How to Become a Bestselling Author Get on a Bestseller List

How to Become a Bestselling Author Get on a Bestseller List How to Become a Bestselling Author Get on a Bestseller List We know its your dream.Its almost every authors dreamto become a bestselling author- to have your name on a list indicating that people wanted to buy your book more than all the other books.It sounds great, right? But theres more to becoming a bestselling author than simply writing and publishing a book.There are steps you need to take both when writing your book and during the publishing process that will make the difference between landing yourself on a bestseller list and hardly selling books.As a bestselling author of 6 books, Ive got some tips to help you become one, too.Heres how to become a bestselling author:Decide which Bestseller list you want to be onWrite an amazing bookBuild your author platformMarket your book ASAPDecide between traditional or self-publishingBuild a launch teamCreate a strong launch planBecome a bestselling authorNOTE: We cover everything in this blog post and much more about the writing, marketing, and publishing process in our VIP Self-Publishing Prog ram- where we teach our students to become Amazon bestselling authors in 90 days!Learn more about it hereWhat is a bestseller list?A bestseller list is created by different publications indicating and recognizing the top selling books of a given time period in any given number of places.I think youve all heard of the New York Times Bestsellers list. This is by far the most popular list, but there are many other types of bestseller lists out there today.Types of bestseller listsNot all besteller lists are the same. Like I mentioned above, the New York Times Bestsellers list is among the most popular, but any publication can craft their own version of a bestseller list.And that means you, as an author, have more opportunitites than just one to become a bestselling author.After all, the term is bestselling author not just New York Times bestselling author.These are the most popular bestseller lists you can land on:New York Times Bestsellers ListPublishers Weekly Bestsellers ListAmazon Bestsellers ListUSA Today Bestsellers ListThe Wallstreet Journal Bestseller ListAre bestseller lists a lie?I cant continue with this blog post without touching on the controversary surrounding bestseller lists- espeically the New York Times bestseller list (but all of them are like this).Most of the bestseller lists you know about or hear about arent exactly all theyre cracked up to be.Ill explainWhen we hear or see the term bestseller list we automatically think that it encompasses all the books who had the most sales.Thats what best seller technically translates to.Theres only one problem.Bestseller lists (like the New York Times bestseller list) choose their own criteria for what constitutes a best seller and they dont only rely on book sales.For example, most lists only take into account the number of book sales in a very specific time period and from very specific places- and most of them dont count online book sales the same as in-store sales.What does this mean for you and yo ur desire to be on a bestseller list?While bestseller lists arent exactly a lie, they dont paint the whole picture. Someone who sells a lot of books right at launch and then nothing for a while can still make the New York Times bestseller listeven though they might sell far fewer books than someone else who just didnt have as many sales at once.Essentially, it means that becoming a New York Times bestseller is a great goal to have, but it doesnt mean that your book is any better than the millions of others out there.That being said, many of us love the title of becoming a bestseller, so Im here to walk you through how to do that in the way that makes the most sense for you.Benefits of being a bestselling authorEven if most of the popular bestseller lists arent necessarily fair, there are still some perks to becoming a bestselling author.Here are some benefits of landing your name on a bestseller list:The title. Theres really nothing that has quite as satisfying of a ring to it as be stselling author does. It makes you feel good and rightfully so! Its an accomplishment no matter how it happened and the confidence boost alone is enough of a reason to work hard to reach that goal.The credibility. People just take bestselling authors more seriously. Because theres some sort of proof that your book sold more, people think that means its better. When they feel that way about you being a bestselling author, theyre far more likely to respect you, your book, and anything else you put in front of them- like a business.It helps you sell more books. Just like I mentioned above, being a bestselling author increases credibility. That means people will buy your book simply because it has that title- even if theyre not quite sure who you are or whats in your book. Its a simple way to increase your book sales.Its easier to sell future books. Once you hit bestseller status once, you can then add that title to your future books. Because of the same reason I mentioned in the point above, people are more likely to buy your book because the public perceived a bestseller status as an indicator of a good book.You can charge more for non-author gigs. This includes if you want to be a speaker or any other side business connected to your book. Because you have that bestseller status, you can charge more.How to become a bestselling authorIf your heart is set on becoming a bestselling author and reaping all the rewards associated with it, we can help you get thereNo matter if you want to become a New York Times bestselling author or an Amazon bestselling author, weve got you covered.#1 Decide which bestseller list you want to get onThis will ultimately define which path you follow to get published.Our list above details a couple bestseller lists you can aim to get on, or you can shoot for all of them if youre really ambitious.Here at Self-Publishing School, we teach our students how to excel in becoming Amazon bestselling authors in order to gain authority, increase your books rankings on the #1 platform for book sales in the world, and ultimately, sell more of their books.Its up to you to determine if you want to get on one, two, or even all of the bestseller lists available.#2 Write an amazing bookObviously, your book is important. While there is a lot of strategy involved in becoming a bestselling author, you do have to write a book worthy of selling.Heres how you can write an amazing book:Decide if you want to write fiction or nonfiction. Both types of books can land on their respective bestseller list. This is a fairly easy decision- just go with the first idea you have.Come up with a book idea. This can be made a lot easier with a list of writing prompts like this one right here. Remember that you have to be passionate about your book because if youre not, your readers will be able to tell. No bestseller banner will save you from negative reviews.Outline your book. One of the best ways Ive learned how to write a good book is to outline it. When you know where youre going, everything in between is easier to write, and that means you can focus on writing with quality.Write your book. It may take time, but if you follow our process for writing a quality book, you will be proud to have it out into the world. Keep our tips in mind throughout the process and youll write a better book, faster. #3 Build an author platformThis should happen before you write your book- or during it, if you just decided you want to become an author at all, let alone a bestselling author.What is an author platform?Your platform is your audience. In order to sell your book and on a consistent basis (which is key if you want to be a full-time author), people need to:know you exist andthat youre writing books for them to read.In order to do this, you have to be present on social media, have an author website, and market yourself as an author regularly.Where you spend your most time and how you go about that marketing will depend on what type o f book youre writing and who your audience.As an example, if your intended audience is an older generation between the ages of 45-60, theyre more likely to be on Facebook than other social platforms simply because those are Facebooks deomgraphics.Here are the demographics for social platforms so you can determine where youll focus your efforts:Facebook: 54% female, 46% male, 65% between 50-64 years oldTwitter: 24% women, 23% men, 40% between 18-29 years oldInstagram: 39% women, 30% men, 72% between 13-17 years oldPinterest: 41% women, 16% men, 34% between 40-49 years oldUsing these numbers, you can get a better idea of where you should start building up your author platform first.#4 Market your book NOWYes, before its even done.If you start on your author platform like I mentioned above, you can start marketing by simply creating social posts, videos, and more content related to your book and its contents.Here are some ideas for marketing your book before its done:Create social pos ts with tips and tricks related to your books contentsUpdate your followers on your books progressTalk about the process of writing a bookVoice your challenges with the writing or content itselfCreate countdown posts when it gets closer to time to launchEngage with your followers by asking them to comment below- and then have conversations with themReach out for interviews about you and your bookWe have more tips for marketing your book right here that will help you grow your following and get your books name out here.#5 Decide to pursue self-publishing or traditional publishingThis is where your earlier decision of which bestseller list you want to be on comes into play.If your goal is to become a New York Times bestselling author (which isnt all its cracked up to be, but you do you), youll have to go the traditional publishing route and commit to spending a couple years mostly waiting. However, if you want to become an Amazon bestselling author, that achievement is right around t he corner.Ultimately, you have to decide which is best for you, traditional or self-publishing?Here are some of the main differences to help you decide:What You GetSelf-PublishingTraditional PublishingSole control of your book's outcomeâÅ"“XSole control of your book's rightsâÅ"“XControl over the storyâÅ"“XControl over the coverâÅ"“X100% of royaltiesâÅ"“XEditing includedXâÅ"“Cover designXâÅ"“MarketingXXDeadlinesXâÅ"“#6 Build a large launch teamAnd make it a good one.If your goal is to hit bestseller numbers on the first week of your launch, you need a large and dedicated launch team to help make it happen.What is a launch team?A launch team is a group of people dedicated to helping you launch your book. They read it, review it on Amazon and other platforms, and participate in promotional activities.Heres what to look for in a good launch team:Theyre actually interested in your book.Theyre motivated and enthusiasticThey participate in promotional tacticsThey o ffer new promotional methodsThey have a moderate sized audience of their ownTheyve been on a launch team beforeYour launch team will be an integral part of whether or not you become a bestselling author- keep that in mind when recruiting volunteers.#7 Create a solid launch planWe have a very specific process for launching your book to become an Amazon bestseller.These tactics may not work for if you want to be a NYTs Bestseller. But they will get you that coveted orange #1 Bestseller banner on Amazon, which has relatively the same perks.Heres the launch plan we recommend (and you can read the full method right here):Price your book for maximum salesHost a soft launch and nail down your complete launch strategyGet book reviews from your launch teamReach out to book promotion sites for both paid and free promoStick to a minimalistic launch planAgain, our full book launch guide can be found right here for you to set up your book launch on Amazon in order to become a bestseller.#8 Beco me a bestsellerIf only it was that simple.This last step should really be something along the lines of mess up, try again, try it all over again, and then hope and pray, and try again instead of become a bestseller.Because thats what it usually takes:Luck, the right marketing, the best launch team, and a lot of hope.But if you have a system that is proven to make you an Amazon bestseller, then its almost guaranteed.NOTE: We cover everything in this blog post and much more about the writing, marketing, and publishing process in our VIP Self-Publishing Program- where we teach our students to become Amazon bestselling authors in 90 days!Learn more about it hereHow many books do you have to sell to become a bestselling author?There is no set specific number of book sales needed in order to become a bestselling author. After all, it depends on how many books other authors are selling at the same time.And it also depends on the rules and criteria of that specific bestseller list.Heres a g uideline you can follow when it comes to other lists: New York Times Bestseller list: 9,000 copiesThe Wall Street Journal Bestseller list: 3,000 booksAmazon Bestseller list: this number depends on current numbers being sold in the categories you listed your book inUltimately, we here at Self-Publishing School believe becoming an Amazon bestseller is not only the most attainable goal of becoming a bestseller author, but it also grants the same rewards as the others.How to become a bestselling author in the next 90 daysIts true! We help our students become Amazon bestselling authors within 90 days.Check this out if youre curious as to how.

How does DNA relate to you Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How does DNA relate to you - Essay Example s is because, the telomeres; as a result of preventing fraying, they also prevent aging and the development of malignant tumors that threaten appropriate health (The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Washington Post, 2008). Moreover, through participating in exercise, the telomeres experience extended life by making them appear younger and thus staying in place. This leaves an individual healthy showing the direct relationship between an individual and the DNA in them. In addition, DNA is unique in everyone, which, in turn, makes every person unlike the other who follows mutation during replications. These mutations occur during terms of misprints and entire changes in replicated DNA. Therefore, this information indicates that only DNA of identical twins is similar (Port, 2008). In terms of survival, for one to live in adverse conditions, genes contained in the DNA effect changes (Designed DNA, 2012). These changes lead to evolutions and adaptations that allow an individual to cope in adverse conditions. In addition, changes could be physical in the form of shape of the teeth or hair color and even the behavior of an individual so as to escape danger (San Diego University of Man, 2001). In conclusion, the relation between an individual and DNA cannot be refuted as it is the DNA that accounts for the unique characteristics they possess. The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Washington Post. (January 29, 2008). Exercise linked to â€Å"Younger† DNA. The Seattle Times. Retrieved on 2nd July from

Bank management report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Bank management report - Essay Example This requires a combined effort on the part of the organization as well as the individual employee to ensure a fit with the job responsibilities and work profile with the career goals of an individual. The present study would highlight the aspect of occupational analysis to ensure job fit and organizational excellence. Analysis of Occupation Business organizations need to include aspects of labour demand and supply in addition to determining price and output if they want to maintain sustainability of their businesses in the prevailing competitive business environment. The labour demand curve which highlights the marginal productivity of labour as a constant function of the labour quantity is largely determined by the price of output and changes in technology. The supply of labour is largely based on the premise that humans largely tend to make a trade off between leisure and work. They largely assume that work is not enjoyable and work is not enjoyable. However they also realise that leisure normally requires a cost for the individuals. It is widely assumed that an hour of leisure requires a person to sacrifice an hour of wage (University at Albany, 2008, p.1). Figure 1: Labour Demand and Supply Curve (Source: Cuthbertson & Gripaio, 1993, p.7) The figure above shows a typical labour demand and supply curve in a perfect economic scenario. However the equilibrium between demand and supply can be shifted due to change in the individual’s perception towards work. For example previously women were largely discouraged from working which reduced the total supply of labour however with changing times women have become an integral part of the labour force causing the number of workers to increase thereby causing a shift in the supply curve. Alternative work opportunity including immigration also play a role in the shifting of the equilibrium between labour demand and supply as attractive markets outside home would cause a shift in the supply curve to the left (Un iversity at Albany, 2008, p.1-2). Human Capital Human capital or the labour force is largely affected by the aspect of wages. The marginal theory of productivity states that under purely competitive market conditions the wage rate is largely constant and hence a firm has the opportunity to decide on the total number of workers to be hired thus determining the market demand for labour on their own. The element of additional or marginal worker largely helps in determining marginal productivity (Chakravarty, 2009, p.600). Employees also have a propensity to go in for higher studies or look for alternative work options. In both these cases the labour supply reduces and the equilibrium wage price gets increased owning to greater propensity and increased marginal wages of the employees in lieu of their higher education or attractive wages in other organizations. Higher education options among the workers would largely tend to shift the labour demand curve to the rightward direction ensuri ng a shift in the equilibrium point between labour demand and supply (Hubbard & O’Brien, 2008, p.504). Labour Migration In a market characterised by elements of perfect market competition labour

A Look At Counselling Psychology Essay

A Look At Counselling Psychology Essay Introduction This essay will comprehensively provide definition of counseling and discuss what the counselor can do with regards to the counseling setting to make the client feel safe. It will also discuss the characteristics of an effective counselor and discuss the importance of unconditional positive regard, empathy and congruence in the counseling process, and attribute to Carl Rogers Person-Centred Approach. It will also discuss importance of self-care for the counselor. Reference will be included. Counselling is a relationship between a trained counselor and a client. They interact with one another to produce change in the clients cognition, feelings and behaviour. Counselling is a  process that enables a person to figure out and gain insight in issues and reach decisions affecting their life. Often counselling is practiced out in challenging times in a persons life, it need not be so, however, as counselling can also be helpful and necessary in ones life at any time. Talking with a person (client) is the essential factor in counselling in a way that the client acknowledges the problem and strive to solve it or help create conditions that will adhere understanding to the client and/or improve his/her behaviour, character, values or life circumstances. Counselling is often performed face-to-face in confidential sessions between the counsellor and client(s). However, counselling can also be practiced by telephone, internet, by email or video conferencing and in writing, but most preferably by face-to face in an appropriate venue confortable to the client. For a client to feel safe, the counselor should create a setting- physical and emotional space for the client to develop a strong therapeutic alliance. Creating a warm and safe environment is essential for a client to break the tension and build trust and boundary issues such as such as contracting and terminating sessions on time. According to Jan Sutton (2009), the counselor should strive to keep the room neutral, in other words free from personal belongings such as books, ornaments and family photographs, to reduce the quality gap. And barriers such as a desk should be avoided, and chairs should be uniformed and placed approximately three to four feet apart and slightly at an angle. Sutton advises that a box of tissues must be strategically placed where the client can easily reach them, and a vase of fresh flowers or a potted plant can add some kind of warmth and colour to the setting. The setting should be private and the same every session. The confidentiality of the client must be assured at all times. It is also suggested that addressing the client with their first name builds comfort ability and acceptance, but first ask how the client wants to be addressed. Also the counselor referring themselves by their first name breaks the barrier of inequality. An effective counselor should clearly define his expectations to achieve with his client and discuss realistic time frames for reaching his goals and agree on how he will measure his clients progress. He will establish a good relationship with his client and allow the client to be completely honest about his thoughts and feelings. He will create chemistry that the client feels comfortable, and help cope with the trying circumstances. An effective counselor can identify negative thinking pattern that may be feeding feelings sadness, depression or anxiety. By encouraging you to build upon personal strengths and suggesting skills that can overcome self-afflicted feelings of hopelessness, a counselor can help develop a more positive attitude (Poston,L. 2006). A good counselor can assist the client in making effective changes and help establish acknowledgement or bring insight of the clients behavior and can teach the client effective ways of communicating with the people who may be causing the distress. The counselor should be able to empower and create personal growth in the clients life. The personal qualities found in effective counselors include self-awareness and understanding, good psychological health in terms of being qualified to perform and being cognitively constructed and ready. It also involves the counselor being sensitive and considerate of racial, ethnic and cultural factors in self and others. And possessing the ability to be open-minded having a broad perception and being objective. This also should acquire Person Centred counseling. Carl Rogers is known as the father of counseling. He believed that people are relatively good and born independent. He helped change Patient to Client. He invented the humanistic approach named Person-centred Approach- which is basically focusing on the client being in control of the therapy, which encourages the client to develop sense of autonomy, self-exploration and improves self-concept and their perception. There are three main core condition considered to be essential in an effective counseling are; Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR), Empathy and Congruence. These core conditions are needed to facilitate change. Congruence is the first element; it is called genuineness and realness. It is considered that the counselor becomes himself during the session and not put up the professional facade. This will suggest that the counselor shows feeling according to the manner of the session. And make the client feel comfortable to make alterations and grow in the constructive manner. Unconditional Positive Regard is important in creating a climate for change by the counselor to possess an attitude of acceptance, caring or prizing. The counselor should enforce positivity towards whatever the state of the client is so change can occur. Prizing the client as a total rather than a conditional manner is necessary. Empathy is the third facilitative aspect of the relationship between the client and the counselor. This is where the counselor picks up the feelings of the client and reflects back to the client. It is based on understanding the clients feelings and personal meaning of what the client is experiencing. The counselor also reflects the private side of the client by observing below the level of the clients awareness and bringing it insight to be acknowledged and understood. Empathy is shown through way of being non-judgmental and understanding from the clients perspective. Counselors use an approach of being empathetic, such skills involve; active and empathetic listening, reflection of the clients feelings and content, and include appropriate self-disclosure of the counselor. Roger also emphasize other skills such as; active listening, encourage body language, open ended and closed questions- questions that allow the client to express feeling and openness- good tone, paraphrasing so the client can see that you are listening and also acknowledge him about what he said out of the unconscious mind and summarizing so that he knows in words what he is really feeling and feel accepted. Core conditions can improve relationship between client and counselor. If one feels safe and comfortable, he will open up and completely express himself, which will empower change and growth. The way the counselor represent himself also has an effect on the clients perception and where his cognitive approach is constructed. It is important for a counselor to always look representable. Self-awareness and self-care include the counselor reflecting on their personal issues first and their own development before attending the client. For the counselors self-care, it is advised that they take note of the important aspects of self-care; firstly, Physical self-care which consist of eating breakfast, lunch and dinner, eat healthy and exercise, get enough sleep, do activities that are fun, take time to be sexually active, and take vacations and time away from the telephone. Secondly, Psychological self-care; have your own counselor, reflect on yourself, engage yourself in new areas, socialize, talking to colleagues and decrease stress in your life. Thirdly, Emotional self-care means spending time with loved ones and those you value the most, and find ways to increase self-confidence and esteem, cry when you feel like it and value and praise yourself. Lastly, Spiritual self-care includes spending time with nature, meditate, pray, sing, journaling and be open for inspiration. It is also considerable to seek social support of peers as an asset to maintain self-care. Being active with a supportive relationship is valuable and helpful. Conclusion This essay comprehensively provided definition of counseling and discussed what the counselor can do with regards to the counseling setting to make the client feel safe. It also discussed the characteristics of an effective counselor and discussed and elaborated further on the importance of unconditional positive regard, empathy and congruence in the counseling process, and considered Carl Rogers Person-Centred Approach. It also discussed importance of self-care for the counselor. Reference is included. Bibliography ACAs Taskforce. (2010) Counselor Wellness and impairment. American counseling association. Retrieved 11,2012 from http://www.counselling.org/wellness_taskforce/tf_wellness_strategies.htm. Cormier,S, Hackney,H. (2012). Counseling Strategies and Interventions, 8.(221) Online, retrieved 11, 2012 from http://garethmartin.hubpages.com/hub/The-core-conditions-which-Carl-Rogers-considered-essential-for-effective-counselling. Ponton, L. (2006) characteristics of effective counseling. Psych central. Retrieved on April 12,2012, from http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/characteristics-of-effective-counselling/ Table of content Page Introduction 1 Question 1 Definition of Counseling 1 Factor in Counseling 1 Question 2 Safety of the client 1 Comfort of the client 2 Question 3 Effective Counselor- Goals 2 Good Counselor- Establish change 3 Personal Qualities in effective Counselor 3 Question 4 Carl Roger: Person-Centred Approach 3 Congruence 3 Unconditional Positive Regard 3 Empathy 3 Core Conditions 4 Question 5 Self-awareness and Self-care 4 Physical Self-care 4 Psychological, Emotional and Spiritual Self-care 4 Conclusion 4

William Shakespeares Use of Song in the Early Comedies Essay -- Biogr

Shakespeare's Use of Song in the Early Comedies Undertaken to determine what features make a song germane to the story in successful musical theater, this study outlines some characteristics of Shakespeare's use of song. Chosen from the plays with which the present author is most familiar-the early comedies-are three substantial pieces (each headed in the play by either "Song" or "sing," and each with at least two stanzas and refrain): "You Spotted Snakes," "Sigh No More," and "Under the Greenwood Tree." A close reading of the lyrics and surrounding text will establish the contribution of the song to plot, theme, and character, and a study of the form itself will support these aspects and perhaps explain the success of the lyrics in making a song. First in the study of Shakespeare's songs, "You Spotted Snakes" of A Midsummer Night's Dream (II.ii.9-24) demonstrates each of the aspects outlined above. To begin, by answering Queen Titania's command "Sing me now asleep" (II.ii.7), this lullaby serves to advance the plot: during the song the queen not only retires but achieves such slumber as endures undisturbed by King Oberon's ensuing mischief. This function resembles that of "Let Me the Canakin Clink" in Othello II.iii.71-75), explains Seng: "not only to establish an atmosphere . . . but to 'stretch' stage-time and make Cassio's rapid drunkenness plausible" (186). Further, Seng relates, an Elizabethan audience "believed that music had actual therapeutic value": the fairy song is "more than a lullaby, or even a magic lullaby; it is a charm to ward off evils" (31-32). That the song lulls Titania asleep is its obvious function, but that it also saves her from the snakes and spiders should be apparent even to modern audiences... ...r, 10 May 1993: 97-98. Long, John H. Shakespeare's Use of Music: A Study of the Music and its Performance in the Original Production of Seven Comedies. Gainesville: U of Florida P, 1961. HSU ML8O.55.L7 Rollin, Lucy. Cradle and All: A Cultural and Psychoanalytic Reading of Nursery Rhymes. Jackson: UP of Mississippi, 1992. HSU PR.976.R6 Seng, Peter J. The Vocal Songs in the Plays of Shakespeare: A Critical History. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1967. HSU ML80.55.535 Shakespeare, William. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Ed. W. G. Clark and W. Aldis Wright. 2 vols. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, n.d. Sternfeld, F. W. Music in Shakespearean Tragedy. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1963. HSU ML8O.55.58 Walter, J. H. Introduction to King Henry V. Ed. Walter. The Arden Ed. of the Works of William Shakespeare. London: Methuen, 1954. HSU PR.2812.A2.W3.

How Does the Practical Life Exercises Help Children in Their Daily Living? by Maria Montessori

Reason for Practical Life ExercisesChildren are naturally interested in activities they have witnessed. Therefore, Dr. Montessori began using what she called â€Å"Practical Life Exercises† to allow the child to do activities of daily life and therefore adapt and orientate himself in his society.It is therefore the Directress’s task to demonstrate the correct way of doing these Exercises in a way that allows the child to fully observe the movements. Montessori says, â€Å"If talking don’t move, if moving don’t talk†.The directress must also keep in mind that the goal is to show the actions so that the child can go off and repeat the activity in his own successful way. Montessori says, â€Å"Our task is to show how the action is done and at the same time destroy the possibility of imitation†. The child must develop his own way of doing these activities so that the movements become real and not synthetic.During the child’s sensitive peri od between birth and 6, the child is constructing the inner building blocks of his person. It is therefore important for the child to participate in activities to prepare him for his environment, that allow him to grow independently and use his motor skills, as well as allow the child to analyze difficulties he may have in the exercise and problem solve successfully.Montessori also saw the child’s need for order, repetition, and succession in movements. Practical Life Exercises also helps to aid the child to develop his coordination in movement, his balance and his gracefulness in his  environment as well as his need to develop the power of being silent.Dr. Maria Montessori developed her philosophy of education based upon actual observations of children. She said children prefer work than play, and they can only be in their natural self, when their natural self is satisfied through work. It's also through work they acquire independence, order, the power of concentration and be normalized. Exercises of Practical Life was introduced and was recognized as the very heart of Montessori Education for it provides the opportunity for the child’s development of physical co-ordination, social skills, emotional growth as well as cognitive preparation.Having a rich and stimulating prepared environment equipped with purposeful materials and trained teachers are important for the child to grow to their full potential. Practical Life Activities are the first activities the child is introduced to within the Montessori environment. These exercises are prepared based on activities children witnesses in their day to day life. That is why children can immediately satisfy their inner needs and desires by mastering these exercises independently. Also Practical Life area allows children to do the things what adults do everyday, for example cleaning, dressing or greeting people. As we know that children construct their knowledge by themselves through their life experi ence.Categories of Practical Life ExercisesPractical Life Exercises are grouped into four categories, development of motor skills, care of environment, care of self and social grace and courtesy. Exercises in each of these categories provide the opportunity to do purposeful work and are designed to teach the child life skills, so that they may become confident to do their daily chores at home. Activities grouped under ‘Development of Motor Skills’, such as carrying, pouring, squeezing, and twisting, sorting, etc. give the opportunity to exercise and co-ordinate body movements of the child.Movement is very important to the child; because it contributes not only for the physical growth also intellectual and spiritual development of the child. â€Å"Through Movement, he acts upon his external environment and thus carries out his own personal mission in the world. Movement is not only an impression of the ego but it is an indispensable factor in the development of consciou sness, since it is  the only real means which places the ego in a clearly defined relationship with external reality.†The secret of ChildhoodThe child learns to ‘Care for the Environment’ from exercises like cutting, cleaning, washing, polishing, sewing and more. They learn that they are a part of the environment and learn to respect and develop a sense of responsibility towards the environment. Also the child will gradually learn how to gain greater control of his gross motor movements so that he would be able perform more complex tasks later on. Some of the activities such as washing of a table can be carried out as a group task, which helps the child to be socialized. The child needs to build himself and learn to take care of himself.The exercises in ‘Care of Self’ category are designed to provide the child skills need for his sole independence. In order to gain independence, the child needs to establish will and discipline in order. Some of the activities in this category are on how to dress himself and stay clean by washing himself; hands, face, feet as well as his belongings; shoes, napkins, etc.. Between the ages of 2 1/2 -6, the child is in a sensitive period for the learning of good manners.The exercises of ‘Grace and Courtesy’ are focused on developing will power, establish a proper posture, greet people, excuse one and interrupt when necessary. Maria Montessori considers the Social Grace and Courtesy activities as the most important exercises in the practical life curriculum. She felt that when children are first brought into a Montessori classroom, emphasis must be placed on social grace exercises.Motive of Practical Life ExercisesPractical Life Curriculum area has four main direct aims; Order, Co-ordination Independence and Concentration, Dr. Maria Montessori observed that children need order at a specific sensitive period in their development. If not provided during this period the opportunity is for egone. A routine is very important as well as a place for everything and everything in its place. This offers the child for orderly self construction. Co-ordination refers to coordinating large and small muscle movements as well as eye-hand co-ordination that reflect the respective development of child’s mental life. â€Å"Man achieves his independence by making efforts. To be able to do a thing without any help from others: this is independence. If it  exists, the child can progress rapidly; if it does not, his progress will be slow† The Absorbent Mind, chapter.XIV, pg 155It is very important that the child is given freedom to do these exercises at a time the child pleases; he should be allowed to try, make mistakes and correct his mistakes by himself without any help. The satisfaction of completing an activity drives the child towards independence. The power of Concentration is one of the most calming activities for a child. This is something which is controlled by the child and it challenges his body and his mind. With concentration the child is able to focus on purposeful work. I’ve witnessed to the concentration that my 3 and half year old niece had for folding her little brothers’ nappies.The pile of nappies was two times bigger than her, I thought, she would be bored and leave, but for my amazement after 45 minutes I could see that she has folded all nappies very neatly and have kept one on top of another and was ready to be placed in the drawers. Within the Montessori classroom deep concentration can be acquired through the ‘Silence Game†. To achieve silence requires effort and the attention of the will, and maximum control of self-consciousness of every movement. Montessori thought of the silence lesson as a means for bringing children to this higher level of spiritual awareness. Practical Life Exercises aid the child in his journey towards normalizationAs a result of learning Practical Life Exercises in the M ontessori environment, the child starts to develop confidence, self-esteem, he grow towards independence, mutual aid and co-operation, profound spontaneous concentration, attachment to reality and most importantly child's joy of learning is supreme. All these help the child to lead towards normalization. The normalized children possess a unique character and personality not recognized in young children Normalization is the most important single result of our whole work. The Absorbent Mind, Chapter XIX, pg. 204.Children needs a carefully prepared environmentIt is important to provide the child an environment to work on activities of their own choice at their own pace experiencing freedom and self discipline while developing towards independence. Even though materials in Practical  Life area are the least standardized, exercises needs to be carefully thought and designed. A prepared environment should consist of purposeful and meaningful materials and properly trained instructors. W hen preparing materials the teacher needs to consider few principles of the Montessori Practical Life materials which satisfy Childs’ development needs.Firstly she needs to make sure that each material we give the child should have a definite purpose, for an example the mat is laid to mark the area of his workstation, handling the spoon develops child’s skill of spooning which leads to independence. Secondly materials should progress from simple to more complex design and usage. As a preliminary exercise for transferring solid objects we could give the child a spoon and later, it could progress to tweezers, chopsticks. Also it should be designed to prepare the child indirectly for future learning’s such as writing, mathematics and scientific concepts.We prepare the child for wiring by teaching them the pincer grip, using thumb, index and middle fingers to hold objects and by left to right and top to bottom concepts, so that these orders naturally incarnates in t he child’s mind. The mathematical concepts such as judgement of capacity and volume, division, calculation and exactness includes in activities of spooning, pouring and sweeping. The activity, transferring water using a sponge gives the child the scientific concept of weight. The child could feel the weight of the sponge defers when the water is absorbed and when the water is released. Dr. Maria Montessori said, â€Å"Each individual should become aware of his own errors. Each should have a means of checking, so that he can tell if he is right or not.† Absorbent Mind, Chapter XXIV, pg 247.So she included the path to perfection, which she called â€Å"the Control of Error† within the materials itself so the child would be able to observe the activity he completes and understand his own mistakes. If a child has finished working on the dressing frame with large buttons, and he can see that buttons has gone through wrong buttonholes or buttoning halfway or seeing on ly half of the button come up the flap, these would be his control of errors. He has the opportunity to guide himself to correct his own mistakes. Furthermore when preparing the activity in the Montessori classroom the directress need to make sure that all materials are kept together in a basket or a tray and grouped accordingly to the level of  development.The activity should have its unique location and be reachable to the child so that the child could use the materials of their own choice and return the exercise, leading to independence and self-discipline. Also it is important to be providing attractive and clean child friendly and child size materials. Each activity should be limited in quantity. In a Montessori classroom the directress plays a major role. She needs to be properly trained, be a good role model and she should be able to develop and maintain a happy and rewarding teacher-child relationship. †The first essential is that the teacher should go thru an inner, spiritual preparation – cultivate certain aptitudes in the moral order.† Her Life and Work, Chapter XVIII, pg 298.The teacher's prime objectives are to: maintain order in the prepared environment, facilitate the development of the child, encourage independence and self-sufficiency. In conclusion it is apparent that Practical Life Exercises refines movement, providing a foundation in early learning, attitudes and dispositions. Practical life exercises also provide children a sense of accomplishment as they engage in real, meaningful work with tangible results. The familiar home-like environment of the practical life corner allows children to gain independence, order, concentration and confidence as they carry out thoughtfully prepared activities. This leads to normalization.

Key Historical Figures of World War I