Practical Life
The young child needs to develop the fine motor skills of the hand to strengthen muscles and coordination for writing. The Practical Life curriculum provides numerous activities that strengthen fine motor skills, concentration, coordination, independence, and a sense of order.
Children enjoy tweezing, scooping, pouring, squeezing, and twisting using a variety of materials. The child is intent and deliberate. You can see the concentration and care. This area of the classroom also includes food preparation: apple slicing, banana slicing, spreading cream cheese or jelly. Cleaning up spills and drips is a part of each activity. The children enjoy taking care of their environment.
Our students also work with dressing frames that provide practice with buttons, zippers, tying bows, velcro, and other fasteners. Learning to be independent in caring for themselves is an integral part of the child’s day at school. The day begins with removing coats, changing into indoor slippers, and ends with preparing for outdoor activity.
Children enjoy the accomplishment of caring for themselves. Of course, our teachers are there to coach, guide, and assist if the child wants help. Most of the time, the child wants to do it independently, and our teachers are trained to be patient and support the child’s success.
