Montessori EPL activities

A Case Study with regard to the usage of Napkin

- Reshma George

MONTESSORI EDUCATIONMontessori education is an educational approach developed by Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori in 1907.She is considered to be the mother of Montessori education.

EPL, the abbreviated form of ‘Exercises of Practical Life’ are simple everyday activities. The exercises in Practical Life are the very heart of Montessori education as it is presenting the real life activities with real apparatus and making a bridge between the home and the school environment. Aims and Objectives of EPL activities.

EPL helps to develop motor skills, eye hand co-ordination, order, concentration, and independence. It helps the children to become independent. It helps them to develop love for their work. It helps the children to acquire happiness, self-satisfaction and self-respect.Most importantly, a child who can control his or her environment is a happy well-adjusted child. Therefore, EPL hold a great role in the overall development of child especially during the early years when his/her personality is being formed.

HOLDING NAPKINS

The napkin should be a cotton one with plain and light colours. First of all invite the children for the presentation and prepare for it. For that bring a chowki from a place of display and place it at the place of presentation. Bring a napkin and place it on the chowki.

• Insert the right thumb below the four open edges of the napkin and place the right index finger on the top of the four open edges of a napkin.

• Place the left hand palm below the napkin so that napkin rest on your left palm.• Lift the napkin up to your convenient level.• Ask the children, See "I am holding a napkin. Did it open up?“• Now bring the palm down and place the napkin down.• Invite the child to repeat the presentation.

Points of Interest:- Inserting the left hand palm below the napkin as it should not fall down and holding the napkin in such a way that it should not open up.

FOLDING NAPKINS

Folding the napkin in half

• With your right index finger indicate the guiding line on the napkin.

• Hold the base right corner with the thumb and index finger.

• Raise the napkin a little, turn it and move slowly towards the opposite corner keeping

it near and parallel to the napkin’s surface.

• Stop when you reach the opposite corner and place the held corner on top of it.

• Release the index finger and thumb.

FOLDING NAPKINS Cont..

Folding the napkin in quarters

• Fold the napkin into half.

• Hold the base left corner with the thumb and index finger.

• Raise the napkin a little, turn it and move slowly towards the top right corner,

keeping it near and parallel to the napkin’s surface.

• Stop when you reach the corner and place the held corner down on top of it.

• Release the index finger and thumb.

FOLDING NAPKINS Cont..

Folding the napkin into eighths .

• Fold the napkin into quarters.

• Hold the top left corner with the thumb and index finger.

• Raise the napkin a little, turn it and move slowly towards the top right corner, keeping

it near and parallel to the napkin’s surface.

• Stop when you reach the corner and place the held corner down on top of it.

• Release the index finger and thumb. Points of Interest:- Folding along the dividing line and placing the corners one over the other one at a time.

USE OF NAPKIN WHEN WE YAWN

After inviting the child, show the children their sitting places and we would sit in front of them. we should bring a napkin with us. Explain the children how to use the napkin when we yawn.

• First, Turn your head to the right a little away from the children.• Place your right hand about an inch away from your mouth.• Take a napkin, cover your mouth, then exaggerate a yawn.• Once finished with the yawn, close your mouth.• Remove your right hand and napkin from in front of your mouth.• When you yawn, make a minimum noise.• You should place the napkin in such a way that the mouth should not

seen, ie, mouth should cover fully.• Turn your head back to face the group.

USE OF NAPKIN WHEN WE COUGH

• First turn your head to the right a little away from the children.

• Place your right hand about an inch away from your mouth.

• Take a napkin, spread it in your hand, then exaggerate a cough.

• Once finished with the cough, close your napkin and remove your hands from in

front of your mouth.

• Turn your head back to face the group.

Points of interest:- Turning head away before you cough and Spreading the napkin properly

USE OF NAPKIN WHEN WE SNEEZE

• Place your right hand about an inch away from your mouth.

• Take a napkin, spread it in your hand, then sneeze.

• Once finished with the sneeze, close your napkin and remove your hands from in front

of your mouth.

• Turn your head back to face the group.

Point of Interest:- Turning head away before you sneeze and Spreading the napkin properly.

SUGGESTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

SUGGESTIONWe have to find some solutions regarding the difficulty to measure a child’s progress as the environment is not competitive enough.There is a suggestion to reduce the cost of Montessori Education as it is quiet high as compared to other mode of education.Some preliminary activities can be replaced by more challenging or complex activities

CONCLUSIONChild begins to gain independence, integration and consolidation of the personality through coordination of movement also occurs.Today in our mechanized age, child had no opportunity in the home to fold clothes and not to develop motor skills of grace and fluid movement at an early age. Later, success in academic subjects is hindered due to poor neurological development including a lack of the ability to concentrate. EPL activities in Montessori education help him to become master of himself and then he will be able to master other things.