Fundamental Life Skills in the Infant Community
Learning fundamental life skills, called practical life by Montessori educators, is the component of the Montessori Early Years Learning Programme that links Montessori settings for toddlers with the home. The activities in this area of the environment exploit the desire of toddlers to imitate the adults around them, particularly in self-care, food preparation and care of the environment.
Toddlers love order and strive for independence. Both these impulses find expression in Montessori practical life activities designed for this age group. Through these activities, toddlers build and refine motor skills, including whole-body equilibrium and coordination, as well as fine motor skills, specifically the transition from palming to pincer grip.
Practical life activities for children of this age originate in the home and capitalise on very young children’s intense interest in food and their desire to imitate adults. Independence is fostered and movement refined through the use of these activities.
The child will be shown how to do a practical life activity and is then free to choose this activity at any time. When toddlers are engaged in self-chosen practical life activities, they strive to execute precise movements to achieve a goal, in the process building and refining voluntary control of both movement and attention through repetition and the opportunity to work at their own pace uninterrupted.
When toddlers are free to complete cycles of work without interruption, they learn to bring their attention under voluntary control, to exercise the will in Montessori terms, and they are able to concentrate for longer and longer periods. They also experience feelings of satisfaction and achievement that contribute to the development of confidence.
Practical life activities, and the equipment and utensils used in the activities, are already familiar to the children as they are the activities and implements that are used in the culture in which the children are living. They are matched to the children’s size, strength and level of independence.
Practical life exercises and activities are modelled by adults in lessons presented to individual children at the point of need.
Jump to section:
0.PL.010 Transition (from home to Montessori early childhood settings)
0.PL.020 Care of person
0.PL.030 Care of the environment (indoor and outdoor)
0.PL.040 Social relations
Transition (from home to Montessori early childhood settings) 0.PL.010
Knowledge, Skills and Understanding
During transition, children typically will:
01. Become familiar with an environment outside the home
＋ Materials and Activity
Resources include:
- Activity within the setting, which is familiar, home-like and a culturally appropriate environment
During transition, children typically will:
02. Shake hands and greet another
＋ Materials and Activity
Activities include:
observing good models of adults greeting and shaking hands
opportunities to interact with others, using culturally appropriate greetings
During transition, children typically will:
03. Remove shoes
＋ Materials and Activity
Resources include:
a place for shoe removal and storage
a low bench to sit on.
During transition, children typically will:
04. Store bag and clothes
＋ Materials and Activity
Resources include:
- hooks or a cubby for clothing and bag
During transition, children typically will:
05. Pour a drink
06. Choose and prepare food for themselves
＋ Materials and Activity
Resources include:
- pre-measured portions located within reach.
During transition, children typically will:
07. Choose an activity
08. Set up a mat or table as a workspace
09. Wait and take turns
＋ Materials and Activity
Activities are organised within reach on low shelves. Adults model behaviours.
Resources include:
child-sized tables and chairs
work mats.
During transition, children typically will:
10. Develop a sense of belonging, being and becoming
11. Imitate the social norms of society
＋ Materials and Activity
Resources include:
a multi-aged group of children within same developmental phase
a supportive adult to observe, model and with whom to interact.
During transition, children typically will:
12. Develop more precise control of voluntary movement and hand/eye coordination
＋ Materials and Activity
Activities for learning how to:
carry furniture and equipment, e.g., chair, tray, mat, buckets, jugs
pull out and push in a chair
roll and unroll a mat
prepare drinks and food.
Resources include:
- functional objects and implements matched to the children’s size, strength and dexterity.
Care of person 0.PL.020
Knowledge, Skills and Understanding
Typically, children will develop and consolidate independence in:
01. Drinking
＋ Materials and Activity
Resources include:
- a water source and glass within reach
Typically, children will develop and consolidate independence in:
02. Food preparation and eating
＋ Materials and Activity
Food preparation activities including:
cutting
grating
juicing
mixing
shelling
kneading
peeling
modelling by adult and more expert children.
Resources include:
- utensils matched to children’s size, strength and dexterity.
Typically, children will develop and consolidate independence in:
03. Toileting
＋ Materials and Activity
Resources include:
accessible toilet matched to children’s size and level of independence
adult support.
Typically, children will develop and consolidate independence in:
04. Dressing and undressing
＋ Materials and Activity
Activities that include:
washing hands
cleaning teeth
blowing nose
brushing hair
cleaning shoes
role-modelling by adults and more expert children.
Resources include:
storage hooks/cubbies and furniture matched to children’s size and strength
grooming area with mirror matched to children’s size
dressing frames for learning how to use buttons, zips and Velcro
implements matched to children’s size, strength and dexterity.
Care of the environment (indoor and outdoor) 0.PL.030
Knowledge, Skills and Understanding
Typically, children will be able to:
01. Clean and care for the indoor environment
＋ Materials and Activity
Activities include:
- dusting
- cleaning mirrors and windows
- polishing wood
- washing cloths
- washing and drying dishes
- sweeping
- beating rugs
- scrubbing tables
- role-modelling by adults and more expert children.
Resources include:
- implements matched to children’s size, strength and dexterity.
Typically, children will be able to:
02. Clean up spills
＋ Materials and Activity
Activities include:
- wiping
- mopping
- sweeping
Resources include:
- implements matched to children’s size, strength and dexterity.
Typically, children will be able to:
03. Care for plants and garden
04. Observe and appreciate nature
＋ Materials and Activity
Activities include:
- dusting and wiping leaves
- arranging flowers
- planting and watering plants - growing seeds
- raking and sweeping.
Resources include:
- implements matched to children’s size, strength and dexterity.
Typically, children will be able to:
05. Care for animals
＋ Materials and Activity
Activities include:
- learning appropriate behaviour around animals
- feeding animals
- caring for animals’ habitat.
Typically, children will be able to:
06. Develop a connection with reality and purposeful work
07. Develop responsibility for the environment
＋ Materials and Activity
All practical life activities
Social relations 0.PL.040
Knowledge, Skills and Understanding
Typically, children will:
01. Acquire appropriate language
＋ Materials and Activity
Activities include:
- modelling by adults and other children
Resources include:
- supportive adults and other children to observe, imitate and with whom to interact.
Typically, children will:
02. Experience interactions with others
＋ Materials and Activity
Resources include:
- the other adults and children in the environment
Typically, children will:
03. Begin to acquire culturally appropriate customs and manners
＋ Materials and Activity
Activities include:
- The adults models behaviours at points of need
Typically, children will:
04. Develop awareness of self and others
05. Experience taking turns
＋ Materials and Activity
Children are respected as individuals and are free to choose and complete their own work.
The environment is prepared so children have space for their own work.
The number of each set of materials is limited, generally only one of each set. In this way children lean to value each activity and to take turns.
Typically, children will:
06. Prepare food for others to share
＋ Materials and Activity
Activities include:
- making bread
- cutting up fruit.
Resources include:
- implements matched to the child's size, strength and dexterity