In the Montessori classroom, young children are normally drawn first to the Practical Life

area because these materials are most familiar to them.

The exercises of Practical Life have objects and materials normally encountered in everyday living experience such as cleaning, pouring, dressing, and polishing.

The exercises of Practical Life fall into four major categories: Care of the Self;

Care of the Environment; Grace and Courtesy; and Control of Movement.

The purpose of the Practical Life activities is to help the child develop coordination,

concentration, a sense of personal independence, and a sense of order.

Through the exercises of Practical Life the child develops the self-confidence and attention

essential for the mastery of the other more advanced areas of the Montessori classroom.