Early Childhood Certification

Program Duration
Earn an American Montessori Society credential in one or two years. While we strongly encourage two years to complete the certification, the program can be completed in one year with the approval of the Program Director.

Format
Adult learners move through the program as part of a cohort group, beginning each June. Classes are a combination of face to face (75%) and online (25%).

Course Schedule
Face to face meetings: 3 weeks in the first summer, 1 weekend a month throughout the school year, and 1 final week in the second summer (plus practicum work). Online work: July to June.

Face to Face Meetings:
Summer 2024
June 10 – 14 (8am-5pm)
June 17 – 21 (8am-5pm)
July 15 – 19 (8am-5pm)

Weekend Meetings
Saturday meetings are part of the Academic Coursework
Sunday mornings are the Practicum Workshops
September 7 – 8
October 5 – 6
November 2 – 3
January 11 -12
February 8 – 9
March 8 – 9
April 5 – 6
May 3 – 4

Summer 2025
June 9 – 13 (8am-5pm)
Online learning courses begin July of 2024 and continue through June of 2025.

PROGRAM SECTIONS

Section I, The Academic Workshop (Year 1)
The adult learner receives instruction and demonstrations in all curriculum areas as well as classroom management, child development, observation and evaluation techniques. Adult learners also learn how to create a prepared learning environment and have opportunities for supervised practice with the learning materials. This portion of the program consists of a series of written assignments on readings from Montessori texts and related texts. The topics focus on Montessori principles, child development theories, observation of children and environments for learning. Of the 317 hours in this section, 100 of those will be conducted via Canvas, our online course management system. Adult learner evaluation(s) are also included in the Academic Workshop.

Section II, Practicum (Year 2*)
Under guidance of an experienced Montessori educator or in a self-directed practicum, adult learners teach in a Montessori program (working in a classroom for 3 hours a day, five days a week or 540 hours for 9 consecutive months). Assignments for this section include observations, material making, family partnerships, a child study, and a research project. Adult learners are also required to attend Practicum Seminars, totaling 32 hours of face-to-face meetings throughout the school year (and 8 hours of face-to-face assessments).