Early
Childhood Program (3-6)
Early Childhood
Tuition: $3,800 **
Application Fee (non-refundable): $200
Heartland offers a number of payment options to make the course affordable
to everyone. Ask your administrator for information about school sponsorship
possibilities.
**Early childhood students will be required to attend an infant/toddler
overview class if student has not already attended one. This is at an
additional cost of $60.
Requirements
for Early Childhood Certification
300 hours of academic study -- Six school visits-- Ten reading assignments-- Seven Montessori albums-- Selection of hand-made materials -- Nine-month practicum-- Self-study projects-- Practical exams-- Take home self-assessments
300 hours of academic study -- Six school visits-- Ten reading assignments-- Seven Montessori albums-- Selection of hand-made materials -- Nine-month practicum-- Self-study projects-- Practical exams-- Take home self-assessments
Early
Childhood Course Descriptions
The clock hours
for the academic preparation for the early childhood certification program
should total 300 hours of classroom time to be distributed from the beginning
to the end of the full cycle. This certification program also requires
540 hours of practicum over a period of nine consecutive months.
Practical
Life
This course introduces the student to the Montessori curriculum, focusing on Montessori philosophy and class practice. The practical life course will look at the following philosophies: the absorbent mind, the prepared environment, indirect preparation, and the fundamental lesson. Class practice will include presentations on control of movement, care of person, care of the environment, and food and nutrition.
Sensorial Education
This course focuses on the education of the senses through the use of exploration of the sensorial materials. Emphasis is placed on training and fine-tuning the child's senses in order to enlarge the field of perception and to offer a more refined sensory discrimination as the foundation for cognitive growth. Montessori asserted that, "all learning begins with the senses."
Mathematics
This course focuses on the processes of internalizing numeration, linear counting, and the four operations. Emphasis is placed on the presentation of the decimals system with the golden bead materials. An important aspect of this course is an understanding of how experience with the sensorial materials leads to the eventual internalization of math concepts.
Language
The focus of this course is on Montessori philosophy and rationales for the language curriculum. Students will be introduced to the sequence of activities for receptive and expressive language, visual perceptive experience, and vocabulary enrichment. In preparation for reading and writing, the sandpaper letter, moveable alphabet, and metal insets will be introduced, as well as materials for the function of words.
Physical and Life Science and Social Studies (Cultural Subjects)
This course covers the philosophy and rationale of the science area. It covers botany, zoology, earth elements, and physical science. The focus of the cultural subject courses is in Montessori philosophy of cosmic education and how it relates to the study of the natural and physical sciences as well as social studies and history. An emphasis of the course is the cosmic task and how it relates to cultural diversity and conservation.
Montessori Philosophy
This course is an in-depth study and analysis of the philosophy of education developed by Maria Montessori, as applied to young children between the ages of birth to six years of age.
Art, Music, and Movement
This course focuses on the theory and practice of music, movement, and art in the Montessori environment.
Administration
The focus of this course is to give the student an understanding of state, local, and the American Montessori Society standards and requirements to prepare the student to open and operate a Montessori program.
Classroom Leadership
This course focuses on an in-depth analysis of the prepared environment, physical, social, and academic. Scheduling and curriculum planning as well as a variety of strategies for giving lessons and evaluation progress are presented. Techniques for discipline, communication, and problem solving are emphasized.
Parent Involvement Education
This course prepares the students to work with and educate parents. The focus of this course is the development of skills needed to interpret and communicate Montessori to adults in a clear and supportive way.
Observation The purpose of this course is to familiarize the students with the principles of observation as it relates to children two and a half to six years of age and their families. The aim of this course is to concentrate on observation techniques in conjunction with the developmental parameters of the child from two and a half to six years of age. A variety of concepts and modalities will be discussed. The creation of an observation journal will be highlighted.
Early Childhood Practicum
The function of the practicum phase is to provide for the student a supervised teaching and learning experience and a period of observation, internalization, and further study to bring together the theory and practice of Montessori education.
This course introduces the student to the Montessori curriculum, focusing on Montessori philosophy and class practice. The practical life course will look at the following philosophies: the absorbent mind, the prepared environment, indirect preparation, and the fundamental lesson. Class practice will include presentations on control of movement, care of person, care of the environment, and food and nutrition.
Sensorial Education
This course focuses on the education of the senses through the use of exploration of the sensorial materials. Emphasis is placed on training and fine-tuning the child's senses in order to enlarge the field of perception and to offer a more refined sensory discrimination as the foundation for cognitive growth. Montessori asserted that, "all learning begins with the senses."
Mathematics
This course focuses on the processes of internalizing numeration, linear counting, and the four operations. Emphasis is placed on the presentation of the decimals system with the golden bead materials. An important aspect of this course is an understanding of how experience with the sensorial materials leads to the eventual internalization of math concepts.
Language
The focus of this course is on Montessori philosophy and rationales for the language curriculum. Students will be introduced to the sequence of activities for receptive and expressive language, visual perceptive experience, and vocabulary enrichment. In preparation for reading and writing, the sandpaper letter, moveable alphabet, and metal insets will be introduced, as well as materials for the function of words.
Physical and Life Science and Social Studies (Cultural Subjects)
This course covers the philosophy and rationale of the science area. It covers botany, zoology, earth elements, and physical science. The focus of the cultural subject courses is in Montessori philosophy of cosmic education and how it relates to the study of the natural and physical sciences as well as social studies and history. An emphasis of the course is the cosmic task and how it relates to cultural diversity and conservation.
Montessori Philosophy
This course is an in-depth study and analysis of the philosophy of education developed by Maria Montessori, as applied to young children between the ages of birth to six years of age.
Art, Music, and Movement
This course focuses on the theory and practice of music, movement, and art in the Montessori environment.
Administration
The focus of this course is to give the student an understanding of state, local, and the American Montessori Society standards and requirements to prepare the student to open and operate a Montessori program.
Classroom Leadership
This course focuses on an in-depth analysis of the prepared environment, physical, social, and academic. Scheduling and curriculum planning as well as a variety of strategies for giving lessons and evaluation progress are presented. Techniques for discipline, communication, and problem solving are emphasized.
Parent Involvement Education
This course prepares the students to work with and educate parents. The focus of this course is the development of skills needed to interpret and communicate Montessori to adults in a clear and supportive way.
Observation The purpose of this course is to familiarize the students with the principles of observation as it relates to children two and a half to six years of age and their families. The aim of this course is to concentrate on observation techniques in conjunction with the developmental parameters of the child from two and a half to six years of age. A variety of concepts and modalities will be discussed. The creation of an observation journal will be highlighted.
Early Childhood Practicum
The function of the practicum phase is to provide for the student a supervised teaching and learning experience and a period of observation, internalization, and further study to bring together the theory and practice of Montessori education.
All
information is copyright 2006-2007 Montessori Heartland Teacher Education
Center. Prices and Dates are subject to change.