5 Practical Life Skills Montessori Preschools Help Your Child Acquire
Childhood is the best time for children to get introduced to and acquire practical life skills that makes them responsible, independent, and confident. It’s necessary not just for everyday living but to be successful as adults. Learning these life skills at an early age can help them get ready for kindergarten and future schooling. That’s why more and more parents are enrolling their little ones into daycare kindergarten preschools in San Jose, where they may acquire these life skills in a social and nurturing environment.
Feeling unsure whether teaching your little one practical life skills so early is necessary? Knowing about these skills may help you make better decisions. Let’s get started.
Important Life Skills Preschools Guide Children to Learn at an Early Age:
Practical life skills help your little ones deal with everyday challenges. It helps them prepare to cope with different problems and make better decisions. These life skills are crucial not just for daily living but to achieve academic success. The earlier children learn, the more successful they become in preschools and beyond.
Here are five practical life skills we at Valley Oak San Jose Montessori preschool think are essential to teach preschoolers:
#1: Washing face and hands-
Maintaining proper hygiene is important to ensure well-being and better health. Your little ones must learn to wash their faces and hands properly. In preschools, mentors guide them step-by-step and explain why these are important to do regularly. For example:
For the face:
How to make their face wet and use a facial cleanser
How to scrub their face gently and in a circular motion
How to rinse the face well
How to dry with a clean soft towel/ napkin.
For the hands:
How to wet hands
How to use soap and lather it up
How to wash it well and dry it off.
#2: How to dress and undress-
It’s another important practical life skill your child should acquire. Knowing how to dress and undress can help the little ones live a more independent life and feel empowered to make decisions. Some of the simple tasks include:
Putting on a shirt/ dress
Zipping up a jacket
Pulling up pants
Buttoning up shirts.
#3: Brushing teeth properly-
Well, it's the first and last activity of the day for anyone to maintain oral hygiene. And, when it comes to your kids, you can't overlook it, right? So, it’s important to let your kids know and show them how to brush their teeth step-by-step. For instance:
How to wet a toothbrush and put the toothpaste on it
How to brush such as in the front, top, and back of the teeth in a circular motion
How to clean the tongue.
Once they understand it, let them do it on their own every day so they grasp more of this practical life skill. But, make sure they are doing it properly. Also, mention why brushing twice a day is important so they continue this activity always.
#4: Pouring drinks without spilling-
Preschoolers often find it difficult to pour a glass of juice or water. But, since it’s one of the most important practical life skills, your child should know how to do so without spilling it. In kindergarten and preschools, teachers focus on improving the daily life skills of little ones and recommend parents to do the same, such as how to pour milk or water, measure the cup, and so on. It will help them feel confident and independent in their everyday life.
#5: Using the Toilet-
As mentioned earlier, knowing how to maintain hygiene is one of the most important practical life skills children should learn at an early age. However, it’s observed that many face challenges in using the toilet properly and independently. That’s why many preschools are including this activity in their preschool programs. Here’s what the teachers do to help them out and suggest parents do the same:
Checking if kids are using the toilet of their size to ensure they can use it more comfortably and easily
Teach them how to clean themselves properly once it’s done
How to wash their hands after using the toilet, and why.
In summary
It’s just a brief idea of important practical life skills we have shared here to highlight some of the daily life skills your preschoolers need to learn to feel confident and independent everyday.
At Valley Oak Montessori, we have introduced unique learning programs for toddlers (18 months to 3 years) and prekindergarteners or Pre-K (3 years to 6 years), which include not just STEAM curriculum but daily living activities to teach them practical life skills to develop their self-esteem and confidence.
Our teachers focus on developing fine motor skills and concentration in the classrooms. Our improved lesson planning, student-to-teacher ratios and advanced learning materials, are essential tools that help achieve proper skills development. While we emphasise quality of nutritious meals, hygiene and cleanliness we also help the children understand the value of these practices.
Want to know more? Book a FREE tour now, and click here to learn more about our programs!
