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Introduction

Practical Life Exercises And Why They Are Attractive To Children The founder of the Montessori method of education was Dr Montessori M. She was born in Italy on 31st august 1870 and became the 1st woman doctor in her country's history. She was one of the most influential pioneers in early childhood education. Maria Montessori has taught us much about educating the child. Her work has been documented and studied over the last hundred years. Her insights into the child have been proven correct or greatly considered as a means to develop, inspire and challenge our youth. But let us not forget that Maria Montessori method was about the total child's mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual development. Dr.Montessori's research: The first school established by Dr.Montessori in San Laronco was known as Casa dei Bambini or children's house and it was set up in 1907. It was followed by others in Italy and other countries. In Casa Dei Bambini Dr.Montessori discovered a world within the child. It is this discovery that has made her famous, not her method. Dr.Montessori changed the whole concept about the child. She realized that the child knew more than it actually looked like he knew. She noticed what makes the child happy and what makes him sad. What kind of things give him pleasure and what things make him feel disturbed. ...read more.

Middle

Nicholas (Source: "Montessori Philosophy and Theory DMT 101" Pg 168) Montessori classrooms are designed to help the child improve his fine and gross motor skills, eye hand co-ordination and concentration. Exercises such as the opening and closing of bottles, boxes, latches, padlocks, cutting with scissors, screwing and unscrewing of nuts and bolts, sewing, pasting, weaving, plaiting and many more activities are aimed towards achieving this goal. Transferring and handling various objects such as sponges, tongs, chopsticks, and escargot tongs are also included under the heading- Development of Motor skills. These exercises strengthen their wrist and finger muscles. They satisfy the young child's inner desire for skills and self-sufficiency. All these exercises prepare them for their future. Pouring activities are common in all Montessori Schools. Children learn to pour beans from jug to jug and then move on to more complex pouring exercises such as from jug into more than one container. These simple exercises make the child use his brain and without us knowing it he starts learning new concepts. Once the children gain competence in dry pouring, children can then be introduced to wet pouring exercises. They are gradually introduced to the exercises with greater degree of difficulty like pouring water/liquid into a bottle using a funnel or pouring in jugs with an indicator line etc. ...read more.

Conclusion

His particular inner needs are satisfied due to which he is at peace with himself and with the environment around him. This assists him in his over all development of personality. To conclude we can say that Dr. Maria Montessori has been a true discoverer. She has established an educational method, through which we have been able to learn about the child. Provided that we give the right conditions, we will be able to see new qualities in the child which make him a better human being as he develops. The Montessori method has been something that has brought to light, the real inner mind of the young child. We should never forget that we are the ones who will be depending on these very children who right now, greatly depend on us. The bringing up of a child can be compared with the situation of a farmer and his produce. A farmer has to spend lots of time and hard work to maintain his produce but once his produce is sold off, it brings him profits. The more he toils, the better is his product and his returns. These young children are the future of our human race and deserve to be provided with the facilities to bring out the best in them. "Times have changed, and science has made great progress, and no less our work; but our principles have only been confirmed" -Dr. Maria Montessori. ("Discovery of the child") ?? ?? ?? ?? Practical Life Exercises 1 ...read more.

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