Practical Life Exercises
The child 's conquest for independence begins with his birth. The child 's nature is to achieve directly and energetically functional independence. A vital force pushes him on this path and this force is what we know to be the HORME. The child 's conquests of independence are the basic steps in the natural development of human beings. This is true not only in the mental but physical field also . The baby is freed from the mothers womb and this also makes him independent of her bodily processes- he is then out in the world with an urge to absorb all around him.By absorbing what he finds around him, he forms his own personality.
When he is born , he cannot speak or express himself and his needs but soon he learns to talk and does not need anyone to guess his needs , he can articulate them himself.
Learning to speak brings with it the power to converse intelligently, the most impressive step in the path of independence. And when they learn to talk, no one can stop them from chattering non stop….what we need to give them is an environment rich in spoken words and they master a language…. they pick up about 3000 words in a year in the beginning. . Walking is another big step, literally. No other mammal has to learn to walk like human beings. Calves walk immediately after birth like most other mammals , so its a huge physiological milestone for a child. Like talking, once they learn to walk, they just love to keep walking all the time, mastering their newly acquired skill and developing the muscles which they will need for strengthening their legs. This is an independence the body strives for and achieves naturally with no help from outside .
So the child who has extended his independence by acquiring new powers can only develop normally if he is left free to exert those powers .He develops by the exercise of that independence he has just gained. Development does not happen by itself alone, it is greatly aided by the child’s horme and the freedom given to
When he is born , he cannot speak or express himself and his needs but soon he learns to talk and does not need anyone to guess his needs , he can articulate them himself.
Learning to speak brings with it the power to converse intelligently, the most impressive step in the path of independence. And when they learn to talk, no one can stop them from chattering non stop….what we need to give them is an environment rich in spoken words and they master a language…. they pick up about 3000 words in a year in the beginning. . Walking is another big step, literally. No other mammal has to learn to walk like human beings. Calves walk immediately after birth like most other mammals , so its a huge physiological milestone for a child. Like talking, once they learn to walk, they just love to keep walking all the time, mastering their newly acquired skill and developing the muscles which they will need for strengthening their legs. This is an independence the body strives for and achieves naturally with no help from outside .
So the child who has extended his independence by acquiring new powers can only develop normally if he is left free to exert those powers .He develops by the exercise of that independence he has just gained. Development does not happen by itself alone, it is greatly aided by the child’s horme and the freedom given to
Bibliography: The Absorbent Mind – Maria Montessori The Discovery of the child- Maria Montessori Maria Montessori -Her life and work- E M Standing The Montessori Way- Tim Seldin , Paul Epstien. Montessori Today- Paula Polk Lilliard.