Blog Posts
Tongs, Droppers, and Bubbles
The Practical Life lessons Using Tongs and Using a Dropper are fun and interesting for preschoolers. They are easy to assemble and help children increase their attention span and improve their fine motor control.
Freedom of Choice
Freedom of choice is one of the key components of the Montessori classroom. People who are unfamiliar with Montessori may hear that phrase and think that there isn’t discipline, that the children can do anything that they want. That is far from accurate. The distinction is that the children are free to make a choice from a prepared environment that the teacher has set up and free to choose from a select group of lessons that the teacher feels the child is ready for.
Practical Life
The lessons in Practical Life are the foundation of Montessori education. As students practice in the Practical Life area of the classroom, they are developing the aptitudes for order, concentration, and coordination. At the same time, by caring for their own needs, the classroom environment, and helping others, children in a Montessori program develop independence, self-confidence, and self-respect. Practical Life is the heart of my classroom. The student’s first lessons take place in this area, and frequently, it is the first work many children choose when they come into the classroom each day.
Role of the Teacher
Maria Montessori wrote that, “In brief, the teacher’s principle duty in the school may be described as follows: She should explain the use of the material. She is the main connecting link between the material, that is, the objects, and the child. This is a simple, modest duty…”