Practical Life Has Purpose!

The Purposes of Practical Life at Wheaton Montessori School

In Wheaton Montessori School's primary classrooms, practical life activities play a foundational role in supporting children’s development, independence, and connection to their environment. Because children are actively absorbing and adapting to the world around them, everything we offer in practical life serves a developmental need.

Supporting Independence

One of the primary goals of practical life is to nurture children’s functional independence, the ability to care for oneself and the environment, and interact meaningfully within a community. The first plane of development (0 to 6 years) is marked by a strong drive for independence, with children eager to do things for themselves.

By the time a child enters our Primary Program (Preschool & Kindergarten), 2 ½ to 6 years, they have already made strides toward independence. However, they still require an environment that allows them to refine their skills. In the world, children generally encounter some obstacles to their independence:

Household processes (e.g., cleaning dishes in the dishwasher) may be hidden or too complex.
Tools are adult-sized and difficult for small hands to use.
Movements happen too quickly for children to absorb (e.g., tying a shoe).

Wheaton Montessori School addresses these barriers in a mixed-age classroom by providing:

Child-sized tools for daily activities, such as preparing food and caring for the classroom.
A clear, ordered sequence of movements that children can observe and repeat.
The freedom to practice skills at their own pace, allowing them to move from passive observers to active participants.
A support system where older peers help younger ones when needed.
Prepared classrooms that have everything available to children.
Teachers who demonstrate personally with each student.

Supporting the Sensitive Period for Movement

We recognize that young children are in a critical period for refining their control and coordination. Practical life activities are designed to help children refine their movements in purposeful ways, directing children’s attention and energy toward focused, intentional actions. They give a reason to walk across the room. Walking on the line of an ellipse develops balance and control. Pouring water from a basin into a bucket refines precision. Carrying a tray teaches careful, measured movements.

One of the most challenging yet essential aspects of movement is control. It takes effort to stop pouring just before a cup overflows or to use only a small drop of polish when shining an object. By engaging in these exercises, children strengthen their willpower and gradually master their actions.

Supporting the Sensitive Period for Order

Children in the first plane of development have an innate need for external order, which is reflected in their surroundings and daily routines. Wheaton Montessori School supports this in a variety of ways.

The community of children and teachers is the same each day for multiple years.

We ensure that activities have a logical sequence of steps so that children learn new concepts, they can also rely on the sequence.

Materials are placed in a specific order on the shelves, moving left to right and from top to bottom, so children begin to internalize the same patterning we use for reading as they work through the easier and most concrete activities to the most challenging and abstract.

Montessori activities are color-coded. For the youngest children, this means that all of the items for something like window washing will have the same color, which helps children keep the set together. As children get older, color-coding is designed to help them grasp concepts like place value in math or parts of speech in language.

Once children internalize these structures, they gain confidence and independence, allowing them to complete tasks from start to finish without adult intervention.

Understanding our World

Practical life activities reflect real-world tasks that children observe in their daily lives. Children are naturally drawn to meaningful work—they want to help, imitate, and participate. For example, in Dr. Montessori’s early observations in San Lorenzo, she saw that children were fascinated by the gardener and the custodian, eagerly following and watching their work. You see this at home, that your children want to imitate you in the kitchen. Children see adults doing marvelous activities, and children want to learn the skills to participate! Through practical life activities, children engage in culturally relevant tasks that allow them to feel like valuable members of their community.

Supporting Understanding and Confidence

We all seek to understand our surroundings and how to function within them. Practical life exercises help children orient to the Wheaton Montessori School classrooms by introducing essential routines. For example, we take the time to teach children things that might otherwise be taken for granted, such as how to:

Greet a friend.
Roll and unroll a work rug.
Ask for help.
Say excuse me.
Invite others to play.
Join a fun group.
Find a peaceful space.

By taking time to demonstrate these tasks, we show respect for the child and provide the knowledge they need to act confidently in their space.

Supporting the Development of Concentration

Practical life activities serve as a gateway to deep concentration. The freedom to choose and repeat exercise allows children to follow their intrinsic motivation and work toward self-perfection.

When children reach deep concentration, they experience:

Joy and a sense of fulfillment.
An increased connection to others.
A natural reduction in undesirable behaviors.

The ability to repeat an activity for as long as needed also supports children’s sensitive period for order and mastery. This is why practical life often serves as the first point of engagement for children in the Wheaton Montessori School classroom.

Supporting the Development of the Will

Practical life exercises help children develop willpower and self-control by bridging the gap between impulse and deliberate action.

At first, children act on instinct, but through repeated exercises, they learn to:

Act consciously and voluntarily.
Perfect their actions through self-correction.
Develop grace, courtesy, and social awareness.

Whether through learning how to clean up a spill or preparing a snack to share with others, children learn to control their impulses and consider the needs of others.

Dr. Montessori beautifully summarized this transformation in The Discovery of the Child:

“The grace and dignity of their behavior and the ease of their movements are the corollaries to what they have gained through their own patient and laborious efforts. In a word, they are ‘self-controlled,’ and to the extent that they are thus controlled, they are free from the control of others.”

Practical life is far more than just pouring, scrubbing, and folding—it is the foundation for independence, concentration, order, and social development. These carefully designed activities help children orient to their world, refine their movements, and develop the willpower to act with purpose.

By embracing practical life, we give children the tools to engage meaningfully in their environment, take ownership of their learning, and ultimately, become confident, self-sufficient individuals.

Current families can reach out to the school to schedule a meeting with their child's teacher to ask questions about how young children at Wheaton Montessori School engage in practical life activities in meaningful ways. Families can also discuss how independently their child can obtain a snack and seek help when necessary.

Enrollment Tours for Prospective Families

Prospective families with toddlers and children under 4 are encouraged to sign up for a school tour to sign up for a school tour to explore the advantages of our Primary Program, which lays the essential foundation for our Elementary and Adolescent Community Programs*. Prospective families who are enrolled in the 2025-2026 School Year are welcome to sign up for Wheaton Montessori School summer camps.

Open enrollment for summer and fall 2025 will be through May 20th and is based on availability for eligible early childhood students. There are extremely limited spots available for new children aged 4 and under for the upcoming summer and fall of 2025.

* Individual school tours for kindergarten through 9th grade are not available, and the waitlist remains closed for the 2025-2026 School Year. The only exception is considered for students transferring from AMI-accredited Montessori schools that have maintained continuous attendance.

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Freedom and Responsibility in the Elementary Classroom

By Suzanna Mayhugh, Lower Elementary Teacher • January 19, 2026

Montessori Mayhem? Pint-Sized Pandemonium? When I give tours of the Elementary classrooms or welcome new parents to the Elementary program at Wheaton Montessori School, some parents believe that students are allowed complete freedom, as if the classrooms are a beautiful den of chaos and anarchy. Indeed, this is one of the biggest misconceptions about Montessori education. (The biggest misconception being, in my experience, that Montessori isn’t “real world” education. But as we say in our lessons, “That’s a story for another day.”) While Montessori classrooms DO give children the freedoms they require and deserve, it’s not an unlimited free-for-all with an adult watching from an observation chair! Freedom is always balanced with responsibility, to oneself and to the community. These values, freedom and responsibility, are essential for creating a happy, busy, humming classroom where children thrive. What Does Freedom Mean in Our Classroom? “Freedom” in the classroom means that students are encouraged to make choices about their learning. Just as in our Primary classrooms at Wheaton Montessori School, students are free to choose their work, their seat, and their work partners. They are free to move about the classroom and do not need to raise their hands to visit the restroom, get a drink of water, or ask a question. Let’s look at a few of these freedoms more closely. Students are Free to Choose Their Work. For example, they may choose which book to read, choose a work partner to research a chosen topic, or practice a tricky bit of a lesson over and over. They are also able to choose how they will show their understanding. They might present their understanding through a poster, a diorama, a model, a handmade book, or an enormous amount of cardboard and hot glue. These choices empower students to take charge of their education and express themselves in ways that suit their interests and strengths, something a standardized test or a worksheet can never do. However, freedom in the classroom ALWAYS has limits. For example, students are free to choose their work, but choosing NOT to work is not an option. They are free to choose their work from the lessons that have been presented to them. While students may choose their reading material, it must be appropriate for their reading level and classroom guidelines. When students select a partner, they must do so respectfully and inclusively. When students create projects and work output, they must do so with care, make proper use of materials, and in a way that shows what they understand about their topic. Additionally, these choices should never disrupt their own learning and construction, or that of their peers. The Role of Responsibility In a true Montessori classroom, freedom comes with responsibility. And that responsibility can sometimes be uncomfortable at first. Students are expected to care for classroom materials, such as returning books and lesson materials to the shelf, taking part in classroom jobs, keeping a record of their work in their work journals, and handling art supplies properly. They are responsible for practicing their lessons and completing chosen follow-up work, listening attentively during lessons or when a classmate is sharing a presentation or thought, and helping classmates when needed and available. A student is not free to use materials in a way that damages or wastes the classroom supplies or puts anyone in harm’s way. Freedom within our classroom never allows for harming oneself, others, or the classroom materials. Healthy boundaries, limits, and structures are consistently communicated in advance with clarity and respect, ensuring practicality and alignment within the community. Classroom expectations and rules are collaboratively developed and agreed upon by the community. In order to foster a positive learning environment, both students and teachers are expected to adhere to the shared expectations and responsibilities. When necessary, the classroom adult will address students and reiterate expectations and boundaries in a firm yet considerate manner. This balanced approach is effective only when maintained consistently throughout each day. What Might it Look Like When the Balance Needs to Shift? The adults in the classroom are constantly observing the children to be sure that each child has as much freedom as they are ready for, providing them space, room, and opportunities to show their strengths, and make their own choices throughout the day. When that freedom is too much, a teacher might need to provide more lessons in how to use materials that have been damaged or used improperly, limit work partner choices, or have a student sit with the teacher while they practice lessons or work with precious art materials. The adults will be watching for the perfect moment to allow the child increased freedom within the classroom, and within the limits of the understood responsibilities. How Freedom and Responsibility Work Together Finding the right mix of freedom and responsibility is something we work on together every day in our classroom. Montessori teachers are specially trained to guide this balance, helping students practice important skills like making good choices, solving problems, and learning self-control. When children are trusted to make decisions, they also learn to take responsibility for those choices. Experiencing the natural consequences of their actions helps them become kind, thoughtful, and capable members of their community who understand how their choices affect others. What Does This Have to Do with Parents? Your support at home makes a big difference. By working together, we can help your child thrive both at school and at home. Encouraging your child to take responsibility for their actions and decisions reinforces what they learn in class. Yes, it can be uncomfortable, but it is necessary. It also becomes easier, more comfortable, and needs to be practiced less often when practiced consistently (like most things!). This supportive consistency across settings, at home and at school, helps children feel confident, cared for, and increasingly independent.

Where Learning Supports Who They Become

By Kelly Jonelis, Adolescent Program Director and Math Teacher • January 12, 2026

Where Learning Supports Who They Become Inspired by the Deep Dive on Psycho-Disciplines by David Kahn and Michael Waski In Wheaton Montessori School’s Adolescent Program, learning is more than content acquisition; it is a Psycho-discipline. A psycho-discipline is the connection of each discipline to the psychology of the developing human. When children and adolescents engage in subjects in a way that aligns with their psychology and developmental needs, the learning becomes internalized, and since discipline's root meaning is connected to “accepting with love”, they are supported to love learning. At Wheaton Montessori School, every subject your adolescent studies, from math, science, language, and literature to economics, morality, and culture, is intentionally crafted to support who they are becoming. We don’t teach disciplines simply to transmit facts. We use the subjects of humanities, math, social sciences, language, and sciences to strengthen your adolescent’s confidence, character, and capacity to participate meaningfully in society. This approach is deeply rooted in the Montessori work of David Kahn and Michael Waski, both pioneers of adolescent training programs and adolescent psyche work. They describe these subjects as psycho-disciplines. Psycho-discipline can be defined as the order necessary for self-construction. When children and adolescents engage with subjects in a way that aligns with their psychology and developmental needs, the learning becomes internalized. It becomes part of your children and adolescents. And when the curriculum is deeply connected and part of each individual, the result is self-construction that is whole, complete, interdisciplinary, and integrated. Wheaton Montessori School staff are trained to understand and respond to developmental needs and to aid your children and adolescents in loving to learn across the curriculum. We do this for adolescents by connecting the academic topics we cover to real-life applications that are meaningful and relatable for the student. Rather than teaching facts and skills in a silo “just in case” students may need them, we first present students with meaningful context and then move to presenting lessons that give them the tools they need to engage with that context, “just in time.” Psycho-disciplines: • Engage intellect and emotion • Build purpose through real work • Support the drive for belonging and contribution • Empower independent thought connected to others • Spark passion and identity formation Your adolescents learn to navigate complexity by applying their advanced knowledge to real needs. They learn academics best and enjoy them most when they use what they know to strengthen their community and improve the world. This applies whether they are solving problems that arise within their immediate environment or finding opportunities to serve the broader local community. At Wheaton Montessori School, 7 th -9 th graders engage in learning that is meaningful to them. They begin with recognizing authentic needs around them, extending the growing season in their gardens, keeping their chickens and bees healthy through the year, and then working to address those needs. When we provide the “big picture” first, students enter academic lessons with a clear understanding of why the content matters. Instead of teaching unit conversions or graphing equations in isolation and waiting for the question, “When am I ever going to use this?”, we begin with harvesting honey and ask, “What do we need to know to bottle and sell this honey? How do we determine the right price?” This is psycho-disciplines in action. Thermodynamics becomes relevant as students prepare their beehives for winter. Through this work, your adolescents also come to understand their value and place in the broader adult community, whether they are partnering with organizations such as People’s Resource Center or volunteering at Northern Illinois Food Bank. Learning through psycho-disciplines supports who adolescents are becoming and engages the work of the hand, head, and heart. Wheaton Montessori School adolescents don’t learn by memorizing facts, but by engaging and immersing themselves in meaningful work. This provides the means to learn lessons that speak to who the students are and to stick with them for a lifetime. Why Learning with Purpose Your adolescents are forming their adult identity right now. They are asking: How do I contribute? Where do I belong? Why does this matter? At Wheaton Montessori School, psycho-disciplines answer those questions through: • Meaningful collaboration • Real-world application • Guidance from experts and highly skilled mentors • Leadership and ownership • Choice and autonomy Instead of prioritizing the mere transmission of knowledge, we open the doors to further study and provide the order necessary for the formation of maturity and self-respect.