The Benefits of Practical Life Exercises

The practical life exercises are a beginning point in the Montessori environment. They help the child in his whole development, physical, mental and moral. They form a part of the daily program of “activity” in the day of the child. The exercises are the foundation of classroom development as they aid the child:

• To grow in self knowledge
• To develop the child's concentration
• To develop fine and gross motor skills
• To help children towards independence
• To establish order
• To develop a good self-esteem
• To appreciate and understand the limits of his environment
• To develop a sense of responsibility
• To aid the child in his construction
• To appreciate culture
  

Ketrampilan Praktis dalam Kehidupan

Ketrampilan praktis setiap budaya selalu berbeda-beda. Namun Prinsipnya sama. Ketrampilan praktis membuat orang mandiri dalam memenuhi kebutuhan sehari-hari dan dalam bermasyarakat. Latihan ketrampilan praktis dalam kurikulum Montessori memfokuskan pada gerakan manusia yang paling dasar.

Contoh pertama adalah aturan sederhana. Anak berlatih berperilaku yang benar di luar dan di dalam kelas. Anak berlatih berbicara tetapi tidak terlalu keras. Berlatih berjalan, tetapi tidak lari ketika di dalam ruang kelas. Pelajaran serupa adalah Permainan Diam, dimana tujuannya adalah berdiri diam setenang mungkin. Anak-anak di Indonesia mengenal permainan menjadi patung.

Berikutnya adalah latihan memindahkan furnitur dari ruang kelas ke tempat yang ditentukan. Latihan membawa dan menggunakan material. Latihan menyelesaikan pekerjaan. Dengan kemampuan konsentrasi dan bekerja sendiri, anak melatih ketrampilan yang lebih fungsional. Misal, manipulasi gagang pintu dan pegangan laci. Mencuci dan mengeringkan tangan. Menggunakan toilet. Dalam proses, anak belajar bagaimana merawat barang milik bersama yang setara dengan barang milik umum ketika nanti dewasa.

Setelah prinsip dari sederhana ke kompleks, fokus kehidupan praktis pada ketrampilan motorik yang halus dan koordinasi antara mata dan tangan. Misalnya: Anak belajar membawa obyek dengan garpu dan penjepit mur dan sekrup. Membuka dan menutup botol dan kotak. Memegang gembok dan kunci. Melipat dan memotong kertas. Anak kemudian merawat diri sendiri. Latihan berjalan akan melatih berjalan menyusuri garis lurus. Berbagi ruang kerja dan berinteraksi dengan teman memupuk kesadaran bermasyarakat dan saling menghargai. Latihan mengurus keperluan pribadi mengajarkan bagaimana melepas dan memasukkan kancing baju, membersihkan rambut dan gigi, dan kuku, dan bagaimana menutup hidung ketika bersin di tempat umum.

Ketrampilan bermasyarakat merupakan agenda latihan kehidupan praktis berikutnya.Anak bermain peran seperti menyapa dan menyela, sopan dan berterima kasih, bereaksi terhadap lawan bicara, menerima tamu, berperilaku di acara sosial dan di perjalanan, dan bahkan menghidangkan dan berbagi makanan.

Practical Life Skills

The Montessori Practical Life exercise are seen as the cornerstone of the Montessori Method. The exercises provide the opportunity for purposeful work and they assist children in their development; physically, cognitively, socially and emotionally. They give children the independence they need to function in society later.

Practical skills differ across cultures, but are equally essential to survival anywhere in the world. They are designed to teach children life skills. They help young children develop intelligent and resposible contact with their surroundings. They enhance the children'scontrolover their movement, exercising the muscles of the whole body with understanding and willed purposes. The Practical Life exercises in the Montessori Curriculum focus on the most basic human movements.

First on the list are simple rules of decorum. Children learn what behaviours are proper inside and outside the classroom. They may role-play speaking audibly, but not loudly, and walking, instead of running, when indoors. A well-liked extension of the lesson is the Silence Game, whereby the goal is to stay as still and as quite as posible.

Next are exercises in moving furniture around, in working within allocated spaces, in carrying and using materials, and in completing work cycles. With the ability to concentrate and work alone, the children proceed to develop more functional skills, like manipulating door knobs and drawer handles, washing and drying hands, and using the toilet. In the process, they learn how to take care of shared property, which moulds them into gracious adults respectful of public property.

Following the simple-to-complex principle, the prior focus of the Practical Life Exercises on gross motor skills now shifts to fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. The children learn to carry objects using spoons and tweezers, to open and close bottles and boxes, to handle nuts and bolts and locks and keys, and to fold and cut paper.

The children next learn how to take care of themselves. Walking exercise train them to walk upright and in a straight line. Sharing work spaces and interacting with one another nurture social awareness and mutual respect. Personal grooing exercises teach them how to zip and button their clothes, how to clean their hair, teeth, and nails, and how to blow their nose or cough in public.

Social skills are next on the Practical Life agenda. The children role-play graceful and courteous ways of greeting and interupting, of reacting to an offence, of hosting guests, of behaving at social events and on field tripps, and even of serving and sharing food.