Amanda Spielman, former head of Ofsted, recently emphasised the decline of practical tasks such as food preparation, clothes mending and animal care in education, suggesting that these activities can instil a sense of achievement in children in an increasingly automated world.
Louise Livingston, our Head of Training, explains how a more “hands-on” education incorporating practical tasks like these can significantly benefit children’s motor skills, academic learning, wellbeing and social skills.
Hands-on learning opportunities incorporating the kind of practical activities listed by Amanda Spielman are a key and successful part of the Montessori approach to education because they support the way in which children learn.
From the moment children begin to explore the world, their brains start to develop rapidly. Engaging in hands-on learning and practical activities supports the development of fine and gross motor skills. Having good motor skills sets in motion a virtuous cycle that enables us to explore and learn more about the world and knowledge gained prompts further exploration and refinement of motor skills that then enables deeper and more detailed exploration. Since all engagement with the world is through movement, having good motor skills supports learning and self-confidence.
Children may view these practical activities as a form of play but this ‘play’ is developing crucial neural connections. These activities promote concentration and coordination and offer opportunities to problem-solve, all of which contribute to cognitive development. Encouraging children to participate in these activities helps to build a strong foundation for their future learning and development.
Engaging children in household chores, such as cleaning, gardening, mending clothes, preparing food or fixing broken items, gives them a sense of competence and self-reliance. These tasks provide opportunities for social interaction and cooperation, which build children’s skills in these areas. When children work together on a project, they form positive relationships and learn to communicate, negotiate and support each other.
In the Montessori Children’s House (3-6 years) children work individually or in groups with hands-on activities that help them to develop physically, socially, and intellectually. Each activity is designed to be complete in itself, so children can work independently until they have completed the task to their own satisfaction. Practical Life activities such as clearing up after snack time or raking up leaves in the garden encourage responsibility. Children are inspired to explore and discover for themselves with guidance from a teacher trained specifically in both child development and the Montessori approach.
In the Montessori approach to literacy, vocabulary development is based on real experiences, and children are prepared for reading and writing in a way that mirrors the way in which brains are already primed to create oral language.
Hands-on Montessori mathematics materials, offer sensory motor exploration of concepts in concrete form, enabling children to understand concepts such as number and operations, before moving on to abstract representations.
Comprehensive teacher training in child development, such as the in-depth training undertaken by all AMI Montessori teachers (the AMI Diploma) ensures adults can effectively deliver and support hands-on learning to maximise its benefits. Montessori teachers studying for an AMI Diploma are trained to closely observe children ensuring they are gaining independence by making their own learning choices but not at the expense of other areas of the curriculum.
The Montessori teacher will provide just the right level of support and challenge for the child to be as independent and self-sufficient as possible, and thereby grow in self-confidence and the ability to make their own decisions. Many more children could benefit from this approach to education.