The direct aim of practical life activities

is

to

help

children

refine

their

fine

and

gross

motor

skills,

but

the

indirect

aim

of

these

activities

is

for

children

to

develop

their

sense

of

coordination,

order,

independence,

and

to

experience

the

sensation of concentration with something non-academic.

The exercises in Practical Life are the very heart of Montessori education

as it is presenting the real-life activities such as table washing, egg beating, dish washing, and clothes pinning and making a bridge

between the home and the school environment.

Practical life exercises fall into four major categories: Care of the Self, Care of the Environment, Grace and Courtesy, and Control of

Movement. Many are fundamental exercises that the child needs to master to be able to live comfortably in the real world.