Montessori Carrying a Tray

11 months ago · Updated 10 months ago

The Montessori activity of Carrying a Tray is a fundamental part of the Montessori practical life curriculum, offering a hands-on approach to developing coordination and responsibility.

Benefits of Carrying a Tray Activity

Montessori Principles of Carrying a Tray

How to Present the Montessori Carrying a Tray Activity

Illustration of a wooden tray with Montessori materials including a jug and wooden shapes used for the 'Carrying a Tray' activity. — This activity is designed to help children develop control over their movements. By focusing on carrying the tray steadily, they learn to coordinate their actions carefully

📏 Range Age: 2.5 - 3.5 years (activity should be adjusted based on the child's age and skill level).

🧠 Prerequisites: Practical Life Activities (Pouring Exercises, Spooning Exercises), Language Activities (vocabulary building activities for instructions and objects), Cognitive Activities (understanding of balance and careful movement)
🛠️ Enhancement Skills: Practical Life Skills (developing coordination, balance), Cognitive Development (attention to detail, following sequential steps), Fine Motor Skills (grip strength, steady hand movements).

This article delves into the nature of this activity, its significance in the Montessori method, and practical ways to incorporate it into your child's learning at home.

Content

What is Carrying a Tray in Montessori?
Benefits of Carrying a Tray
Purpose of Carrying a Tray
Direct Aim
Indirect Aim
Control of Error
Point of Interest
How to Present the Montessori Carrying a Tray Activity?
References

What is Carrying a Tray in Montessori?

In Montessori education, Carrying a Tray is an activity designed to help children develop their balance, coordination, and attention to detail. Children learn to carefully balance various items on a tray, typically starting with empty trays and gradually adding objects.

Young girl in a Montessori classroom carefully carrying a tray with a water jug, practicing coordination and balance — "Carrying a Tray" requires children to focus their attention fully on the task at hand, which enhances their ability to concentrate on single activities for longer periods.

This task helps them understand the concept of spatial awareness and cautious movement, providing a foundation for more complex tasks.

Benefits of Carrying a Tray

Integrating the activity of Carrying a Tray into your child's learning offers several benefits:

🖐️ Enhances Fine Motor Skills: Managing the tray and its contents helps children refine their motor control and coordination.
👀 Improves Concentration: Focusing on not spilling the contents requires significant attention and concentration.
👣 Develops Balance and Coordination: Carrying a tray teaches children to navigate space while maintaining balance.
🧠 Builds Independence: Completing the task independently boosts self-confidence and responsibility.
📏 Promotes Order and Precision: Learning to arrange items neatly on the tray encourages organizational skills.

Purpose of Carrying a Tray

The purpose of teaching children to carry a tray in Montessori education is to develop their physical dexterity, enhance their ability to concentrate, and foster a sense of independence and order.

Direct Aim

Carrying a Tray primarily aims to cultivate a child’s independence in their movements. It supports the child in mastering the careful handling and placement of the tray, ensuring their own safety, the safety of others, and the integrity of the tray.

Indirect Aim

This task provides valuable secondary advantages, including the enhancement of a child's motor skills, muscle development, and focus, all of which contribute significantly to nurturing patience, responsibility, and the essential life skill of service to others

Control of Error

The control of error in this activity is inherent in the child’s ability to carry the tray without dropping or spilling its contents, which provides immediate feedback and encourages self-correction.

Point of Interest

The tactile feedback of handling various objects and the challenge of walking without spilling engage the child's interest and provide a satisfying sense of accomplishment upon successful completion of the task.

This exercise empowers children to move materials from one place to another on their own, fostering a sense of independence and responsibility

How to Present the Montessori Carrying a Tray Activity?

Materials

A table, providing a stable surface for setting up and organizing the activity.
A tray, carefully chosen to be manageable for the child, allowing them to practice the skill of carrying and balancing objects gracefully.

The following instructions are the montessori basic presentation of Carrying a Tray:

Presentation

Lifting the Tray:

Position your right thumb on the middle of the tray's right lip.
Curl your four right fingers underneath the tray’s lip for a secure grip.
Mirror the position with your left hand, placing your left thumb opposite your right thumb on the left lip of the tray.
Curl your four left fingers under the tray's left lip.
Carefully lift the tray straight up to your lower stomach level, maintaining an even and stable hold.
Walk cautiously around a designated area, always checking that your path is free of obstacles to avoid accidents.
Return to your starting position, keeping the tray level throughout the movement.

Replacing the Tray:

Begin to lower the tray by gently tilting the top right corner towards the tabletop.
Continue by silently lowering the top left corner, ensuring the tray descends smoothly and quietly.
Carefully lower both corners closest to your body, maintaining control to prevent any items on the tray from shifting.
Finally, remove your left hand first, followed by your right hand, completing the placement of the tray on the table.

Variations & Extentions

Variations

Introduce trays of different sizes and weights to challenge the children's ability to adjust their handling techniques.
Use trays with different contents, such as objects that easily roll or slide, to teach careful movement and balance.
Incorporate a relay race element where children must carry the tray through a simple obstacle course, promoting coordination and spatial awareness.

Extension

Once the children are proficient in carrying trays on a flat surface, introduce carrying trays up and down stairs or over uneven surfaces to enhance their skill level.
Encourage the children to serve snacks or materials to their peers using the trays, integrating social skills and responsibility into the activity.
Teach the children to set up a specific arrangement on the tray, such as a tea setting or a craft setup, before carrying it, to combine practical life skills with task organization.

Recommendations

Ensure all trays used are in good condition with no sharp edges or slippery surfaces to maintain safety.
Supervise the children closely during this activity to provide immediate guidance or assistance if they struggle with balancing the tray.
Praise the children for careful and controlled movements, reinforcing the importance of precision and attention to detail in everyday tasks.

References

Montessori Publications - The Montessori Post
Montessori Blog - The Center for Guided Montessori Studies
Montessori, M. (1956). The Discovery of the Child. New York: Ballantine Books. pp. 80-95.
Montessori, M. (1973). The Formation of Man. Madras: Theosophical Publishing House. pp. 65-80.

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Hi! I'm Chris Palomino, a B.S. in Psychology, and a mother of a precious one-year-old girl. Over the past eight years, I've been guiding children, particularly those aged 3 to 6 facing developmental and learning challenges, with a special focus on autism and ADHD.

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