Montessori Foundational Studies

This course blends intensive seminars and discussions about how the Montessori classroom works, with deep-dives into specific Montessori lessons and how they integrate with the whole curriculum. Discover how each facet of the child is developed through careful preparation of the learning environment and of the teacher. You'll engage in live online classes, participate in guided materials practice, perform pre- and post-class assignments, build a foundational set of lessons in our album study and practice your observation skills. For the self-study time, you should put aside about 5 hours weekly to complete the assignments.

This course is the first component of the Nido & Toddler and Children's House Diploma Courses. It can be taken as a standalone course.

If you take the course and decide you'd like to apply for the certification training, you can complete an internal application to enroll. You will need to apply within two months of the Foundational Studies assignments deadline date and provide a resume and reference along with the responses to the application. The $995 cost will be deducted from your diploma tuition.

• Montessorians who would like a refresher

• Administrators who want a solid foundation of the age range and the specific needs

• Assistant Guides who would like to deepen their knowledge without the commitment of a lead guide certification

Language

This course is academically rigorous and requires a mastery of listening, speaking, reading, and writing at a high level in English.

All of our courses and discussions are in English, but we do have supplemental support for Spanish-speakers who can keep up in English but express themselves in Spanish writing with more fluency. If you have questions regarding the level of English comprehension needed, please book a call with us: https://calendly.com/d/xms6-fcns/diploma-course-q-a

Formats

You will have training components in all these formats:

• Live

• Online

• In-Person

• Self-Paced

Since we largely based online, access to reliable high-speed internet and video/webcam to be on-camera in class is needed. FIn general, you will need to the technological know-how of how to learn and operate the following types of software:

• web browser navigation (i.e., Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge)

• video call (i.e., Zoom, Microsoft Teams, webcam)

• word processing and reading software (i.e., Google Docs, Microsoft word)

• media software (i.e., taking photos and videos, webcam, playing videos)

We will onboard you to our learning management system which houses all your resources and assignments. We will provide instructions and support yet you will need to learn how to proficiently navigate the system in order to complete your training.

Schedule

* You could use this Time Zone Converter if you need to convert the schedule.

Please be sure to review your cohort's Foundational Studies schedule prior to registration to ensure that it fits your time.

This course is designed to ground the student in Montessori philosophy and teaching methodology. It involves an overview of Maria Montessori's discoveries concerning childhood development, the classroom materials she created, and the ways in which modern educators give lessons using those specialized materials.

The 3 main components are:

• Community Workshops (4 weeks with the same cohort and ongoing open workshops)

• Seminars + Pre / Post Seminar Assignments + Assessment for seminars

• Album Study Assignments, Control of Errors, and Assessments

• 20 hours of classroom observation

Begin your studies with 4 weeks of community workshops dedicated to your cohort to orient yourself to your prepared learning environment. Build the relationship with your instructor and your fellow community of learners and create the support system that you will need to cheer you on through this journey. After the first 4 weeks of working together, you will attend weekly ongoing open community workshop with other learners in the program to continue making progress in your Album study until the start of your online Seminars. The deadline to complete all the assignments for Foundational Studies is typically two weeks upon the completion of the seminars.

It can be taken anywhere you have an internet connection but is enhanced if you have access to Montessori materials for the Guided Materials Practice and Album Study. We recommend contacting your local Montessori school to see if you can practice with materials when students aren't present (i.e., weekends). Don't have access? We can help! We have DIY ideas for you to setup and can recommend which materials to purchase.

You will have access to a learning platform to view your assignments, mark your attendance and access resources. Your access to this learning platform will expire 9 months from the start date of your cohort.

Courses Offered for the Following Age Ranges:

• Nido & Toddler (for working with children from birth to age 3)

• Children’s House (for working with children ages 3 to 6)

We start a course almost monthly. See upcoming schedules below.

The cost is $995. If you decide to continue with the diploma course, we will deduct this cost from the diploma course tuition. You will need to decide within 2 months of the Foundational Studies course completion deadline.

This course provides access to an exclusive set of resources, including an a video library to study the foundational lessons that make up the Montessori curriculum. After completing this course, you can request a certificate of completion for either:

• Seminar hours only

• Seminar hours + Assignment hours

You can also complete a transfer application to earn your Montessori Teacher Diploma.

If you'd like to transfer to the full certification, you will need to apply within 2 months of the end of your Foundational Studies course completion deadline.