We all know that toddlers olds are active. They learn about the world through movement. Picking up objects, turning them around in the hand, sliding them along the floor. One facet of Montessori curriculum that enables, say, a two-year-old to succeed is the Practical Life area. Practical Life activities, such as pouring, wiping, setting a table, and opening and closing containers are attractive to our youngest students. The simple act of carrying a tray to a table or rolling up a workmat is a success for a 2-year-old student.
Maria Montessori observed over 100 years ago that “if teaching is to be effective with young children, it must assist them to advance on the way to independence. It must initiate them into those kinds of activities which they can perform themselves and which keep them from being a burden to others because of their inabilities.”
A 2-year old is a very social person. They observe. They explore. They ask “Why?” They try out everything new that they can possibly get their hands on. This is why it is so important to expose them to a classroom full of academic riches, and older kids who serve as role models. To do otherwise is a missed opportunity.
Visitors to our classroom will quickly see that our 2-year-olds are integrated into the classroom. In many preschools, the 2-year-old is restricted to a separate “toddler” classroom. But while our 2’s are busy building coordination and self-confidence in the Practical Life area, they simultaneously observe the older children, who serve as models for the years to come.
