By Nido Marketing
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September 26, 2022
Montessori Practical Life 101 invariably includes the outline for FLOWER ARRANGING. This pivotal work links all cornerstones of the Montessori environment from toddlerhood through elementary- first as a sensorial experience and, later as an in-depth research into the functions and parts of flowers themselves. The appeal of the arranging and the giving of flowers is universal- for centuries flowers have marked important milestones in our daily lives; expressed feelings of love, gratitude or sadness; or been admired as an appreciation for natural beauty. In the classroom, a vaseful of fragrant flowers provided an open invitation from which Dr. Maria Montessori took full advantage: The process of flower arranging is predictably sequenced with precision and care- as are all of the practical life activities- to best support the development of coordination, concentration, order and independence. The child puts on an apron, selects a vase, fills it with water and chooses the perfect flower to cut and place inside the vase. He then carries the vase and a small doily to a table in the room and lays down the vase carefully on the top corner of the table. There is often another child at work sitting there at the table who looks up. The two make eye contact and exchange a moment of silence.