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If teaching is to be effective with young children, it must assist them to advance on the way to independence. It must initiate them into those kinds of activities, which they can perform themselves. We must help them to learn how to walk without assistance, to run, to go up and down the stairs, to pick up fallen objects, to dress and undress, to wash themselves, to express their needs, and to attempt to satisfy their desires through their own efforts. All this is part of an education for independence. Dr. Maria Montessori, the Discovery of the Child, pg, 56-57 Comment on the above statement and explain how the exercises of practical life help to achieve independence.

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We know that each child is a full and complete individual in her own right. Even when she is very small, she deserves to be treated with the full and sincere respect that we would extend to her parents. Respect breeds respect and create an atmosphere within which learning is tremendously facilitated. Success in school is directly tied to the degree to which children believe that they are capable and independent human beings. If they knew the words, even very young children would ask: help me learn to do it for myself. (The Montessori way, Part 2, pg 57) Children touch and manipulate everything in their environment. In a very real sense, the adult mind is hand-made, because it is through their movement, exploration and manipulation that children build up a store-house of impressions about the physical world. Children learn by doing and this requires movement and spontaneous investigation. They have a remarkably absorbent mind. Children have an amazing ability to concentrate, and become immersed in the performance of a task. Left undisturbed, they can learn effectively, and derive great satisfaction from it. By allowing children to develop a meaningful degree of independence and selfdiscipline, Montessori sets a pattern for a lifetime of good work habits and a sense of responsibility. Students are taught to take pride in doing things well. She patterned her method of facilitating learning based on several tendencies that are innate in all humans: the tendencies to explore, move, share in a group, to be independent and make decisions, to create order, develop self-control, to abstract ideas from experience, to use the creative power of the imagination, to work hard, repeat, concentrate, and to perfect ones efforts and creations. The Montessori learning environment is structured to take advantage of these natural tendencies. There is a play of instincts within a child not only with respect to its physical growth and nourishment but also with respect to various psychic operations. Every child has a certain potential and an unconscious urge to carry out activities. He is very curious in nature and wants to develop his own powers to reveal himself. (The Secret of Childhood, Chapter 6, Pg 29) The freedom of choice and movement the children have in the classroom are the basis of all Montessori activities- all children work according to their own ability and at their own pace. Once they are shown how to use the material they are then able to react spontaneously from moment to moment and so assume control of their own learning process. Practical Life is the foundation for everything that follows in a Montessori classroom. Montessori practical life teachings are simple Montessori exercises that adults perform daily in order to maintain control of the environment in which they live and work. The child is influenced by the adult's daily routine and activities. By imitating these practical life exercises, it is the child's way of adapting to the world around him and constructing reality.

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Let the child observe the tasks involved in the care of his home, and let him see that it must be kept orderly and clean. Let him observe you as you do chores around the house, and allow him to help you. Young children love to imitate adults and think that arranging flowers, making beds and cleaning house are fun. (Teaching Montessori in the home [The Pre-School years], Part 2, pg21) One discovery followed another, giving Dr. Montessori an increasingly clear view of the inner mind of the child. She found that little children were capable of long periods of quiet concentration, even though they rarely showed signs of it in everyday settings. Although they were often careless and sloppy, they respond positively to an atmosphere of calm and order. Montessori noticed that the logical extension of the young childs love for a consistent and often- repeated routine is an environment in which everything has a place. The child, who wants to walk by himself, must be allowed to try, because what strengthens any developing power is practice, and practice is still needed after the basic power has been attained. Life does not begin at three or whenever the child enters pre-school, nursery class, kindergarten or first grade. Life begins at the moment of conception, and at that moment we were faced with a cell so microscopic that it cannot be seen with the naked eye but which holds within itself all the potentialities of the human being it is to be.... all we can do is by the indirect means of furnishing the necessities for the growth of the embryo and by keeping away obstacles which may hinder the eventual result. (The Secret of Childhood, pg xiii) The child must first prepare himself and his bodily instruments, then become strong, then observe others and finally begin to do things himself. Nature urges him and even suggests gymnastic exercises, like climbing on to chairs and up ladders. Only after this does a new phase set in when he feels the need to start doing things himself, I am ready and now I want to be free. Her children took tremendous delight in carefully carrying their work to and from the shelves, taking great pains not to bump into anything or spill the smallest piece. They walked carefully through the rooms, instead of running wildly as they did on the streets. Montessori discovered that the environment itself was all important in obtaining the results that she had observed. Not wanting to use school desks, she had carpenters build child-sized tables and chairs. She was the first to do so, recognising the frustration that a little child experiences in an adult- sized world. The tables were light-weight, allowing two children to move them alone. The children learned to control their movements, disliking the way the calm was disturbed when they knocked into things. Montessori studied the traffic pattern of the rooms as well, arranging the furnishings and the activity area to minimize congestion and tripping. The children loved to sit on the floor so she bought little rugs to define their work areas and the children quickly learned to walk around them.
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There is something profound in her choice of words, for the Montessori classroom is not the domain of the adults, but rather it is a carefully prepared environment designed to facilitate the development of the childrens independence and sense of personal empowerment. This is the childrens community. They move freely within it, selecting work that captures their interest. Even very small children assist with the care of the environment. When they are hungry, they prepare their own snacks. They go to the bathroom without assistance. When something spills, they help each other carefully clean up. These very young children developed a sense of maturity and connectedness that helped them realize a much higher level of their potential as human beings. In 1914 she wrote, I did not invent a method of education, I simply gave some little children a chance to live. (Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work (New York 1984), pg 38) Many lessons in Montessori programs are derived from having children participate in daily work routines done in the practical life exercises. Children need a sense of belonging and being needed. They delight in being able to participate and do things on their own. Their self-esteem is reinforced when they are able to accomplish a task they see an adult do. An interesting piece of work, freely chosen, which has the virtue of inducing concentration rather than fatigue, adds to the childs energies and mental capacities, and leads him to self-mastery. (The Absorbent Mind, pg.207) Montessori schools provide children the opportunity to master these tasks, using furniture, and materials that are scaled to their size. In learning to care for their own bodies, each other, and their environment, children learn many important social and character building skills. By cooking, gardening, cleaning up, mastering personal grooming skills etc, they learn to work in community, to develop manners, to be orderly, and to care for themselves and the world around them. The Practical Life area is the foundation of a Montessori classroom. It contains a range of activities that allow a child to develop their control and coordination of movement, concentration, independence, and patience, awareness of their environment, social skills, and an orderly way of thinking. A child will also gain selfconfidence through learning to independently complete tasks that they will use in everyday life. "It is the tendency of the child actually to live by means of the things around him; he would like to use a washstand of his own, to dress himself, to sweep the floor himself." "We offer a very simple suggestion: give the child an environment in which everything is constructed in proportion to him, and let him live therein."(The Advanced Montessori Method- 1, Chapter 1, pg 16)

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The Practical Life area is the first area that many children explore because they are familiar with many of the materials and activities. Dr. Montessori believes that because the practical life exercises are the very foundation of the class, these exercises should occupy the 18 month old to 3-year old child for the duration of the toddler class. Because the child is learning through activities of daily life, it is important that the tools are recognizable to the child, as well as breakable, real, and functional. The fundamental feature of the practical life exercises in the Montessori Method, however, is that the activity has to be real, never a game or make-believe. Real glasses, pitchers, and so on are used for pouring. Real knives and graters are used in food preparation, and some classrooms even involve the children with baking. Mirror and glass polishing involve real, breakable glass and glass polish that many parents are concerned may get into mouths; other parents may worry about beans being put up noses. Part of the job of the Montessori teacher is to be aware of who is using what how. But that does not mean swooping down to intervene if a child is going to spill or even if a glass is going to break, as long (of course) as no one will be hurt. Montessori basic position on the necessity for these real things in the school is based on the need for the child to get feedback from his interactions with the environment. For example, if the plastic glasses never break, then there is no inherent reason for the child to learn to be careful with them. His only reason is because of adult demands. Another important reason for the use of real objects is the motivation for use that comes from real things. With a real, child-sized carpet sweeper, the child can actually do it; he can actually sweep the carpet, and, when the sweepings are emptied out into the trash can, he can see that he has cleaned the classroom. The genius of the Practical Life exercises is two-fold: You are teaching the child how to care for himself and his environment, thus giving him independence (doesnt have to rely on an adult to tie his shoelaces or comb his hair) and a sense of pride at being able to do these things all by himself. The essence of independence is to be able to do something for ones self. The philosophical concept which underlies these successive conquests of independence is this: that man achieves his independence by making efforts. To be able to do a thing without any help from others: this is independence. If it exists, the child can progress rapidly; if it does not, his progress will be slow.(The Absorbent Mind, Chapter 14, pg 161) In the Montessori Method, demonstration by the teacher is very important to ensure correct and responsible use of the activities. If children are using materials incorrectly or irresponsibly, the teacher will again go through a demonstration with
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the child. The child gain control in the coordination of his movement, and help the child to gain independence and adapt to his society. Practical Life Exercises also aid the growth and development of the childs intellect and concentration and will in turn also help the child develop an orderly way of thinking. These exercises have direct as well as indirect aims. In working with the Practical Life activities, the child directly prepares herself or himself in doing an activity. She/he imitates an adult actively. When the child is given a lesson, she/he tries to imitate every step and follow the directress very minutely. The direct aim is to enable the child to do some activity on his own, rather than being dependent on the directress or any other adult. For example, the direct aim for the Beans Spooning activity is the activity itself and also reading readiness for left to right movement, preparation for writing, co-ordination and gentleness. The direct aim of an exercise, in the Practical Life area of a Montessori environment, has two elements. It includes the self-evident purpose of the action. The second part of the direct aim includes preparation for future learning. The materials in the Montessori classroom are offered to the children with an indirect aim in mind. The adult does the work of washing clothes as a chore whereas a child does the same activity for the enjoyment of the process. After the laborious work that she/he does, she/he repeats the process for the enjoyment of the process. Each material isolates a concept and allows for repetitive practice with a certain skill and the child repeats this process to because he gets a sense of satisfaction. This means that their design allows the child to solve challenges inherent in the materials without help. The Indirect Aims of Practical Life are to develop coordination, concentration, independence, eye-hand coordination, control of movement, strengthening of the dominant hand, and order through prepared activities that are attractive and draw the attention of the child. This internal aim which the child works is for him to grow. For example, the indirect aim in the Rice Pouring activity will be concentration, coordination, independence and order. There is a great sense of community within the Montessori classroom, where children of differing ages work together in an atmosphere of cooperation rather than competitiveness. There is respect for the environment and for the individuals within it, which comes through experience of freedom within the community. Dr Maria Montessori (The Essential Montessori, pg 81) The exercises in Practical Life also serve an important social purpose. Children become more self aware which helps them develop empathy and sensitivity to others. Additionally, Practical Life activities help foster self-discipline as well as selfreliance. Related to this is learning grace and courtesy - the social niceties, such as when to stand up, how to close a door quietly, which fork to use, etc. These skills are taught objectively so that the child is doing it because he wants to, not because his teacher/directress wants him to. The goal is to teach the necessary steps, but to
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allow the child to be independent in deciding exactly how to do it, and when. Children need freedom in order to show initiative. In skills and social manners, they need the tools, but they need to be free to use those tools at their own discretion. A child can be polite to a visitor or not, it's his choice. But he needs to know how to be polite so he can when he wants to. A child, who wants to be polite, or do some cleaning, should have the skills he needs at his disposal when he needs them. Yet the child should never be pressured to do something. An isolated individual cannot develop his individuality. He must put himself in relationship with his environment and within the reach of the events and the life of his times. (http://www.montessori-namta.org/NAMTA/PDF%20files/Outcomes.pdf, Childs Instinct to Work, Maria Montessori) Children love stillness and quiet. They enjoy playing the Silence Game, where the teacher puts a sign ("Silence") on the wall, and the children sit in perfect silence in response, waiting to hear their name called in a whisper so quiet that it doesn't break the silence. They love the power of knowing that silence is something they can create collectively by being still. In silence, children can hear their inner selves. The ability to play and enjoy the Silence Game can only be achieved by normalized children who have inner calm as a result of a Montessori education. Children are not sensitive to silence but also to a voice that calls them almost inaudibly out of that silence. They will come up slowly walking on tiptoes and taking care not to knock against anything that would make them heard. Dr. Montessori later to come to realize that every exercise involving movement where mistakes can be corrected, as in dis case where noise was checked by silence, is of great assistance to a child. Repetition of such an exercise can lead a child to perform exterior acts with a perfection which it could never attain through mere instruction. Montessori students come to understand and accept that we all have responsibilities to other people. These children learn to handle new situations that they will have to face as they become increasingly independent. They develop a clear sense of values and social conscience and absorb everyday ethics and interpersonal skills from the earliest years. Everyday kindness and courtesy are vital practical life skills. Even the youngest child is treated by her teachers and classmates with dignity and respect (The Montessori Way, Part 2, pg 64). The Montessori learning environment promotes the understanding that children not only learn with each other, but from each other thus minimising the need for adult guidance and intervention. From a teaching perspective it enables the teacher to observe, support, assess and evaluate the learning that occurs. This sense of community allows the children to become confident in their environment and in themselves, using the knowledge and skills they acquire to express their own ideas

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and creativity. It assists them to recognise their value, to respect the creative process of others and develop a willingness to share regardless of the risks. Thus, for the children to function in practical life three things are necessary. These are: The attitude of the teacher- The teacher must believe in what she is doing and her movements must manifest precision and care, the environment- It should reflect the laws of nature, meaning everything is purposeful and should offer sufficient scope for the activities and the child should be used as the guide, and lastly, the selection of practical life exercises must follow a logical progression of degree of difficulty. If the teacher follows these points, then we begin, through the practical life exercises, to do the following: aid the developmental growth of the child, help the child fulfil his biological needs, and aid in the harmonious development of mind and body. During the presentation of these exercises by the adults, they need to keep in mind three principles- Analysis of detail, isolation of difficulty and economy of movement. That is, to teach a child a very fine skill, we need to analyze the details of the action. To do this, we must first isolate the difficulties. The analysis of movement is closely connected to the economy of movement (to perform no movement unnecessary to the purpose). This is the highest degree of perfection. A child gains experience through exercise and movement. He coordinates his own movements and records the emotions he experiences in coming into contact with the external world. These help to mould his intelligence. He laboriously learns how to speak by listening attentively and making those initial efforts which are possible for him alone, and with tireless efforts he succeeds in learning how to stand erect and run about (The Secret of Childhood, Chapter-27, pg 194)

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BIBLOGRAPHY
Tim Seldin, The Montessori way, 2003 Maria Montessori, translated by M. Joseph Costelloe, S.J., The Secret of Childhood, 1936 Elizabeth G. Hainstock, Teaching Montessori in the home [The Pre-School years], 1997 E.M. Standing, Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work, 1998 Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind, 1949 Maria Montessori, The Advanced Montessori Method- 1, 1989 Elizabeth Hainstock, The Essential Montessori, 1986) http://www.montessori-namta.org/NAMTA/PDF%20files/Outcomes.pdf, Childs Instinct to Work, Maria Montessori

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Montessori students normally become confident in expressing their own ideas and creativity. They recognize the value of their work, respect the creative process of others and are willing to share their ideas regardless of the risk of rejection. Montessori students tend to take great satisfaction in self-expression. These are the general rules adopted in Montessori Schools, based on recognition of a childs rights And responsibilities: Montessori schools emphasize the development Of all intelligences in learning---musical, Bodily/kinaesthetic, spatial, intrapersonal, Interpersonal, intuitive, and traditional Linguistic and logical/mathematical. Learning Tends to be experience based and the use of "Manipulative" is stressed (materials that You act upon, touch, move, and use to model Real life). Well selected toys are used to help a child Grow socially, mentally, emotionally, physically, And creatively. Here are some great toys for Pre-schoolers and children in the early years Of education: Riding toys with and without pedals, wagons, low Climbers, dolls, talking telephones, balls of various Sizes, simple puzzles, blocks, housekeeping toys, Water toys, art supplies (modelling clay, scissors, Paint, glue, crayons and the like) musical instruments, Puppets, good books and music, building toys (Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs, Duple and Lego come to Mind) science activities (growing a plant, having An ant farm, taking care of fish or birds, building a Squirrel feeder, a magnifying glass, bug collecting kit, Magnets etc...) And small scale animals, buildings, vehicles and people that mirror real life. Independence doesnt come automatically as we grow older, it must be learned. In Montessori, even very small children can learn how to tie their own shoes and pour their own milk. At first, shoe laces turn into knots, and milk ends up on the floor. However, with practice, skills are mastered and the young child beams with pride. To experience this kind of success at such an early age is to build up a self-image as a successful person and leads the child to approach the next task with confidence. (pg 37, the Montessori way)
It is also the one area of the classroom that does not require special materials and tools (other than adjustments for size). The materials used are the easily found in your own home, because the activities are the very same ones we partake in every day in our homes things like sweeping, washing dishes, folding laundry, combing our hair, getting dressed. Children already want to do these things when they see adults doing them they want to be part of our world, they want to feel grown up and important. We then simply alter the materials and environment so it suits their smaller size, and let them go to work!

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Discuss a perfect prepared environment, stimulating his needs for emotional, intellectual stimulation, hygienic precaution and his physical growth.

. "The child must learn by his own individual activity, being given a mental freedom to take what he needs, and not to be questioned in his choice. Our teaching must only answer the mental needs of the child, never dictate them. (Page 5) "He must have absolute freedom of choice, and then he requires nothing but repeated experiences which will become increasingly marked by interest and serious attention, during his acquisition of some desired knowledge. (To educate the human potential) Children will educate themselves under the right conditions. They require guidance and sympathy far more than instructions.(The Montessori way, pg 67)

"Woe to us, when we believe ourselves responsible for matters that do not concern us, and delude ourselves with the idea that we are perfecting things that will perfect themselves quite independently of us! ... The profound question arises: What, then, is our true mission, our true responsibility? (p. 7)
Maria Montessori Her Life and Work by E. Mortimer Standing Chapter 13 - The Exercises of Practical Life Montessori children work at domestic tasks such as sweeping, setting tables, or polishing brass. But it's important for the teacher to understand the purpose of these tasks in order to make the most of them. The goal isn't to get the floor cleaned, or the table set, or the brass polished. Children have a biological and psychological need to practice and perfect the kinds of movements that will enable them to do tasks well and easily. But they need to practice with real things - setting real tables for a real meal, cleaning real floors, polishing brass that's really tarnished. They need to be maintaining their own selves (clipping their nails, washing their faces, cleaning their clothes) or maintaining and ordering their surroundings (this includes food preparation.) Children are perfectionists. Once they're comfortable with a task, such as setting the table, they can rise to new challenges: can they set the dishes down without a sound? They will enjoy the attempt, using their own ear to judge their success. Thus, the teacher doesn't need to be his judge and critic. Other challenges include pulling out his chair quietly, or washing hands without spilling a drop of water. If these challenges are perfected during the sensitive period for muscle coordination (before age 7), they will become automatic habits. Children should be made aware of the sequence of motions needed to do any task. People trip up when they do motions out of sequence--they stumble when they move forward before their foot has moved up. They spill if they pour water from a pitcher before setting the glass in place. Every task is made up of a series of smaller movements. It's helpful to be aware of them, and graceful to do them in order. Balance is practiced by walking a straight line. Challenges can be added, like holding a flag, or holding bells but walking the line so steadily that they don't ring, or balancing a basket on their head.

"These materials facilitate the child's spontaneous mental research," p. 237.her life and work

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'An interesting piece of work, freely chosen, which has the virtue of inducing concentration rather than fatigue, adds to the childs energies and mental capacities, and leads him to self-mastery.' Dr Maria Montessori (1995) The Absorbent Mind: Holt & Company pg.207 No one can be free unless he is Independent. Therefore, the first active manifestations of the childs individual liberty must be so guided that through this activity he may arrive at independence. Dr Maria Montessori (2004). The Montessori Method. Lanham, MD: Rowan and Littlefield p.118 ! For this is what she currently needs in order to set herself free. To support her quest, is to support that famous call of the child, Help me to do it by myself. (http://www.montessori.org.nz/montessori-quotes) The success of Montessori in leading the child to self-mastery is evident within a Montessori classroom. When children are provided with a prepared environment, given the opportunity, the freedom and the choice to work for their own creation and development, self-mastery becomes implicit in the child. Spontaneous work freely chosen by the child and carried out by the child through the journey of the Montessori work cycle (which means safe from adult intervention) befits a work of creation. Nature has presented many gifts to a child, not least of which is energy and curiosity! Unfortunately, such energy is often squashed and seen as a source of irritation in the midst of the busy lives of adults. So too in primary schools that are required to deliver a curriculum decided upon by those who do not necessarily understand the childs drive to do, to act independently, to work on their own interests at their own pace. Montessori early childhood centres and schools recognise the importance of offering children both the time and opportunities to actively explore the environment and pursue activities of their own choice. As the pressure mounts towards children manipulating letters and numbers and reading at an increasingly younger age it appears this has taken precedence over the worth of affording children the chance to self-mastery across all domains.

The final proof of the childrens interest came shortly after her first school became famous, when a group of well intentioned women gave them a marvellous collection of lovely and expensive toys. The new gifts held the childrens attention for a few days, but they soon returned to the more interesting materials. To Montessoris surprise, children who had experienced both, preferred work over play most of the time. If she were here today, Montessori would probably add: children read and do advanced mathematics in Montessori schools not because we push them, but because this is what they do when given the right to learn because we, as adults, think they shouldnt is illogical and typical of the way schools have been run before. Montessori 101
The aims of these exercises are both developmental and environmental in nature. By developing the child's coordination and concentration, enhancing his natural sensitivity to order, the child accumulates successful interactions with his environment. This grants the child ever greater self-sufficiency and independence. Practical Life exercises are simply various kinds of everyday domestic activities such as pouring water, scrubbing a table, polishing silver, etc.

The teachers construct these practical life exercises as part of the prepared Environment. After the presentation of the exercise, the adult should give the child the necessary freedom of choice and repetition of exercises. It is the repetition of the work that leads to greater concentration and helps in building the character. To make repetition possible, the exercises have to be very attractive. They should call the child to work. The practical life exercises need to be rotated several times during the school year to encourage the children to repeat their work. Change the color of a tray or the items for pouring reengage the child in the work. At home, parents can understand that the child is trying to acquire the skills to become independent. Children should be given the chance to help. The adult should slow down to the tempo of the child. When the child has done the job, if it is done to the best of her ability, do not criticize her. Instead, catch her when she begins this activity again and reintroduce it to her using this as an opportunity to teach your child 12

AASMEET MANCHANDA what your expectations are and how you want the job done. At home, children need help from the parents in tidying their things. By constant repetition of the motions, he is strengthening his muscles, perfecting his coordination, and gaining confidence in a particular skill. Why does the child choose these practical life exercises? What is it that attracts a young child to these constructive and developmental exercises? There are many reasons. They are: 1. These practical life activities are easily understood from start to finish. They have a simple, clear, and concrete purpose. 2. They have visible movements. Even at an early age; the child is capable of performing them. 3. They give direction to the childs movements. The young child can intelligently understand the activity. 4. The exercises are an attractive invitation to the childs will. He is able to carry out the movements necessary to perform the activity according to his understanding of the will purpose of the exercise. 5. Because these movements are willed by the child, it helps the child toward greater skill and perfection. 6. This leads to a self-accepted discipline. 7. These exercises create a unity between the thought, the will, and the action of the child We need to teach the child through physical needs, as he is not highly verbal at this age. Therefore we have exercises such as walking on the line, pouring water, and opening and closing a door, which increase the childs motor development and at the same time teaches him a basic skill. These exercises also free the child to be more independent. These basic motor skills can be expanded into a multitude of complex and intricate exercises, including arts and crafts. More importantly, when the child is later taught a skill or an academic accomplishment, it becomes a part of him. He can then use this to relate to the world. Ple can, it should, and it must respond to the particular children of each class. It must provide the motives for activity, and so bring the child along to other work. The work of the child, the success, and the satisfaction must come first before this power of work can be turned to the other important areas for growth. he purpose of the Montessori Practical Life activities is to help children develop their independence so that they may become fully capable and responsible adults.

Adults belief that not only are a childs muscles inactive but that the child himself is helpless, inactive and without a psychic life of his own. But if a child has within himself the key to his own personality, if he has a plan of development and laws to be observed, these must be delicate powers indeed, and an adult by his untimely interventions can prevent their secret realization. In order to develop his mind a child must have objects in his environment which he can hear and see. Since he must develop himself through his movements, through the work of his hands, he has need of objects with which he can work that provide motivation for his activity. The ability to move oneself in a deliberate and thoughtful manner is actually normal to the individual. It is the mark of an inner discipline which manifests itself in orderly,
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external acts. When this inner discipline is lacking, an individuals activity can escape his personal control and be directed by the will of another or become a prey to external influences like a ship adrift. After a child is given an object to use, he not only continues to work with it, but his efforts leave him mentally stronger and healthier than before. When a normal child is attracted by an object he fixes his whole attention intently upon it and continues to work without a break in a remarkable state of concentration. After the child has finished his work, he appears satisfied, rested and happy. Movement- soc, ch 15 The child becoming incarnate is a spiritual embryo which needs its own special environment. Just as a physical embryo needs its mothers womb in which to grow, so the spiritual embryo needs to be protected by an external environment that is warm with love and rich in nourishment, where everythin is disposed to welcome, and nothing to harm it. the task of the child, said Dr.Montessori, is to construct a man, oriented to his environment, adapted to his time, place, and culture. (The Secret of Childhood, pg xiv) The child seeks for independence by means of work; an independence of body and mind. ... we must clearly understand that when we give the child freedom and independence, we are giving freedom to a worker already braced for action, who cannot live without working and being active. Through her clinical and scientific approach to the living organism, Dr. Montessori, during her years of work with children, showed that in order to be able to help them in their task of the formation of man, we too must approach this study from a different viewpoint, that if we are to help life, we have first of al to study it. That is, we learn from this living organism, the child, its needs and tendencies. The need for very careful analysis of each small movement that constitutes part of the flow of movement in any given exercise; and you will come to appreciate the need for making very clear and deliberate movements in your presentations to the child. To achieve this you must make careful preparations for the presentations of the practical life exercises. You need to analyse carefully the separate steps needed to perform the activity, and you must be able to carry out the steps in such a way that a natural flow of movement- synthesised movement takes place.
The work of adult and the work of child- file notes unit 18, 2 introduction

Ple activity appropriate to the age and cultural background of the child

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The quality and diversity of the practical life exercises are is dependent on the directresss aesthetic sense, her creativity, financial resources and her cultural background. The principle underlying the Exercises of Practical Life is held to in Montessori schools because of the need that each child has to learn to function as an individual of a certain race and culture, but the particular exercises given vary with each country and environment. MOVEMENT Movement A very important part of practical life is the movement exercises, which are subdivided into two categories; elementary movement and advanced movement. Elementary movements come first, movements such as walking, standing, sitting, carrying, putting down, and picking up; all of these form part of the childs daily movements. These exercises are especially attractive to the child because he moves more in these exercises than in any other task. Montessori materials lead to greater motor analysis and a control of movement. Advanced movement exercises are walking on the line and the silence game. Walking on the line should be performed daily. At first the children walk normally. Then, they are taught to keep a measurable distance from each other. Next, they walk tandem style, heel to toe, and later with an object in one hand and then with an object in each hand. The last exercise of walking in the line is carrying an object in each hand and then one on the head. This leads to a great degree of control for the child. The silence game should also be performed daily, once introduced to the child. This is not an exercise for the beginning of the school year. It should be gradually introduced as the children gain greater control of themselves and their bodies

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CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT Pouring activities can range from very simple such as pouring of beans, to pouring of smaller things like corn or rice, to water pouring, to complex pouring into more than one container. Transferring includes a sequence of spooning activities, first of dry materials and then of liquids, with increasing levels of difficulty. Exercises with tweezers or tongs (again graded in difficulty and size), basters, sponges, eyedroppers, and even chopsticks would all be a part of a teachers sequence of transferring activities. Cleaning and polishing activities make use of many of the skils developed in these two earlier sequences. Cleaning can range from polishing exercises, in which small objects of wood or metal are polished, to work with large objects such as desks, tables, windows, and even floors. More complex, multi-step processes, such as dish- or clothes- washing, would come toward the end of the sequence. CARE OF THE SELF It includes exercises that teach the child some of the skills needed for his own independence. This category includes one of the few manufactured Practical Life materials, the dressing frames. These are wooden frames with cloth pieces attached to the sides. The pieces are joined in the middle by a variety of fasteners, such as zippers, buttons, bows, and so on. The concept of isolation of difficulty is apparent here: its easier for a child to learn to tie a shoelace when the additional difficulty of the shoelaces location is removed. Other activities in this category are related to grooming and cleanliness, such as hand- and face- washing, brushing of teeth and hair (with the childs own brushes, which must be cleaned after each use), blowing the nose, and others. Montessori idea was that the time spent by the typical nursery school teacher in wiping noses and tying errant shoelaces was not merely wasted but actually spent in making the child feel less in control, more dependent on the adult world. ( Montessori controversy, ch 6, pg 74) Care of Self The very young child has one main purpose, to construct himself. To build himself, the child has to learn how to take care of his person and then reach out into the environment. The task of the adult is to help the child develop independence. We can do this by seeing if he is able to dress himself, brush his teeth, etc.

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GRACE AND COURTESY

Montessori introduced Exercises in Grace and Courtesy in reaction to the young childs need for order. The child has a need to know and to absorb the social structures in order to be more at ease in his environment. Grace and Courtesy lessons give the child the vocabulary, actions, and steps required for him to build his awareness and responsiveness of those around him. This in turn gives the child a better sense of orientation in his social structure. Grace and Courtesy lessons are given to each child in the environment and usually in a group. This allows the child to have a clear understanding as well as a place to perfect himself with others. It is the Directresss role to give the children the correct words, and the precise movements and steps. The child then fully absorbs the how, the when, and the vocabulary used in his environment to make life more pleasant for other and for him. In the end, the child will have incorporated these graces and courtesies into his everyday life, which will allow for a more pleasant classroom as well as a more pleasant environment wherever the child may go.

In this area, exercises might include laying a tablecloth and setting a table, how to offer someone a cup of joke or a carrot from the carrot cutting work, walking on the line, and so on. Also, lessons on what to say when you bump into someone, how to ask someone to move, even opening and closing a door quietly, are taught. Teaching grace and courtesy is a cornerstone of the practical life environment.
I feel privileged to work in an environment that allows the younger child to experience the daily stimulation of older role models, who in turn flourish through the responsibility of leadership. This cycle is continuous as those being mentored in turn aspire to be the role model.

ROLE OF THE ADULT

Dr. Montessori discovered the importance of the practical life exercises as follows: 1. To enrich the child emotionally. The child grows to love these activities and loves the adult who provides them because they offer, for the child, relaxation, repetition, concentration, and perfection. 2. To endow the child with affirming experiences. The child experiences a social revolution where he develops a positive attitude because of his love for the activities. 3. To encourage responsibility. Practical life exercises provide practical consequences to the child in being able to care for himself and the environment and in social relations. In addition, the child develops responsibility. 4. To engage the child physically. The child experiences physical development because the practical life experiences involve a lot of movement. The child becomes involved physically, mentally, and emotionally. 5. To enliven the child constructively. The child develops the habit of conscious, constructive work by having a taste of constructive work and enjoying it. 6. To enrapture the child with learning. The child is able to judge his work independently and be satisfied with work well done. 7. To enable the child to appreciate independence. The child develops his will. He is able to make intelligent choices, make decisions, and persevere. As the child begins to gain independence, integration and consolidation of the personality through coordination of movement also occurs. The childs intellect begins to work in harmony with his body through conscious effort using this new, purposeful intelligence. 17

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Practical Life Exercises The materials used in the exercises of practical life are characterized by: 1. Physical proportions - they must be the right size for the child to handle. 2. Psychically proportionate - their function must be clear to the child. 3. Attractive - materials must be beautiful and attract the child. 4. Clean and well maintained - the materials must be kept intact. 5. One of each exercise - no multiple sets of materials so that the children learn patience. 6. Adaptable - must be able to change from culture to culture and be comprised of the same objects the children would find in their home. 7. Separation - materials must be kept separate from other objects found in the environment. 6 The presentations for exercises of practical life can be collective or individual depending on the childs needs and the nature of the activity. Direct presentations are when we introduce an activity to the child. Analysis of movement is necessary when giving a presentation to help the child understand the movements necessary and the sequence of movements. This is done by separating each movement with a pause. The indirect presentations are defined as when a child is watching the teacher make a presentation and paying attention to the lesson without the teacher being aware of it. This can be more important than the direct presentation, for the teacher is the biggest piece of Montessori material. The aim of the practical life exercises is to fulfill an inner need to develop an interest in and love for constructing work. To repeat an activity will lead to concentration and integration of the personality. This will form a bond between the adult in the environment and the child. He trusts the adult to give him constructive, purposeful work. The child learns to judge his work objectively without the need for praise. He develops coordination of movement and the mind masters the body. The physical body is developed with the integration of the mind. It is not purely physical exercise. The child develops his will to construct his work and make choices. He also finds love for the daily activities. The practical life exercises are very important for the childs order. Its through them that he learns to concentrate which is the foundation of intelligence.

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