Every Day Living.

Everyday living activities, or Practical Life, should be incorporated into any homeschool rhythm — especially in a Montessori home. Most likely, you’re already incorporating some of these skills into your child’s day through household chores, or by things like encouraging your children to be kind and respectful of others. Every day living skills can be divided into five main categories: 

• Fundamental skills (like pouring yourself a drink)
• Care of self (like putting on your shoes)
• Care of environment (like wiping down a table)
• Care of movement (like walking indoors)
• Grace and courtesy (like saying “thank you”).

Here are some examples:

Fundamental Skills

• Pouring, spooning, scooping, tonging, squeezing,
• Opening and closing lids
• Folding clothes or towels
• Carrying a tray

Care of Self

• Dressing and undressing
• Feeding self
• Putting away laundry
• Blowing nose into a tissue
• Putting on and taking off shoes
• Washing hands
• Bathing (with help)
• Combing hair
• Brushing teeth
• Trimming nails

Care of Environment

• Helping with laundry
• Watering plants
• Cleaning a table
• Washing and drying dishes
• Setting the table
• Sweeping
• Dusting
• Food prep: chopping veggies, washing fruit, preparing a snack

Care of Movement

• Walking heel to toe
• Walking on a line
• Marching
• Running
• Jumping
• Skipping
• Carrying a tray
• Walking around items not on top of them

Grace and Courtesy

• Greetings
• Saying “please”, “thank you” and “excuse me”
• Handing an object to someone (knife or scissors)
• Opening and closing a door
• Covering a cough/sneeze
• Asking for something
• Table manners
• Sitting on a chair
• Pushing in a chair
• Passing in front of someone

Each of these activities has a direct aim — the ability to pour water from a pitcher means a child can pour herself a drink, for example. But the indirect aims are far more interesting — these activities strengthen your child’s coordination, concentration, independence and sense of order. These are the activities that build up your child’s stamina to complete longer, multi-step work! Everyday living tasks are the true work of the child and they feel good when they master these skills.