II. CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

CARE OF SURFACES

 

WRINGING A WET CLOTH

MATERIAL

EXERCISE

The teacher places the cloth in the water. She takes the cloth out of the water, holding it over the sink or bowl, grasping it with two hands together. She closes both hands tightly over the cloth. Grasping the cloth tightly, she rotates her hands in the opposite direction to each other, keeping the sides of the hands touching. Most of the water is wrung out of the cloth during this action. She helps the child to wring the cloth. When the child understands the exercise, (s)he can practice.

 

WASHING A FORMICA SURFACE

MATERIAL

EXERCISE

The child wears a plastic apron and rolls up his sleeves. The teacher collects the materials with the child.
The teacher places the bowl on a chair by the table to be washed. She shows the child how to immerse the sponge in the soapy water and squeeze it out a little. She shows the child how to wash the whole surface of the table with circular arm movements, re-dipping his sponge in the soapy water as necessary until the entire surface has been washed. She demonstrates how to wipe all around the edges of the table. The bowl is emptied at the sink and clean warm water brought to the table. The sponge is used to rinse the table clean of all the suds, getting it as dry as possible. The table is dried with a cloth and the utensils returned to their places. The sponge is rinsed and squeezed dry. The cloth is hung up to dry.

NOTE:

The small child will often wash the table a number of times before putting the materials away. His aim is to learn to do the work. This takes practice. His aim is not to get the work done quickly.
At first, when he has finished, the teacher helps him put things away so that he understands what should be done. She looks with him to see if water has been spilled on the floor or the chair. She asks him to wipe this up, if necessary. She asks him to try not to spill water the next time he washes tables. The teacher shows the child how to dip the sponge in the water, squeeze it as dry as possible and to wipe the soapy water off a small area of table. When the child has understood, he continues alone. She does not praise the child but sometimes it is good to make a positive comment like, "It is nice to have a clean table."

NOTE:

A child is not asked to wash his own table. He may wash any table that is free. If someone else has already washed it, it does not matter. Do not point this out to him.

 

WASHING PAINTED SURFACES

If a painted table or shelf is to be washed, the exercise is the same as for formica surfaces.
If a painted wall or cupboard door is to be washed, it is essential to wash and dry the paint at the bottom of the wall or door first. Always wash and dry from the bottom up or streaks may result if the wall or door is dirty.

 

WASHING AN UNPAINTED, UNVARNISHED WOODEN TABLE OR SHELF

MATERIAL

EXERCISE

Take the bowl 1/3 full of warm soapy water to the table to be washed. Have the child dampen the table all over with the sponge. The teacher shows the child how to hold the little brush over the bowl of water, bristle side up. She wets the soap and rubs it on the brush using strokes from one end to the other towards the water so that any splashes go into the water. The teacher shows the child how to scrub hard, using small circular movements, moving around the table and being careful to scrub right up to the edges.
The child tries the exercise. When (s)he understands, the teacher can leave. When the child has finished scrubbing the table, the teacher shows him/her how to throw away the dirty water, rinse and squeeze the sponge and get clean water in the bowl. She shows him how to wipe the soapy water off the table with the sponge, to dry the table with the cloth, and to return everything to its place.

NOTE:

The child can wash any table he likes, provided no one is using it. He is never asked just to wash his own.
 
If many tables need washing, for example, after a painting session, the teacher asks for help and does some of the work herself. She might say, "Who would like to help wash the tables?" She usually gets plenty of help. If a child does not want to, he can sit quietly and look at a book.

 

WASHING A VINYL FLOOR

MATERIAL

The teacher and child collect:

EXERCISE

The child has learned to wring out a wet cloth. This exercise is done when a vinyl floor is particularly dirty and must be scrubbed.
 
The teacher shows the child how to start in one corner and work systematically over the floor. A patch of floor is wet slightly with one of the cloths. The teacher dips the bristles of the brush in the water and soaps them by rubbing the bar of soap from one end of the brush to the other. She holds the brush over the water and rubs the soap downwards towards the water. In this way, all splashes go into the water and not over the worker.
 
The teacher shows the child how to scrub the wet patch really hard, with a circular motion, until all dirt has been scrubbed off. The teacher then shows the child how to take the wet cloth, squeeze it and wipe up the soap and dirt, rinse the cloth, wring it dry as possible and wipe the floor again until all the dirty water has been wiped off.
 
The teacher then shows the child how to dry the floor well with the dry cloth. The next bit of floor is then cleaned in this way. The teacher shows the child how to scrub the adjoining patch of floor. When the child understands the exercise, (s)he continues as long as (s)he likes.

 

MOPPING A VINYL OR TILE FLOOR

MATERIAL

A small sponge mop. If a child-size mop is not obtainable, the smallest adult size with the handle cut shorter can be used. Sometimes squeeze sponge mops used for windows have long enough handles for younger children and make excellent floor mops.

EXERCISE

The teacher takes the bowl and fills it about 1/3 full of warm water. The child is shown how to measure the correct amount of detergent for the water. This is stirred until dissolved, if in a powder form. The child is shown how to dip the mop in the water until wet and to clean the floor, mopping in one corner and working in lines parallel to the wall from one end of the room to another and back again. After each mopping, the child dips the sponge, squeezes it dry and dries the patch that has been washed before washing the next patch. As each part is cleaned the child is shown how to go on to the next area to be cleaned. The child continues mopping until part of the floor is finished or as much as (s)he wants to clean is finished.

 

SWEEPING WITH A LONG BROOM

MATERIAL

EXERCISE

The teacher holds the broom with the bristles on the floor on her right side. She sweeps, moving the broom forward across the body, sweeping dust to the left in a circular motion, keeping the broom well in front of her feet so that her shoes do not get dusty. The stroke is a curved one. The teacher moves forward and repeats the stroke slightly overlapping the area of floor already swept. She moves steadily forward, sweeping her way in a line along one edge of the room. The room is swept either backwards or forwards in lines and swept in one direction or by moving around and around the room, sweeping towards the middle.
 
At first, a chalk circle could be drawn on the floor and the child could work systematically until the dirt is all in the circle. (S)he then gathers it up with a small dust pan and brush. Instead of sweeping an entire room, (s)he can sweep just one area this way.

 

CARE OF CARPETED AREAS

MATERIAL

EXERCISE

The child is shown how to start at one edge and push the sweeper in a straight line along the edge of the carpet. (S)he is shown how to cover the whole carpet by working row by row in a regular fashion so that no area of the carpet is missed.

 

CARE OF THE CARPET SWEEPER

MATERIAL

EXERCISE

The child helps spread newspaper on a patch of vinyl or tile flooring.
 
The child is shown how to open the back of the sweeper and empty the dust carefully on the newspaper. (S)he is shown how to close the back of the sweeper and to put the sweeper away.
 
(S)he is shown how to gather the edges of the newspaper together and roll it up with dust in the middle and put it in the trash.
 

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