Posts

practical life pegging
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Practical life: Pegging

Whilst pegging might sound like a basic skill it has many important developmental benefits. This simple activity requires patience, concentration, dexterity and good eye-hand coordination, plus it strengthens fingers and develops the all-important…
bubble making for practical life
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Practical Life: Bubble Making

In the Practical Life area of a Montessori classroom, you will find children pouring, spooning, scooping, sponging, slicing, spreading ladling, and using tongs and tweezers to transfer items. It’s where they explore, chat and concentrate,…
hama beads used for practical life in montessori
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Practical Life: Hama Beads

Hama beads—did you know that these are often used in Montessori classrooms? You probably have some buried in every crevice, nook and cranny in your home but they are absolutely worth digging out because of their educational value as well as…
fine motor skills in montessori
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Practical Life: Fine Motor Skills

Maria Montessori pointed out that the development of fine motor skills is directly connected to the development of the brain. In a Montessori pre-school classroom, children thus participate in many activities that help improve their fine motor…
montessori practical life nesting box
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Practical Life Lesson: Nesting Box Surprise

One box in another…in an another, and so on. This sounds almost ridiculously simple but when children are using nesting boxes or materials in a Montessori classroom that are doing so much more than exploring – they are problem-solving and…
montessori tutorial about water pouring
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Practical Life: Water Pouring (II)

The first version of this wet pouring lesson (found on our blog, Water Pouring (I)) is slightly simpler in that the child will pour water from one jug into another, and clean up any spills along the way. It’s an exercise in coordination, concentration…
Food Prep tutorial with St Andrew's Montessori
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Practical Life: Food Preparation

Working in the kitchen is a wonderful way to include children in everyday family activities; not only will children learn practical life skills but they will be engaged on a sensory level, too. If this is something you’d like to do…
Transferring Objects tutorial with St Andrew's Montessori
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Practical Life: Transferring objects

There are many fun activities that children can do to develop their fine motor skills but one of the favourites in the Montessori classroom is transferring objects. This is something that keeps little ones occupied for ages and can certainly…
Chores at St Andrew's Montessori
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Chores for small children

What we think of as “chores” Maria Montessori thought of as daily life or practical life skills. The benefits of children helping out around the house has been well researched and documented; it teaches responsibility, independence and importantly,…
Water Pouring tutorial with St Andrew's Montessori
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Practical Life: Water Pouring

In a Montessori classroom, the water pouring activity is the first follow-on from the Dry Pouring lesson where children learn the skill transferring dry goods from one jug to another. To practice water pouring at home, you will need: two jugs,…
Bow tying frame to teach practical life in Montessori
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Practical Life: Tying Frame

Learning to tie a shoelace is one of the most exciting milestones for a child (and a parent, too!) but it takes time to learn, requiring much practice before perfection. In Montessori classrooms, we use a bow-tying frame, which involves the…
Montessori collage tutorial
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Practical Life: Collage

A collage is defined as an artistic composition made up from a collection of various materials glued on a surface. So, taking different things and sticking them together. At St. Andrew’s Montessori we love using collage not only a means of…