One of the beauties of watching your child grow is being amazed by their independence and desire to mimic what they see you do. We often take the simplest things in life for granted, but your toddler sees them as new challenges and explorations to learn and tackle. This includes everyday routines and practices like preparing food, dressing oneself, cleaning, grace and courtesy, and more. These tasks are new and exciting for your child and empowering to master.
The Importance of Practical Life in Montessori
One of the hallmarks of the Montessori method is its ability to take full advantage of a child's natural motivation to learn practical life skills from a very young age. As soon as they start moving around, they are eager to participate in these activities.
What is Practical Life?
Practical life in Montessori is a purposeful activity that develops motor control, coordination, independence, concentration, and a sense of responsibility. The exercises in practical life cover two main areas of development: care of self and care of the environment. Practical life activities are suitable for all ages, even infants, and change depending on what the child can do at each stage of development. The activities can start with something as simple as pulling up pants, washing hands, baking, or pouring juice in the morning.
Why is Practical Life So Important for Your Toddler?
It's not "just" about learning new skills for everyday life. The child learns to independently follow a complex motor sequence to fulfill their desires and needs. When taught during toddlerhood, these skills allow your child to believe in themselves and develop the self-discipline needed for success throughout their lives. Those unfamiliar with the Montessori method may question why a child is doing something like washing the dishes instead of learning something more academic, like mathematical concepts. However, the practical life Montessori curriculum teaches children foundational skills necessary for learning academics.
Math, reading, and language all require the ability to focus, follow logical and sequential steps, make intelligent choices, see a task through from start to finish, persist when making a mistake, and correct one's mistakes. All of these skills are present in the process of learning and practicing practical life activities.
Learn More About Practical Life Activities
To learn more about practical life activities you can do at home, visit our Practical Life Activity Blog. Here, you'll find a wealth of ideas to help your toddler develop essential life skills through fun and engaging activities.