Practical Life is just as it sounds. It is the basic life skills that we all need in order to function in our world. The children gain concentration, coordination, a sense of order, and independence. They begin working in the area of Grace and Courtesy, learning social grace. Care for oneself and for their environment are also valuable lessons that they gain here. The work in this area is more than mastering the given task, but mastery of the self. The children work towards self-discipline and concentration, organizing their movement and thoughts toward the completion of a task.
The principles found in the Practical Life area will also carry over to other academic areas. For example, sorting things from left to right prepares them for the structure of reading and writing. Pincer activities prepare the hand position for writing and matching exercises develop the concept of one to one correspondence, which is later applied to math. As the child gets older, the work and concepts gained become a part of their daily routine. Organizing their work and time, caring for their materials, and even becoming active participants in helping the community, all translate from the lessons learned through the Practical Life area.
Take a look below at our children explore Practical Life at Smaller Scholars.