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AMI Montessori Diploma Primary 6-12

An in-depth study of Montessori pedagogy and the development of children from six to twelve years, as well as the interdisciplinary Montessori approach known as Cosmic Education.

Cosmic Education is a way of seeing the whole universe and everything in it. This approach recognises all aspects of the universe as interrelated and is the method we use for conveying this vision to children. Our hope for the child is that, as a result, they will not only be well educated, but see themselves as a living aspect of creation, prepared to take their place in society.

Qualification Authorising Body

Association Montessori Internationale

Course Information

Qualification Delivery
At least 440 hours of classroom based training including lectures and a minimum of 140 hours of practice with Montessori materials under supervision. 210 hours of observation and vocational placement in Montessori settings.
 
Qualification Prerequisites
Normal Admission: Degree holders
Special Admission: Consideration of other qualifications and experience
Admission by interview for all applicants
AMI 3-6 Diploma OR attendance on the AMI Foundation Course*
* 5-week full-time preparatory course run prior to the start of the 6-12 course
 
Qualification Requirements
To enrol, all applicants are required to:
be over 18 years of age
complete the course Application Form, referring to the Terms and Conditions therein
pay the Application Fee
comply with any course prerequisites
   
In addition, AMI Montessori Diploma course applicants are required to provide the following documentation with their application:
Current resume
Certified copies of all tertiary qualifications
Short autobiographical essay to describe your past experiences and future direction, particularly relating to working with children. It must be written by the applicant in their own words, be typed, and of 2 pages in length. The essay should address the following questions:
- Why do you wish to follow Montessori training?
- How did you first learn about the course?
Three signed reference letters, two professional in nature and one character reference
 
Qualification Award
The AMI Diploma is awarded upon satisfactory completion of the components of the course requirements and the attendance requirement listed on the AMI Requirements for Certification document that is signed by the Director of Training and the student upon acceptance into the course. In order to be eligible to sit for the written and oral examinations a minimum attendance of 90% is required in the following: theory lectures, demonstrations of materials in each area, discussions/reviews, and required reading seminars. In order to receive the diploma the following requirements must be met: successful written and oral examinations, submission of acceptable albums in all areas, materials as required, observation and observation reports, practice teaching as scheduled.

Students deferred for any part of the examinations must retake that part the subsequent year and may resit only once. Students deferred for any part of the other requirements must fulfil that part the subsequent year. Should the training centre not hold a course and therefore examination in the subsequent year, the Director of Training will advise an alternate AMI training centre where the student may sit the examinations. All the expenses involved are for the account of the student. Students who fail Paper A and Paper B of the written examination and the oral examinations have failed the course.
 
Qualification Units
Completion of the specified course units is required for award of this qualification.
 
Required Reading
By Dr Maria Montessori:
To Educate the Human Potential
From Childhood to Adolescence
The Advanced Montessori Method, Vols 1 & II
Education and Peace
The Absorbent Mind

Books can be ordered from http://montessoribooks.com.au.
 
 

Testimonials

“Every child is like an incarnation of an extraordinary, talented angel under a mortal mask. At the age of the Reasoning Mind, Cosmic Education becomes the best way for children to know their own world and find their own interests. Cosmic Education inherits the position of the previous sensory education. And the link established through this method of education represents a connection at the spiritual level.” Wenyu, China

Course Units

Montessori Child Psychology
Unit Code: AMID301
Unit Contact Hours: 25 hours

The child’s physical development, the radical changes that take place as opposed to the earlier age group; the psychological development of the child (tendencies/sensitive periods) compared to the earlier child; the continued development and growth of the child as a builder of the human personality through the use of the human tendencies and psychological characteristics particular to this age group.

Theory of Montessori Education
Unit Code: AMID302
Unit Contact Hours: 30 hours

Reviewing the Human Tendencies and Four Planes of Development—the use of imagination and the special characteristics of the child for exploration with the reasoning mind; the meaning of Cosmic Education and what it offers to the child; freedom and responsibility; “going out”, its importance and practicalities.

Language
Unit Code: AMID303
Unit Contact Hours: 140 hours

Review of the development of language in the child; the importance of language in the development of intelligence, vocabulary development; further extensions in reading; language exercises suited to the ‘sensitivities’ of the child of this age group, leading to reading with understanding or total reading. The following items are covered: the story of language, the history of writing, word study, grammar boxes and related classification, from short stories to composition, structure of paragraphs and composition, appreciation and development of style, logical/sentence analysis, analysis of sentences (simple/compound/complex), history of literature.

Mathematics, Arithmetic and Algebra
Unit Code: AMID304
Unit Contact Hours: 160 hours

The development of the Mathematical Mind, indirect preparation leading to abstraction in mathematics; the purpose and use of the mathematical material. The following items are covered: The story of numbers, continuation of hierarchy of number—long multiplication/division; laws of operations; multiples, factors, divisibility; group division; fractions—both vulgar and decimal and their related operations; squares/cubes of numbers; powers of numbers; bases (other than 10); from squaring to square root; from cubing to cube root; signed numbers; measurements; algebra; word problems.

Geometry
Unit Code: AMID305
Unit Contact Hours: 115 hours

Equal, similar, equivalent—concepts; exploration with constructive triangles; study of polygons and circle/angles/lines—in all their details; equivalence of plane figures; area and related formulae; volume, from equivalency to calculation of volume and formulae.

Geography (Including Physics and Chemistry)
Unit Code: AMID306
Unit Contact Hours: 45 hours

Geography, biology, history and music are given as a framework of human needs in the natural and cultural environment and therefore for the child’s exploration through stories, experiments, charts and activities. Creation of the earth. Composition of the earth. The movements of the earth and their consequences. The work of air/water. People living in the different zones. Interdependence of humans in society and economic geography.

Biology
Unit Code: AMID307
Unit Contact Hours: 55 hours

Geography, biology, history and music are given as a framework of human needs in the natural and cultural environment and therefore for the child’s exploration. Areas covered in biology include the prepared environment in botany; and realisation of the needs of the plants. The story of plants—function of leaves, roots, stems, flowers, fruits and seeds and their varieties. In zoology: story material on animals, examination of body functions, classification of plants and animals, notes on ecology.

History
Unit Code: AMID308
Unit Contact Hours: 60 hours

Geography, biology, history and music are given as a framework of human needs in the natural and cultural environment and therefore for the child’s exploration. Areas covered in history range from geology to the coming of life and include the first and second time lines of early human beings; the growth of culture. History charts - fundamental needs, research (question) charts and migration charts. Representation of time.

Music
Unit Code: AMID309
Unit Contact Hours: 10 hours

Geography, biology, history and music are given as a framework of human needs in the natural and cultural environment and therefore for the child’s exploration. Areas covered in music include listening, movements, singing, instruments, notation, advance work in rhythm, and the tone bars.

Supervised Practice
Unit Code: AMID310
Unit Contact Hours: 140 hours

Supervised Practice with Montessori didactic material and pertinent activities are conducted under the supervision of the Director of Training and directed by AMI qualified staff. A minimum number of hours of practice is compulsory (140) as stated in the AMI Agreement. Whenever possible more hours of practice are recommended.

Directed Practice
Unit Code: AMID311
Unit Contact Hours: 72 hours

Demonstration of the use of Montessori material set within/against the background of Montessori child psychology; special characteristics of these—as keys to culture as opposed to didactic materials.

Reading and Discussions Sessions
Unit Code: AMID312
Unit Contact Hours: 25 hours

The students are to read books and make use of them for both their written work/essays as well as practice with material and related discussions. The course reading list includes required and recommended titles.

Observations
Unit Code: AMID313
Unit Contact Hours: 90 hours

Students are to observe in classes with an AMI directress. Daily observations for at least 3 hours per day are scheduled over a period of weeks to meet the minimum number of hours stipulated (90). Students are required to write reports on their observations, which are reviewed by and discussed with the Trainer(s). Members of the pedagogical staff visit the students while they are observing in order to provide direct insights into the observational process in the schools.

Teaching Practice
Unit Code: AMID314
Unit Contact Hours: 120 hours

Students are to practice teach in classes under the supervision of experienced AMI directresses and the trainer(s) of the Course: 120 hours of supervised teaching practicum in a Montessori Primary (Elementary) school interacting with children between 6 and 12 years of age. The trainer(s) observe the students while in practice teaching and review the progress of the students with the classroom directress and with the student. A written report is made.

Written Work
Unit Code: AMID315

Each student shall compile an individual manual for each area of the Course. These manuals should include an introduction to each area; a description of each piece of material; the age of the child working with the material; and the aims and purposes of the material. The manuals are the student’s personal record of their course work; the work is supervised with a final assessment at the end of the Course. In order to clarify the basic points connected with Montessori child psychology the students are to write essays on topics supplied by the Course. Each student will prepare 9 manuals/albums: Theory, Maths (2), Language, Geometry, Geography, Biology, History, and Music and Art.

Material Making
Unit Code: AMID316

Under supervision students will also engage in material making. It consists of time-lines and charts for classroom use. All such materials are checked by the Trainer(s).