The Early-Childhood Education students of SEGi College Penang recently conducted a mini workshop to produce practical-life material in the form of a dressing book from an idea directed from the dressing frames promoted by Maria Montessori in her key practical life exercises.
They devised a list of fasteners children may encounter while dressing, including buckles, snaps, bows, zippers, safety pins, laces, buttons, velcro, and Chinese knots.
They then compiled these into a book as an interactive tool for young children to train their motor skills and hand-eye coordination. They maintained the essence of the ideology and modified it a little into a much more portable version to help children to develop self-care and independence as they learn the different ways to fasten their clothes.
The Montessori Method inculcates teaching over correcting. Montessori practical-life materials allow children to do living activities in a meaningful way. Practical life activities can help young children gain control over their coordination in movement and develop independently while adapting to a larger community. These activities also aid their mental and emotional development.
SEGi College is very proud of this group of future early-childhood practitioners who have put in their concerted effort to prepare developmentally appropriate practical-life materials to nurture the future pillars of our society in a holistic manner and as early as possible.