Practical Life & Sensorial

Practical Life is where all coordination and concentration begins. The child works to control his movements and to build concentration through longer and more involved exercises. The exercises are real and lead to independence. These exercises are sequential and aid the child in the care of himself and his environment. These seemingly simple lessons are in fact the cornerstone of Montessori principles in that they lead to logical and sequential thought patterns. These patterns are indirect preparation for the Math materials, which are orderly and need high levels of concentration, gained from working independently.

Sensorial Exploration is aided by the beautiful exercises that have been designed to isolate one sensorial experience. The built in control of error enables the child to independently self- correct. The child’s visual, auditory tactile and olfactory senses are engaged in different exercises. Children learn the vocabulary associated with these sensorial experiences, thus making them into concepts. The child is constantly trying to order their natural world and home environment. They spontaneously organize and classify colors, size, texture and sound. These materials aid them in this endeavor.