Definition:
Exercises of Practical Life (EPL) are
normal everyday activities carried by adults in the environment in order to
maintain and restore proper living conditions. “Practical” means basic,
meaningful or purposeful and “life” means the way of living, therefore the
introduction of Exercises of Practical Life in a Montessori classroom helps
children to learn to lead their lives in a purposeful manner by carrying out
meaningful activities.
Introduction:
The credit of introducing EPL in an
early childhood curriculum goes to Dr. Maria Montessori. She observed that the
children take great interest in what is being done by the adults in the
environment around them. Children go through different sensitive stages from
birth to 6 years and the sensitive stage to learn EPL also falls under this age
range. They are naturally inclined to copy or imitate these actions in an
attempt to satisfy their inner urge to learn about their environment and its
workings. Therefore, Dr. Montessori introduced the learning of EPL so that the
children could learn to carry out activities of daily life and thus adapt and
orientate themselves in their environment. EPL allow the children to be fully
functional members of their society. Practical Life Exercises also aid the
growth and development of the children’s intellect and concentration and will
in turn also help them develop an orderly way of thinking.
A systematic approach is followed in
teaching everyday activities to children. The children are introduced to easier
or simpler activities and given the opportunity to move step by step towards
more complex activities. The children thus become capable of performing
complicated everyday activities. In addition, religious and moral teachings can
also be easily taught by incorporating them into EPL. For example children can
be taught how to pray and basic greeting and social skills like knocking on the
door, eating and drinking properly saying excuse me and please etc.
Importance of EPL:
During early childhood years children
should be given the opportunity to practice various practical life skills in
the Montessori prepared environment and at home. Dr. Montessori believed that
EPL play a major role in an individual’s overall development. Dr. Maria
Montessori said:
“If education is to be conceived along the
same antiquated lines of a mere transmission of knowledge, there is little to
be hoped from it in the bettering of man’s future. For what is the use of
transmitting knowledge if the individual’s total development lags behind?”
Therefore, EPL hold a great role in
the overall development of child especially during the early years when his/her
personality is being formed. The significance and numerous benefits of EPL are
discussed below:
1.
For Helping children
become Independent:
It has now been scientifically proved that every
effort to grow, develop and progress is an effort towards gaining independence.
Children develop quickly during the early childhood years. They go through
various sensitive stages like sensorial, speech etc. as well as EPL. They learn by following their natural inner
urges to carry out different activities including EPL. If however, they receive
unnecessary superfluous help by parents and other members of the family they
will not be able to learn the necessary skills to become independent.
Different areas are being developed
during early childhood years and the personality of the children is taking
shape. Children are learning to be independent or dependent according to the
conditions provided in their environment. If things are done for them all the
time they learn to become dependent on others. However, if they are helped to
“help themselves” they develop this personality trait and not only become
independent in carry out their everyday activities but also help others.
“A felicitous
environment that guides the children and offers them the means to exercise
their own faculties permits the teacher to absent herself temporarily. The
creation of such an environment is already the realization of great progress.”
-
Dr. Maria Montessori
If children are helped too much during
their sensitive period to learn EPL and are thus restrained from doing their
own work, the consequences can be life long and sometimes difficult to reverse.
For example, it is considered something traditional to do things for the male
members of the society since childhood as a sign of respect. However, this
causes problems for them and other members of the family even when they have
grown up. They become way to dependant on females of the family for everyday
activities and don’t even get up to fetch a glass of water for themselves. This
may result in a stereotypical harsh behaviour which may also lead to various
relationship problems. Similarly, girls are pampered by their mothers and other
family members when they are young. Everything is done for them and the
sensitive period for learning EPL is lost. However as they grow older they are
forced to learn to do household care duties but it becomes difficult for them
since the sensitive period for learning has been lost. They do all those things
as a result of pressure even after they get married and come into practical
life, but not out of love or joy for work.
Parents, other members of the family
and teachers may feel great pride and joy in providing for the children and
doing things for them. However, just as no parent would want to keep holding
their child in their arms when he wants to walk and stop him from learning to
walk. Similarly, it should be comprehended that children ‘need’ to learn to do
things for themselves and if we do not let them, then we are depriving
them. It must be remembered that it
would be greater service to them if they are ‘helped to help themselves’. In
this way, children will become more responsible, independent and productive
members of the society, even when they have grown up.
“The first aim of the
prepared environment is, as far as possible, to render the growing child
independent of the adult.” – Dr. Maria
Montessori
2.
For Developing Love
for Work:
Early childhood is the right age for learning EPL.
Children during the early years love to carry out activities of practical life.
EPL give children and understanding of their environment and its workings. If
they don’t practice EPL at this age, they might still learn to do practical
life activities at a later age but will do it unwillingly and unhappily not
because they want to do it but because of pressure. Hence, they will not
develop love for work but feel unhappy to do something they are not used to do.
Therefore introducing EPL to children during the early years will give them the
joy of carrying out meaningful activities and hence develop the love for work
at an early age. They not feel a sense of accomplishment in being able to
purposefully contribute to their environment but also making their surroundings
worthwhile living. The children get a sense of being important.
3.
For Happiness,
Self-satisfaction and Self-Respect:
Children love to carry out different types of
activities they witness the adults doing in their environment. Working gives
them pleasure and happiness. The activities should be taught very seriously and
accurately because it gives the children a sense of being responsible and learn
essential skills like being dextrous and well-equipped in taking care of their
environment. They will gain various skills while their intelligence also
improves. If the children are appreciated for their work, they gain a lot of
self-respect and self-esteem. In addition, if the children are given the
impression that everyday activities are done with pleasure and not taken as a
mere burden by the adult then they will also do this work happily, responsibly
and with care. This prepares children for maturity and future responsibilities.
If children are allowed to help in the everyday
work, they not only learn vital skills at an early age but also get a fulfilled
sense of achievement that they are involved in meaningful and purposeful work which
the grown-ups are doing. They gain a great degree of self-respect and
self-esteem that they are able to do their own work and learning to become
completely independent. If they are not allowed to help out in work with adults
it sends them the message that adults don’t consider them worth doing these
activities. Thus they will not only be deprived of learning useful skills and
knowledge but also feel unimportant. Hence, children should be given the
opportunity to help at home and learn through prepared environment in a
Montessori House of Children and not only become independent but also feel
important and worthwhile.
Any
child who is self-sufficient, who can tie his shoes, dress or undress himself,
reflects in his joy and sense of achievement the image of human dignity, which
is derived from a sense of independence.
- Dr. Maria Montessori
4.
For Making the world
a better Organized and Tidier place:
In a Montessori House of Children, organizing and
tidying up also plays a significant role. Children not only learn to work but
also how to be organized and keep their environment tidy. A simple rule is
followed by the Montessori schools that “There
is a place for everything and everything has a place.” This rule helps
children from an early age to put things at their right place not only to make
their environment more organized but also to be able to find things quickly and
without hassle when they are required.
We all must have witnessed during sometime in our
life that out of mere carelessness and lack of organization people put things
here and there ignoring their actual place. Thus when things are required they
are nowhere to be found.
In a Montessori house children are provided with
shelves and taught how to use them to store things. They are given a fixed
amount of things to care for because a clutter or useless objects can confuse
young minds and hinder the process of becoming organized. The same practice
should be followed at home and children should be given proper space and taught
how to utilize the space to place things in their right places. In keeping
their environment orderly, the children use their intelligence and memory.
Things should not be labelled or colour coded since this would hinder the
child’s natural thinking process and they will not observe but place things in
order just by matching colours or labels. Through practice of EPL and following
the rule of tidying up after completing an activity and by placing things at
their right places, children inculcate good habits and learn to become
well-organized. If children are taught how to become organized when they are
young they follow the same habit in future when they are older and will help
make the world are better organized and tidier place.
5.
For Learning to Give and
Take Help Gracefully:
The conventional concept of work is that of a
burden in our society and sometimes we don’t know how to give and take help
gracefully. EPL taught in a Montessori House of Children also aims to teach
children not just to help themselves but also others in a graceful manner. Work
is seen as a pleasing activity done willingly and not with reluctance.
The children are not ‘ordered’ to do their work
but asked politely in a manner that is graceful and pleasing so that they don’t
feel pressurized to do it but feel an inner urge to work. Thus when they grow
up they understand that work is to be done by everyone in the family and not
just a few people. They learn to give and take help, understanding that
everyone must participate without burdening just a few or one person in the
family.
6.
To Pass on Good
Working Habits:
It is very important to give children a good
example to follow since parents, elders and teachers are their role models in
life. Children learn from them by imitating them. Adults should take pride in
doing their own work with their own hands in order to set an example for the
children. Even when they are demonstrating an activity to the children, they
should do so in a good mood and make the activity a pleasing and interesting
one. They should not complain about their daily tasks and should not show any
dislike for the work they do, because if children see them complaining about
their task they will also dislike doing their work and will avoid these
activities even when they grow up. In order to pass on good working habits
adults should love doing their own work, demonstrate in a kind, gentle way in a
calm and peaceful environment and ensure that all activities presented to the
child are pleasing for him to do. By setting good examples, we will reap the
benefits in the future when the children will grow up to become responsible
individuals of the society who love their work and do not avoid it.
7.
For Perfection of
Movement:
Dr. Montessori observed that children learn to
master their movements during the early years of life. A child who is almost
immobile in terms walking or crawling at the time of birth, gains the ability
to crawl, stand, and walk by the age of around one year. This shows the
importance of movement in children’s development. Children exhibit an inner
irresistible urge to move during the early childhood years. They seem to be
constantly on the move. They are not only learning to bring their motor
impulses to the will but are also exploring and discovering their environment
and its working. With a greater degree of development children become more in
control of their motor impulses and can subject them to their will.
Children at this age need to practice different
movements in order to get better control over their motor impulses. If they are
not provided with the right conditions and the right activities they may lag
behind or their sensitive stage for movement may be lost. Therefore they should
be exposed to meaningful activities involving proper movements like carrying
objects without dropping them, rolling up carpets, mopping the floor, drawing
curtains, spooning etc. which will not only give their limbs proper exercise
but also give them a proper motive and reason to move their body. These
exercises may be deemed more important than any exercises in the gym since they
are meaningful activities, very appropriately termed as “work” by Dr. Maria
Montessori. The muscles should always serve the intellect and thus preserve
their functional unity with the human personality, which is achieved by
properly practicing EPL from the right age.
Through practicing EPL children also learn to move
with grace and courtesy and gain control over their movements. Thus their
movements are in their control and they avoid superfluous movements. Superfluous
movements, as seen in many young children, sometimes cause them to look clumsy
and may lead them to damage furniture or other things in the environment. A
child who has mastered the art of motion will move freely even amongst fragile
furniture without fearing that he may damage them.
8.
For Normalization of
the Child:
Dr. Montessori observed children very closely. She
discovered that children undergo different sensitive stage during early
childhood years and learn through following their inner urges. If children are
not provided with the right conditions, activities and environment they tend to
deviate from the normal behaviour. They may behave disobediently and in a
stubborn and destructive manner. If however, children receive the right
material and environment are allowed to practice according their inner urges
(like in a Montessori House of Children) they will behave calmly and
responsibly, they attain normality. Therefore in order to help children act in
a normal way and avoid deviation, then they their inner urges should not be
suppressed and they should be assisted by adults and provided with the right
material and environment. The sensitive stage to learn EPL falls during the
early years of childhood. The children should be allowed to practice everyday
activities like cutting, sweeping, mopping, pouring water etc. which will help
them achieve independence, a lot of useful skill and most of all normality.
9.
For Developing Love
for the Universe:
In EPL the children are not only taught how to
care for themselves but also care for the environment, care for living as well
as non-living objects. They are taught exercises of grace and courtesy so that
they do not cause inconvenience for themselves or others around them. Thus by practicing
all these activities children learn to care for everything in the entire
universe. The habit of caring is inculcated in their nature right from a very
early age. As they grow up caring becomes an integral part of their
personality.
10.
To Prevent
Personality Disorders:
Some children appear to behave in a disorderly
manner or may lack of confidence and or may seem as introverts, actually behave
this way because they have not been exposed to the rightful experiences during
their sensitive stages. Their learning phases were not utilized and thus lost. The
adults did not pay heed to their learning needs at the right time and may have
neglected, rejected or turned them down instead of letting them practice the
correct EPL activities during their learning sensitive stages.
Sensitive stages, according to Dr. Maria
Montessori, are short time periods when it is the best time to acquire some new
and specific skill for example, speech, sensorial, EPL etc. If children’s
natural urge to acquire this skill is suppressed then this time is lost forever
and learning the same skill becomes immensely difficult at a later time and
age. Hence, it is our duty as adults that we should closely observe the
children in our care and provide them with appropriate environment, material
and opportunity to maximize their learning during a specific sensitive stage
and learning phase. By getting a chance to gain maximum benefit from their
learning phase the children will develop normally and this will prevent the
development of possible personality disorders. Thus by practicing EPL during
the right age, children will be able to reap lifelong benefits by not only
acquiring vital skills but also avoiding personality disorders even when they
grow up.
