Carrying a Chair

A chair dragged across the floor screeches and marks; a chair lifted cleanly passes in silence. The silence itself is the control. The child learns respect for the environment and for others working.

• Framework: Montessori
• Unit: Practical Life
• Learning area: Control of Movement
• Level: Ages 3-4

Objectives

• Carry a child-sized chair with two hands, silently, across the classroom
• Lift the chair fully so legs don't drag
• Navigate around obstacles and other children
• Develop whole-body coordination

Materials

• Child-sized chairs (the classroom's own)
• A clear path from one side of the room to the other

Instructions

1. Stand beside a chair. 2. Grasp the seat with both hands, one on each side. 3. Lift the chair clear of the floor. 4. Walk slowly to the new location, keeping the chair at comfortable height. 5. Navigate around tables and classmates quietly. 6. Arrive at the destination and lower the chair silently. 7. Check all four legs are flat on the floor. 8. Push the chair into the table if used at a work area. 9. Repeat with a different child or a different chair.

Educator tip

Demonstrate the silent placement by exaggerating it — lower the chair so slowly that children can hear the absence of sound. Ask: 'Did you hear that? Neither did I.'

Assessment

Note silent carrying, lifting technique, and respect for classmates at work.

More from Practical Life

• Care of a Classroom Pet
• Grace and Courtesy: Waiting to Interrupt
• Making Playdough from Scratch
• Hosting a Classroom Visitor
• The Going Out Protocol — Planning a Real Trip
• Budgeting a Class Going Out
• Hosting a Formal Classroom Visitor
• Preparing and Delivering a Classroom Presentation