It was our second day attending the Montessori workshop. There were only five of us in the classroom, and I was one of them. Today’s lesson was “care of self,” part of the Exercises for Practical Life (EPL) area.
EPL is one of the areas in a Montessori classroom that teaches children how to carry out their daily activities independently.
Beside me sat two young women, both Montessori school guides. Neither was married yet, still young, but already deeply knowledgeable about child development. I could have chatted with them for hours.
In front of me was a mother around my age whose youngest son had just started primary school. She ran a Montessori school of her own.
And the fifth was a fellow guide from my school.
The Montessori classroom where we were training was designed for children aged 3 to 6. We sat around a rectangular table about 50 centimeters high, on little wooden chairs.
I was eager and curious when we were introduced to the “pouring water” exercise, just one of dozens of activities in this area.
Our tutor picked up a small wooden tray from the materials shelf. On it sat two small white porcelain cups, one filled with water. “These can break,” I murmured to myself.
Why would toddlers be allowed to handle things that could shatter? Isn’t that dangerous? What if they cut themselves on the pieces?
The room had been quiet, but our murmuring broke the silence. Our British tutor just smiled, as if she understood every worry and question running through our minds.
She set the tray down on the table, then explained the purpose behind using breakable materials.
We didn’t debate with her for long. She dismantled every one of our arguments with ease. Our tutor was good. Really good.
The pouring water exercise comes in several variations. Its purpose is to build concentration and independence, develop fine and gross motor skills, and strengthen hand-eye coordination.
But why use breakable things? Wouldn’t it be safer to use melamine or plastic?
Our tutor explained that the main reason is simple: children need to be introduced to the objects they will encounter every day.
Glasses, plates, bowls, vases. Breakable things are everywhere in a child’s daily life. They need to learn how to handle these objects properly and responsibly, she went on.
We all looked at each other, smiled, and nodded in agreement.
We really cannot expect children to understand these things on their own. It is our responsibility as adults to show them how to treat the objects around them with care.
When we had time to discuss, I found myself remembering something I had observed in a Montessori classroom: a little boy, perhaps around two years old, walking very carefully toward his work table, carrying a tray with a small glass of water, not too full, and a medium-sized glass bottle.
I smiled, remembering his adorable face, lips slightly pursed, taking each step so slowly, eyes scanning the room to make sure he wasn’t walking into anyone’s path. You could see how carefully he was guarding what he carried.
By the end of our discussion, I realized just how much that little boy was learning through his “pouring water” work. To keep his tray from falling, he had to concentrate on maintaining his balance, and that meant training his concentration and his fine and gross motor skills all at once.
I realized that at the very same time, his independence was being built. He carried that tray by himself, without help from any adult. And by handling those fragile items with such care, he was learning responsibility for what he was doing.
We were still deep in conversation about the day’s topic long after class had ended. We had learned more in that single day than in several other early childhood training workshops we had attended before.
One thing I am grateful for is this: the trust that adults give to children builds their confidence, because in that moment they can say, "Look, I can do it myself."
"Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world."
- Maria Montessori
