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Genevieve
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| Posted: April 22 2006 at 7:28am | IP Logged
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I typed this up because I wanted a reference for PL activities that pertain to my lifestyle that is also cohesive and all in one spot. Feel free to tweak it to your lifestyle. No point getting them to do actitivities that they don't do in your household anyway. 
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Our Personal Practical Life Activities
One of the more important series of activities Montessori developed are the practical life activities. They are meant to help the child obtain independence and hence self-esteem and self-respect. They also requires the ability to move carefully, to focus, to complete sequential steps, to concentrate, to make intelligent choices and to persevere in one's work. As a result of periods of time spent concentrating on such a task a child becomes calm and satisfied and, because of this inner peace, full of love for others and more importantly in oneness with God through such meditative work. Practical life activities differ from culture to culture, family to family, child to child. The key is, like any Montessori activity, is to observe the child and to truly understand his needs. The following lists are only suggestions of what I, as a mother do from day to day, and thus the child eventually wants to do for himself. When they show interest, try to let them do it under a safe environment. There is no correct order to them, though try to think of each activity you do in terms of progressive difficulty.
Care of Environment
Putting toys away
Dusting
Sweeping
Moping
Vacuum
Cleaning tabletops
Making a bed
Washing dishes
Drying dishes
Starting dishwasher
Loading dishwasher
Sorting dishes & utensils
Returning dishes & utensils into cupboards
Watering plants
Picking flowers and fruits
Arranging flowers
Care of Self
Personal hygiene
Washing hands
Washing face
Blowing nose
Brushing teeth
Combing or brushing hair
Braiding hair
Care of fingernails
Bathroom
Potty-train
Clean self
Wash hands
Bath
Rinsing
Shampoo
Soap
Drying
Dressing
Dressing frames
Choosing clothes
Wearing socks
Underwear
Pants
Shirts
Jackets
Clothes
Hanging clothes on hook
Hanging clothes on hanger
Sorting clothes
Loading washer
Hang clothes on dryer rack
Folding clothes
Folding socks
Returning clothes
Ironing clothes
Shoes
Polishing shoes
Lacing shoes
Tying shoelaces
Food Preparations
Setting table
Folding napkins
Using a blunt knife
Using a sharp knife
Bananas, boiled eggs and apples makes excellent practices
Cracking nuts
Dry measure
Wet measure
Grating
Peeling carrot
Care of Others
Manners
Empathy
Service
Manipulative
Dropper
Food baster
Food dropper
Placing one drop on a suction cup
Pouring
Pouring rice
Pouring water
Using metal or plastic pitchers
Using glass pitches
Using ceramic pitches
Using teapots
Pouring through big funnels
Pouring through small funnels.
Transferring
Transferring beans
Transferring water
Using medium metal spoons
Using medium ceramic spoon
Using small spoon to transfer a single kernel of corn
Transfer cotton balls
Transfer marbles
Transfer peanuts
Using tongs
Using quick sticks
Using chopsticks
Transferring between bowls
Transferring onto small suction as those under bath mats
Woodworking
Hammering tees into clay
Hammering nails into cork
Hex board
Slotted bolt board
Graded bolt board
Manipulative
Assembling flashlight
Latches board
Lock board
Clothespin clamping
Bottles and tops
Tupperware and tops
Putting straws through a round hole
Putting coins through slot.
Weaving & Sewing
Lacing shapes
Stringing beads
Stringing noodles
Peg looms
Weaving frame
French knitting flower
Running stitch
Button sewing
Cross-stitch
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Genevieve
The Good Within
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Rebecca
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| Posted: April 22 2006 at 8:21am | IP Logged
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Genevieve,
Thanks for sharing what you do in your home. Practical life activities are very dear to my heart. I think they are the most important aspect of our family life as far as building confidence in the children. Learning to care for self and the living environment is the first step towards independence. I think our home life would be radically different without the Montessori perspective in this area.
I have two boys who would spend hours each day around the age of 4 1/2 hammering nails into scrap wood on their small workbench. They worked on this with such intensity that they mastered the skill quickly and have loved woodworking ever since, entering items in our county fair and giving wooden gifts of bird feeders to family and friends for special occasions. I believe that that desire and ability came from being allowed to work with real tools at a young age, first being shown the proper way to hold the nail, how to steady the wood with clamps, and how to hammer the nail straight. Then, no supervision was necessary on my part because the boys had a respect for the tools themselves as well as the skill to use them.
Strangely enough, some things slip through the cracks around here. For example, all winter long our boys (9 and 6) would leave the inside heavy back door open when they went outside to play. We finally got them to close it after much reminding but they always slammed the door. This began to make my husband very frustrated because they did it every time they went out. He began to think they were being disobedient because they did it over and over. I decided to corner my bos one at a time and said, "I would like to show you how to close the door." (no anger in voice). I showed them how to turn the knob as you close the door thus eliminating the banging sound of the clasp hitting the door jamb. They have never slammed it since. I never thought my nine year old, especially would not have thought to turn the knob as he was pulling the door shut. All they needed was a simple lesson and now do it correctly each time.
I am interested to know at what age you begin to introduce the use of the iron for ironing clothing. Would you post, specifically, how you show the children the proper way to use the iron?
Thanks so much,
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Genevieve
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| Posted: April 22 2006 at 8:46am | IP Logged
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Rebecca wrote:
I am interested to know at what age you begin to introduce the use of the iron for ironing clothing. Would you post, specifically, how you show the children the proper way to use the iron?
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Loved your experience with woodworking.
Since my oldest is only three, I guess I introduced last month?  I got the smallest iron I could find and started on the lowest setting. Control of error is not getting burnt and creases. It isn't so bad with the lowest setting. He's practised on napkins, iron-ons on squares of cloths (I hope to make a quilt out of this) and now pants. He takes a loooonnnnggg time ironing though because it's hard for him to get all the creases out but he is so proud when his church pants are to his satisfaction. Even his toddler brother is now practising with a small box.
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Genevieve
The Good Within
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Meredith
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| Posted: April 28 2006 at 2:17pm | IP Logged
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Genevieve, thank you for your great list, I'm printing it out and will substitute and add our own things to it!! Sure appreciate it 
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Meredith
Mom of 4 Sweeties
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Taffy
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| Posted: April 28 2006 at 3:27pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for posting your list Genevieve. It reminds me that I've got to create one too and having your list available is a great jumping off point!
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Susan
Mom to 5 on earth and 1 in heaven
Susan's Soliloquy
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Genevieve
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| Posted: April 30 2006 at 3:56pm | IP Logged
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Thank you Meredith, Taffy for your kind words. I'm glad that it was of help to someone. So many good ideas yet so little time.
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Genevieve
The Good Within
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: Practical Life Activities
