Early Childhood Teacher Certification

150 Hours – $2,150 + Shipping

MS of E’s Montessori Early Childhood Teacher Certification Program prepares you to be a knowledgeable and compassionate Montessori teacher. Working with our excellent curriculum materials and resources will give you a solid foundation of Montessori philosophy and methodology as they apply to children aged three to six. This MS of E course prepares you to confidently guide and improve the lives of children in Montessori early childhood settings.

Upon enrollment, you will receive access to Canvas’s online resources and assignments, a complete set of instructional manuals from Montessori Research and Development, and a copy of “The Fully-Alive Child” by Jamie Watts. This program takes 150 hours, including three 50-hour modules – theory, observations, and materials. It may be completed in as many as twelve months. There are two payment options: one payment of $2,150 + shipping or 3 payments of $716.67 + shipping. 

Theory

Assignment 1 - The Montessori Movement

This assignment will teach you about the history of the Montessori movement from its inception to the present, the five main components of Montessori education, and an outline of the Montessori Teacher’s role within the classroom.

Assignment 2 - Child Development

You will understand the “big picture” concepts that govern Montessori education. These include human tendencies, developmental planes, the desire for independence, the development of will and obedience, “normalization,” and social development.

Assignment 3 - Classroom Management

In this assignment, you will learn about the differences between traditional discipline practices and the Montessori approach to self-discipline, the components of a Montessori-prepared environment, the role of the teacher as a dynamic link between the child and the environment, and other classroom management topics.

Assignment 4 - Communication

This assignment emphasizes effective and compassionate communication with families, students, and staff. This covers material on emails, conferences, progress reports, assisting children in expressing themselves in prosocial ways, paralanguage, and nonverbal communication.

Assignment 5 - Practical Career Skills

You will conclude your studies by learning the practical skills necessary to succeed in the ECE industry. These skills include handling nap time, helping students cope with separation anxiety, adapting to meet the needs of students with learning differences, record-keeping systems, diversity, and toilet learning.

Observation

In this session, you will watch videos of classroom work cycles and collect data based on four modalities: normalization, the adult, the child, and self-reflection. You will learn how to interpret data effectively to make educated judgments regarding your teaching practice. This entails filling out numerous charts, graphs, tables, and written observations. When we learn to observe children correctly, they become our most valuable resource.

Didactic Materials

This module will teach you the hows and whys of Montessori lesson materials and presentations, allowing you to confidently offer any lesson in an effective “Montessori” style. You will review the manuals, learn how to analyze Lesson Presentations, and build your own. Montessori products do not come with instructions, so these skills are essential for today’s Montessori teacher.