Practical Life Area

It is said by Hildegard Solzbacher, an AMI trainer, “We may define these exercises as simple, ordinary activities which we perform daily to embellish, maintain and restore proper conditions in our environment as well as to establish and maintain social relations with our families and other people.” This means that these exercises are for the child to acquire the basic skills for adapting his environment. Through these exercises, children gain abilities to integrate their physical and mental energies through meaningful tasks.
At age three to six, they fulfill their tendency by organized activities. With repetition, they gain controls over their actions and learn practical life skills, which can be applied in their daily lives. Another important purpose for the practical life area is to help them develop their coordination in movements. These activities encourage the mind to focus on the small details for accomplishing complex tasks, which eventually bring orderly and refined movement. Children also develop concentration through practical life exercises, which is an important aspect of the inner discipline. Prolong attention towards certain activities is concentration. The exercises in practical life are ideal for the development of the concentration because they attract children’s attentions and thus promote daily activities. As children work in the Practical Life area, they develop sense of order, muscle coordination, concentration, inner disciplines and independence.
Categories that are included in the practical life exercises
At age three to six, they fulfill their tendency by organized activities. With repetition, they gain controls over their actions and learn practical life skills, which can be applied in their daily lives. Another important purpose for the practical life area is to help them develop their coordination in movements. These activities encourage the mind to focus on the small details for accomplishing complex tasks, which eventually bring orderly and refined movement. Children also develop concentration through practical life exercises, which is an important aspect of the inner discipline. Prolong attention towards certain activities is concentration. The exercises in practical life are ideal for the development of the concentration because they attract children’s attentions and thus promote daily activities. As children work in the Practical Life area, they develop sense of order, muscle coordination, concentration, inner disciplines and independence.
Categories that are included in the practical life exercises
- Preliminary Exercises
- Areas in Practical Life
- Care of the person
- Care of the Environment
- Grace and Courtesy
- Control of Movement