Memorandum from Montessori Education (UK)
Ltd (EY68)
CRITERIA FOR MONTESSORI TEACHER TRAINING
PLAN
The course provides an academic plan of sequenced
educational activities designed to develop the competencies necessary
for the award of a Montessori diploma. A course must run on a
regular basis over a minimum of one academic year and includes
both an academic preparation and a period of supervised teaching
practice. No part of the student teaching practice may precede
the student's entry to the academic course work, and student teaching
must be preceded by sufficient and appropriate course work to
prepare the student for a successful experience.
DESCRIPTION OF
COURSE COMPONENTS
The course sets out educational aims in a clearly
written syllabus for each component which includes the following:
1. Title of course component.
2. Lecturers and tutors.
3. Clock hours.
4. Objectives and competencies to be achieved.
5. Outline of content and learning experiences.
6. Evaluation requirements and/or performance
assessment.
7. Required readings.
SUPERVISED TEACHING
1. The course documents that teaching practice
sites and personnel meet its stated standards.
2. The course provides the Council with
an annual listing of sites, supervising teachers and any other
assigned personnel.
3. The course provides verification of a
minimum of one objective on-site visit and one other performance
evaluation of student teachers during the course cycle.
CURRENT POLICIES DEFINING MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
FOR EACH COURSE LEVEL
ZERO TO
THREE YEARS
The academic portion of the course must have
a minimum of 200 clock hours.
The practical experience component must have
a minimum of 400 hours of which 200 hours must be officially logged.
The practical experience should include the following: observation,
interaction between students and materials, interaction between
students and children, integration of knowledge with practice,
preparation and care of the environment, development of appropriate
communication skills, demonstration skills, further study and
application of theories and methods.
TWO AND
A HALF
TO SIX
YEARS
The academic portion is composed of lectures,
seminars and tutorials, presentation of materials, group discussion,
and supervised practice with materials, with a minimum of 400
hours of on-site, direct contact between lecturer/tutor and student.
The practical experience is comprised of 200
hours or 10 weeks minimum, which includes student teaching and
observation in schools.
SIX TO
12 YEARS
This course can be divided into two components:
six-nine and nine-12 to satisfy the needs of the students.
The academic portion is comprised of lectures,
seminars and tutorials, presentation of materials, supervised
practice with materials with a minimum of 800 hours of on-site,
direct contact between lecturer/tutor and student.
For the six-12 level, a minimum of 400 contact
hours on-site, 600 hours or 17 weeks full-time of practical experience
to include student teaching and observation in schools.
Taken as a whole the course covers a combined
total of a minimum of 450 hours devoted to Maths, English and
Science.
RELATIONS OF
COMPETENCIES TO
CURRICULUM
Competencies must be the basis for determining
course objectives, writing course descriptions, curriculum planning
and student assessment.
EVALUATION
The course makes adequate provision for the
evaluation and review of each student through the duration of
the course.
The course makes adequate provision for the
final assessment of the student as laid down in the Montessori
Education (UK) Council Examination Standards Handbook.
PROCESS
The process of continuing and final evaluation
and review of the student ensures that:
1. Fair and objective consideration is received
by all students.
2. Diplomas are awarded only after the student
has satisfied the requirements of the course.
3. Final assessment is based on grades obtained
in all course components, and at the final examination as specified
in the course prospectus.
RECORDS
The course maintains records for student admission,
attendance and evaluation, including a complete and permanent
record that documents student progress throughout the course.
The course guarantees confidentiality and access
to records in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act (date
to be added).
COURSE ASSESSMENT
The course utilises a well-defined and ongoing
system for evaluating outcomes, assessing effectiveness of curriculum,
and incorporating the results in its plans for improvement.
MONTESSORI CURRICULUM FOR THE EARLY YEARS
STATEMENT OF
PURPOSE
Montessori Education (UK) recognises that the
aim of education is to aid the natural process of development
within children so that they may develop the potential with which
they were born.
The Montessori Education (UK) curriculum includes
the following:
Foundations For Learning
Aim to promote:
— development of concentration, perseverance
and problem-solving;
— self-esteem and self-worth;
— independence of thought and action;
— development of motor co-ordination;
— sense of responsibility.
Achieved through:
— practical activities centred around:
— care for the environment eg,
sweeping crumbs, dusting leaves, etc;
— care for oneself as an individual eg,
tying bows, doing up buckles, etc;
— care for others in the community eg,
leaning social skills such as "please and thank you",
how to deal with conflict.
The activities to promote these skills are multi-cultural,
multi-ethnic and reflective of the child's home environment to
facilitate the child's adaptation to the school.
The activities are designed to be freely chosen
and self-correcting. They are graded in difficulty and always
available.
These are referred to as Practical Life activities.
Skills For Learning
Aim to enhance the children's ability.
— to observe, understand and explore
their world by developing the senses through which they perceive
it;
— to acquire the skills of classification,
discrimination, evaluation and sequencing.
Achieved through:
— specifically designed Montessori
equipment for sorting, pairing, grading, comparing, contrasting,
matching, using the qualities of size, shape, colour, texture,
weight, temperature, sound, smell and form.
These are referred to as Sensorial activities.
Communication Skills
Aim to develop the four aspects of language.
Achieved through:
— oral—self-expression through
the spoken word:
— story-telling;
— songs;
— poems;
— drama;
— vocabulary building eg using every opportunity
for naming with exact language, using rich vocabulary and varied
patterns of speech;
— contributing ideas eg, news periods;
— expressing logical thought
— aural—listening skills:
— writing—self-expression through
the written word:
— develop correct formation of
letters eg, Montessori sandpaper letters;
— develop correct position of letters;
— develop creative writing eg, Movable
Alphabet;
— own written compositions;
— spelling;
— grammar.
— reading—based on a progression
from phonics to a variety of reading strategies focused around:
— fluency;
— meaning;
— interpretation;
— speed;
— enjoyment.
Montessori schools select from the best materials
available to achieve this aim.
Developing Number Concepts
Aim:
— to give children a concrete understanding
of the concepts of number and mathematics in the environment.
Achieved through:
— manipulative activity using specially
designed Montessori materials eg, Number Rods.
The child progresses from a basic understanding
of number through to the structure and processes of the decimal
system.
These are referred to as Mathematics activities.
Exploration of The Wider World
Children are given the opportunity to explore
all aspects of the natural world to include animals, plants, people,
events and cultures. They do this through all levels of activity—pratical,
sensorial and language.
Children are also given the opportunity to experience
and create in those areas relating to man's culture—art,
craft, drama, music, dance—enabling them to develop their
imaginative responses and their creative self-expression.
Motor Development
All activities recognise that the child must
be the active party and are designed to develop both fine and
gross motor co-ordination.
General Development
The curriculum aims to support all aspects of
the child's personal and social development ensuring an environment
and adult which are encouraging, supportive and challenging.
Montessori Education (UK) Ltd
March 2000
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