Practical Life – Preliminary Movements

Sitting on a Chair at a Table

Materials Child-size chair, Table

Purposes Direct: Independence, concentration, prep for activities using chair

Indirect: Coordination, control of movement

Prerequisite Carrying a Chair

Age 2 ½ to 3

Presentation 1. Invite child. “I want to show you how to sit on a chair.”

2. Approach the chair from behind.
3. Placing one hand at a time on each side of chair, pick it up
and pull it back a foot or so.
4. Walk around to side of chair, turning to face away from it.
5. Smooth down clothing and sit down gracefully on the chair.
6. Turn to tuck both feet and legs under table in one motion.
7. Place one hand on each side of seat to lift and scoot forward as
far as needed to comfortably place hands on table.
8. Fold hands to show that the movement is complete.
9. Scoot chair back with one hand on each side of the seat.
10. Turn legs and feet out to sit sideways in the chair again.
11. Stand up; walk to back of the chair.
12. Place hands on either side of back and tuck chair under table.
13. Move hand farther from the child between chair and table to
assure there is space to do so; chair is not too close.
14. Invite child to try.

Points of Interest Smoothing of clothes

Scooting of chair

Endnotes Prior to this activity, or in conjunction with it, show the children
how to select a properly-sized chair.

Pedagogical Notes

Michael Clapis – 2022 Cleveland AMI Primary Course