Montessori Practical Life Album Homeschooling
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Essential Life Skills: How to Teach Your Child What He or She Will Need to Succeed in Life
The Practical Life Album is easily one of the most popular and best understood of the Montessori curriculum. It provides a way for your child to begin to master his or her environment and teaches them the beginnings of independence.
From learning how to blow their nose to how to fix a basic meal, the practical life skills contained in this album will give your child a firm sense of mastery and self-confidence in the world around him or her.
Table of Contents
Or, Cool Stuff to Check Out!
There is a LOT of information here, so please feel free to jump right to the section that appeals to you the most.
- Don't Do For Your Child What He Can Do For Himself!!
- The Best of the Best
- March of Dimes Donations
- Why Teach Practical Life Skills?
- Talk to Me!
- Who Is Ella Halligan?
- Like to Write?
- Build Dexterity
- Toys That Build Fine Motor Skills
- Small Muscle Development
- Montessori Activities for Small Muscle Development
- Large Muscle Development
- Toys That Build Large Muscle Skills
- Montessori Activities for Large Muscle Development
- Caring for Environment
- Self Care Skills
- Social Development
Don't Do For Your Child What He Can Do For Himself!!
We habitually serve children; and this is not only an act of servility toward them, but it is dangerous, since it tends to suffocate their useful, spontaneous activity. -- Maria Montessori
March of Dimes Donations
Help Our Littlest Patients!
10 percent of all funds raised here (from sales of Amazon products, other info products, or even just pageviews) goes to the March of Dimes. As a pediatric nurse, I highly value the work that March of Dimes does to help prevent premature births and provide help for our littlest patients and their families.
If you would like to donate directly to the March of Dimes, I would be thrilled... and every penny would go to helping fund their very valuable work.
If you would like to donate directly to the March of Dimes, I would be thrilled... and every penny would go to helping fund their very valuable work.
The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.
Important!
Why Teach Practical Life Skills?
Any child who is self-sufficient, who can tie his shoes, dress or undress himself, reflects in his joy and sense of achievement the image of human dignity, which is derived from a sense of independence. -- Maria Montessori
Talk to Me!
Please let me know if there are any practical life activities you would like to see featured in this album.
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careermom
Apr 6, 2011 @ 3:00 pm | delete
- I love this. My 18 month old gets mad if I try to help him with his shoes and socks. He hasn't quite got it but he is so proud getting them partially on.
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KarenTBTEN
Mar 16, 2011 @ 7:36 pm | delete
- The section on dexterity is great -- I hope people click on the tab and know it's there. SquidAngel blessings.
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Mujjen
Oct 8, 2010 @ 5:20 pm | delete
- My mother worked as a teacher in a Montessori school for many years. Great principles that can be used in many areas of life!
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lizziebeth
Sep 21, 2010 @ 8:51 pm | delete
- I would love to observe a Montessori school in action. They sound so great.
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hlkljgk Sep 21, 2010 @ 8:32 pm | delete
- i just love the montessori philosophy
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Who Is Ella Halligan?
Like to Write?
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Build Dexterity
Building your child's dexterity for their large and small muscle groups is important to their success in both school and life.Unfortunately, many children have significant deficits in their large and small motor skill development. It isn't anyone's fault... often these muscle groups just need specific, targeted practice in order to build them to their full potential.
The younger your child is when you begin doing specific activities to build large and small muscle dexterity (also known as gross and fine motor skills) the more "natural" these skills will feel to him or her. Remember, every child is born with their own unique strengths and weaknesses, especially when it comes to physical development... so be patient with your child and always, always do activities with your toddler and preschooler with an attitude of love and fun!
Toys That Build Fine Motor Skills
Small Muscle Development
(Fine Motor Skills)
Sensory Processing Disorder.com has a great list of the activities that are easier for children with well developed small muscles. They include:- tying shoes
- zipping and unzipping
- buckling and unbuckling
- writing legibly and without significant muscle fatigue
- playing games that require precise hand and finger control
- drawing, painting, and coloring
- manipulating buttons and snaps
- putting small objects together
- doing puzzles
- making crafts
- using scissors
- manipulating small objects such as coins
- opening and closing objects
- picking up and holding onto small objects
- developing and maintaining an effective and proper pencil grip
- pinching objects between fingers
- being able to isolate finger movements (i.e., using one finger at a time, such as in playing the piano or typing)
- turning things over or turning pages of a book
- doing ANYTHING that requires small precise hand and finger movements
Montessori Activities for Small Muscle Development
- Pouring: Dry Materials in Tumblers
- Pouring: Wet Materials in Tumblers
- Pouring: Wet Materials in Bowls
- Pouring from One Container to Many Containers
- Using a Funnel to Pour
- Grasping Skills
- Making Bubbles with a Sponge
- Clamping Clothespins
- Using a Baster
- Using Chopsticks
- Moving Materials with a Spoon
- Putting Lids On Bottles
- Using an Egg Beater
- Sorting by Color
- Sorting by Shape
- Playdough
- Stringing Beads
- Playing with Foam
- Cutting Skills
- Coloring with Stencils
- Gluing
- Sewing
Large Muscle Development
(Gross Motor Skills)
Activities that build gross motor skills and large muscle development are also extremely important for physical health. Gross motor skills include:
- Balance (maintaining equilibrium)
- Body awareness (for improved posture and control)
- Crossing the mid-line
- Laterality (awareness of the left and right sides of the body)
- Major muscle co-ordination
- Spatial orientation (awareness of the body position in space and in relation to other objects or people)
Toys That Build Large Muscle Skills
Montessori Activities for Large Muscle Development
- Foam Targets
- Throwing Balls
- Walking on a Line
- Walking While Holding an Object
- Ring the Bell
- Echo Clap
- Mirror Game
- More Ball Games
- Simon Says
- Balance Beam Games
Caring for Environment
Self Care Skills
Social Development
by EllaHalligan
Elisabeth is a wife, mother of 7, registered nurse, and more »
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