EARLY  CHILDHOOD  COURSE  DESCRIPTIONS

Child Development/Psychology (30 hours)

The course will present the major theoretical Approaches to child development during the early childhood period. It will provide an introduction to the principles, concepts, and facts of child development.

Montessori Philosophy/Theory and Classroom Management (30 hours)

A Series of lectures, discussions, videotapes, movie and field trips that expose the student to the Montessori method in theory and in current practice.  An in-depth study of Montessori then and now, centering on both theoretical and practical aspects. 

Observation Techniques and Strategies (45 hours)

This course will provide the student with a rationale for classroom observations and record keeping.  A variety of observation techniques and different formats for record keeping will be presented.  The developmental aspects of the children, the components and features of the prepared environment and the role of the teacher will be explored.

 

Practical Life (35 hours)

This course presents to students through the use of lectures, demonstrations, discussions and supervised materials practice sessions the philosophy and rationale for practical life exercises.

 

A child's independence, concentration, coordination and sense of order begins with the body.  A child's body, the muscular movement, the ordering of thought and movement, and a careful and gradual extension out of the body into care of the immediate world around the child is...Practical Life.

 

Sensorial (35 hours)

The sensorial component of this course introduces the student to the rationale for the sensorial basis of Montessori education for 3-6 year olds.  An understanding of the theory, the concepts underlying the materials and their use are emphasized.

 

Mathematics (35 hours)

This course presents to students, through lecture, demonstrations, discussions, and supervised practice sessions, the intellectual development of mathematical thinking and the mathematical processes and competencies. 

 

Language/Reading (35 hours)

This course presents to students, through the use of lectures, demonstrations, discussions, supervised materials practice sessions and guest lectures in specific areas, the mechanical and intellectual development of Language as it is understood from the writings of Maria Montessori and as a whole Language curriculum.

 

The preliminary lectures deal with the philosophy and rationale of why teach young children to read and write.  The developmental stages for reading readiness and the presentation of such materials going from the most basic conversational to the most abstract operations involved:  namely, the interpretation of the meaning and the pronunciation aloud of the word to the grammatical function of words.

 

The following courses total 55 hours:

 

Art, Music, Creative Movement

Art: The objective of this course is to provide the student with a feasible, workable structure for the implementation of a developmentally appropriate art curriculum for 3 to 6 year olds.  This course will also compliment the Montessori theory in such a way that it will become a contributing piece of the total Montessori experience.  This course provides wonderful techniques for preparing an art environment that will entice and inspire you to nurture artistic creation, exploration, identification, and appreciation.  

Music: The goal of Music is to give Montessori classrooms or music teachers an overview of what is most important and exciting to children in music from ages 3-6.  The specific materials, knowledge and participatory experience are given to the student so that they will be able to go back to their own schools and use what they have learned. 

 

Creative Movement: This course will present to students the rationale for and the mechanics of physical locomotion and creative movement.  Concepts and material will be presented by means of lecture, discussion, demonstrations, and participation in movement experiences.

 

Physical and Life Science: This course teaches how to integrate science throughout the curriculum with hands-on activities as well as through poetry and literature.  Teacher trainees will be able to construct a Science area in their classrooms of interest to students which both promotes questions and discoveries about the world around them.

 

Teacher trainees will become proficient in their ability to utilize a wide variety of resources to support an interdisciplinary approach to Science (poetry, non-fiction and trade books, posters, trips, observation and recording techniques, as well as experimental hands-on materials).  This goal will enable teachers to expand on or to create any new areas of scientific experimentation their children seem interested in. 

Social Studies

This course presents the nature of the Earth and its inhabitants.  Students are impressed with the scope of both geography and history lessons, that can be a natural and exciting part of their own classrooms.  The students will see Geography as sensorial, practical life, and language extensions.

 

Classroom Management

The topics in Classroom Management are presently covered during the following CMTE/NY courses:  Preparation of Environment, Scheduling and Curriculum Planning, Lesson Strategies, Evaluation of Children, Techniques for Discipline, Communication, and Problem Solving

 

Parent Involvement/Education (Parent-Educator-Partnership)

A series of forums will give the students the opportunity to become familiar with the psychological and emotional stages of parenthood--and the broad spectrum of feelings parents have as they interact with their children.  The forums will provide instruction in how teachers can assist the development of a successful parent-child relationship.  The forums will address the importance of dialogue between parent ad teacher, and the function of the Montessori community in facilitating a better understanding of the needs of children.  Stresses that parents experience will be studied in relation to Montessori's ideas of assistance to the life of the child.  Students will reflect on the way they were parented, and how that might affect their interaction with children and parents.

 

Administration

To provide students with an overview of the issues, concerns, and requirements of starting and running a school.

 

Practicum Student-Teaching

The function of the Practicum Phase is to provide for the student a supervised teaching/learning experience and a period of observation, internalization, and further study, to bring together the theory and practice of Montessori education.

 

Practicum Models and Time Periods. The minimum early childhood practicum is defined as lasting a full academic year, with the student working at the practicum site, in the classroom of an approved Supervising Teacher, for three (3) hours a day, five (5) days a week for nine consecutive months (or other equivalent time minimums as approved by AMS).  No part of the practicum may precede the beginning of the academic phase of the course.  The class should contain children in the full 2 1/2 - 6 age span and be equipped with the full complement of Montessori materials.  The student may not be asked to assume total responsibility for a class without the presence of a Supervising Teacher or other qualified staff person.  Special arrangements may be made for qualified self-directed interns.

 

Practicum Seminars

Min. 40 hours for programs in which the academic phase is primarily in the summer.

 

Independent Study.