responsibility? Come visit our school!