Explore the world of Montessori philosophy at your own pace.

Join the course at any time. Most students complete the program in approximately 12 weeks, with some finishing earlier.

Weekly Learning Goals

The course requires an investment of approximately five hours a week to read the materials, watch the videos, and complete the assignments.

Active Involvement and Engagement

Class participation in the discussion forums and any optional live online meetings will help you to truly take advantage of not only the prepared content, but to explore your prospective project, ask questions, and interact with other students.

Course Design & Implementation

Our course creates a dynamic learning environment for self-directed adults. With a diverse range of resources to spark discussions and curiosity, our syllabus offers a comprehensive yet customizable learning experience. Expect a blend of clear explanations and thought-provoking interpretations that promise an engaging journey of discovery. Ideal for Montessori educators, school leaders, parents, and those seeking a fresh perspective on Dr. Montessori's work.

Rationale

Gain a deep understanding of Montessori philosophy and curriculum and discover the essence of Montessori with this course. Perfect for administrators, support staff, and educators looking to delve into Dr. Montessori's teachings. Gain clarity on principles that define Montessori education.

Audience

This course is designed for school heads, administrators, and individuals new to Montessori. Learn to evaluate classrooms, guide faculty, and compile a handbook of best practices for uncompromising excellence.

Tim Seldin

Tim Seldin Tim is the President of the Montessori Foundation and Chair of the International Montessori Council. He is a noted expert in Montessori education, specializing in school leadership. He is a senior school consultant, keynote speaker, workshop leader, and accreditation specialist. His more than forty years of experience in Montessori education includes twenty-two years as Headmaster of the Barrie School in Silver Spring, Maryland, which was his own alma mater from age two through high school graduation. Tim was the co-founder and Director of the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies, the Center for Guided Montessori Studies, and currently also serves as the Head of the New Gate School in Sarasota, Florida. He earned a B.A. in History and Philosophy from Georgetown University, an M.Ed. in Educational Administration and Supervision from The American University, and his Montessori certification from the American Montessori Society.Tim is the author of several books on Montessori Education, including his latest, How to Raise An Amazing Child, The Montessori Waywith Dr. Paul Epstein, Building a World-class Montessori School, Master Teachers – Model Programs with Jonathan Wolff, Finding the Perfect Match – Recruit and Retain Your Ideal Enrollment, Starting a New Montessori School, Celebrations of Life, and The World in the Palm of Her Hand.

Curriculum

14 Chapters · 160 Lessons

  1. 1

    Welcome to the course!

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      How to use this course

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      How the Course is Structured

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      Syllabus: An Overview of Montessori Philosophy and Curriculum

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      Syllabus An Overview of Montessori Principles and Curriculum

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      A brief survey before we begin...

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      Questions and discussion

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      Forum: Introduce yourself and your school.

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      Best Practice Forum

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      Here are some videos that might give you an initial sense of the big picture of Montessori

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      First let's look at Montessori 101 from the Montessori Foundation

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      Montessori 101 and a Guided Tour of the Montessori Classroom (A simplified first look)

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      About The Course Text: The Montessori Way

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      The Montessori Way: Ebook Download

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      What makes a school a Montessori school? Part 1

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      What makes a school a Montessori school? Part 2

  2. 2

    Unit 1: Montessori - An Introduction, Overview, and Some History of the Movement

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      Activity Guide for Unit 1: Introduction and Orientation

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      Best Practice Handbooks

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      The Hand is the Chief Teacher of a Child

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      How to Observe in a Montessori Environment

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      Sample Observation Sheet for Visitors

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      Unit 1 Reading Pages 8-29 The Montessori Way - by Tim Seldin and Dr. Paul Epstein

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      Unacceptable Compromises - How Many Montessori Schools Lost Their Way

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      Planting the Seeds of Learning

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      National Education Report Video

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      The Art of Observation by Dr. Montessori

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      Forum: What do you know and what do you want to find out?

  3. 3

    Unit 1: Some Useful Videos and Other Resources

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      Video: Montessori: Planting the Seeds of Learning (A video produced by the Montessori Foundation) 1996

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      Trevor Eissler "Montessori Madness!"

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      An Introduction to Montessori and the Montessori Foundation

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      What children really get out of a Montessori education

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      Optional Video: Extraordinary Women: Maria Montessori

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      Optional Video: Teachers TV - The Montessori Method (A British educational perspective)

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      Observation Forum

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      What Do You Know and What Do You Want to Find Out?

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      What is Learning?

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      Optional Video: Maria Montessori - Una Vita per i Bambini Part 1 (In Italian - You can set English subtitles)

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      Optional Video: Maria Montessori - Una Vita per i Bambini Part 2 (In Italian - You can set English subtitles)

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      Montessori Essentials - A Statement of Belief from the Montessori Public Policy Initiative

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      Discussion of Fundamental Principles of Montessori

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      Questions and Discussions

  4. 4

    Unit 2: What Is Montessori?

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      Activity Guide for Unit 2: What Is Montessori?

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      What is Montessori?

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      Our Fundamental Beliefs And Values

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      Some Definitions of Montessori

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      Control of Error

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      The Importance of Observation

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      How to Observe a Montessori Program

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      Observing the Normalized Montessori Classroom

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      Spontaneous Selection of Work

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      Role of the Montessori Materials

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      The Montessori Materials: Means for Development

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      What is control of error?

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      Why Montessori Materials Make Such an Extensive Use of Color Coding

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      Essential Elements of Authentic Montessori Programs

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      Assignment 1: Silent and Motionless

  5. 5

    Unit 3: Goals of Education - Where does Montessori fit in?

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      A few quotes to get us started

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      Activity Guide for Unit 3: Aims of Education?

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      Activity Sheet - Introduction to Montessori Education

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      Curriculum Theory and Practice

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      Course Resources

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      Video: Research Based Curriculum

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      Video: Three Streams of Curriculum

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      Video: Guiding Students, not teaching them

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      Video: Normalization

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      Assignment 1: Educational Aims

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      Assignment 2: Parent in a Panic

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      Forum: What are schools for?

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      Forum: Parent in a panic

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      Forum: Obsevation

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      Forum: Educational Aims

  6. 6

    Unit 4: The Child And The School: The Montessori Understanding

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      Quote

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      Activity Guide for Unit 4: The Montessori Understanding of the Child and Society

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      The Planes of Development Overview File

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      Planes of Development Diagram

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      Maria Montessori's developmental theory in context

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      Normalization

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      The sensitive periods - Introduction

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      Videos-What are Sensitive Periods? Part 1

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      The lifelong conflict

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      The Adult in the Montessori Prepared Environment

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      Preparing the environment

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      Age groupings, class size and adult to child ratios

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      Human Tendencies

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      Unit 4 Assignment 1: Observation Staff Roles

  7. 7

    Unit 5: The Casa: Early Childhood Ages 3 To 6

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      Activity Guide for Unit 5: The Montessori 3 - 6 Environment

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      Course Resources

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      Video: What is practical Life?

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      The Exercises of Practical Life

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      Preparation of the Adult in the Montessori Prepared Environment

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      Audio: Tim Seldin Reflections on Staffing an Early Childhood Montessori Class

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      The Advantages of Two Teachers to a Class

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      Assignment: Wandering child

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      Forum: Evaluating the 3-6 environment

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      Forum: Wandering Child

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      Forum: 3-6 Curruculum

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      Forum: How do you know if it is working?

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      Forum: Work Cycle

  8. 8

    Unit 6: The Infant Toddler Community (Birth To Age 3)

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      Activity Guide for Unit 6, Montessori for Infants and Toddlers

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      Course Resources

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      Overview Montessori for Infants and Toddlers

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      Some images of toddler environments

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      Infant and Toddler Environment Videos

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      Assignment - Toddler Taming

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      Forum: Infant Toddler Environment Discussion

  9. 9

    Unit 7: Elementary Montessori Communities: Ages 6 - 12

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      Quote

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      Activity Guide for Unit 7, The Montessori elementary years

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      Course Resources

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      Why Continue In Montessori Elementary?

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      Video: Guiding Students Not Teaching Them

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      Video: Joyful Scholars

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      The Uninterrupted Work Cycle in Elementary

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      Montessori Quotes

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      Assignment Option 1: Curriculum Policy for 6-12

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      Assignment Option 2: Portfolio of Best Practice

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      Forum: Curriculum Policy Questions

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      Forum: Best Practices

  10. 10

    Unit 8: Aspects of Best Practices - Part 1

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      Activity Guide for Unit 8: Aspects of Best Practices

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      Course Resources

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      Essential Elements of Authentic Montessori Programs

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      Video: Freedom Not to Work

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      Video: What is Freedom Within Limits?

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      Video: Spontaneous Selection of Work

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      Assignment

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      Forum: Fantasy vs Reality

  11. 11

    Unit 9: The Montessori Middle and High School

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      Quotes to get the week started

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      Activity Guide for Unit 9: The Montessori middle and high school

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      Course Resources

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      Adolescence Without Tears: Montessori High Schools

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      Some Thoughts on starting a Montessori school for adolescents

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      Montessori Secondary - Dr. Paul Epstein Part 1

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      Montessori Secondary - Dr. Paul Epstein Part 2

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      Montessori Secondary - Dr. Paul Epstein Part 3

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      An Interview With Some of 2022's Montessori Graduating Seniors

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      Assignment

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      Forum: Middle and High School

  12. 12

    Unit 10: Inclusion - Montessori for All Children

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      Activity Guide for Unit 10: Montessori for all children?

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      Course Resources

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      Peace Education. Is it a curriculum?

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      Peacemaking Circles

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      Partnership Education in the 21st Century

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      Education as Peace

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      The Peace Table from Classroom to Home to Staff Room to Board Room

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      Video: Silvia Dubovoy Nature Makes Differences, Society Makes Handicaps

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      Montessori and Autism Spectrum Disorder

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      Video: Why teach Peace

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      Video: Montessori Inclusion- A Whole School Model for All Part 1

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      Video: Montessori Inclusion- A Whole School Model for All Part 2

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      Forum: Inclusion and Peace

  13. 13

    Unit 11: Aspects of Best Practices - Part 2

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      Activity Guide

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      Inclusive and Empowering Decision Making

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      The Role of Technology

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      Assessment, Grading, Testing, Reporting, and Related Topics

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      Curriculum Content Revisted

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      A Curriculum that Fits Grade-level Lessons in the Classroom

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      Montesorri and Letter Grades - Philosophically Incompatible Practice

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      Assignment

  14. 14

    Unit 12: Wrap up

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      Activity Guide for Topic 12: Wrap up.

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      Optional Reading 1 - The Science of Montessori

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      Optional Reading 2 - What is Montessori Education?

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Optional Reading 3 - Our Fundamental Beliefs And Values As Montessori Educators

Course Reviews

Here is what people are saying

”
I entered An Overview of Montessori Philosophy and Curriculum: Infant–Toddler Through High School thinking I already had a relatively good understanding of Montessori. I had been a classroom assistant for several years and read a few books, but this course completely transformed how I see Montessori education. It helped me connect the dots between what happens in each developmental stage — from the earliest years of life through adolescence — and understand how it all fits together into one coherent vision of human development. Each module built on the next in a beautifully logical way. The course moved from Montessori’s philosophy and key principles into very practical examples of what those ideas look like in the classroom. The videos and readings were clear, engaging, and full of real-world insight. I especially appreciated the case studies showing how Montessori principles come alive in elementary and high school — areas that are often less understood. What really stood out was the way Tim Seldin and the Montessori Foundation team guided us through the material. Their tone was warm, wise, and deeply authentic. You can feel the decades of experience behind every explanation. Even though the course is online, it never felt impersonal. The discussion forums were active and thoughtful, and I learned almost as much from the reflections of other participants as from the lessons themselves. The workload was manageable — about five hours a week — and the flexibility to work at my own pace made it possible to balance with my full-time job. I sometimes found myself going beyond the assignments just because the content sparked so many ideas for my classroom. If you’re new to Montessori or in a leadership or administrative role and want to understand the full continuum from infancy through adolescence, I highly recommend this course. It gave me a new sense of confidence, clarity, and purpose in my work. Taking this course didn’t just deepen my knowledge — it reawakened my sense of why Montessori matters.
A Transformative Journey Through Montessori Education

Review by a former student

”
This helped build a solid understanding of Montessori Philosophy across all ages!
Lexi Schneider

Academy of the Winds, WY

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