Montessori education is divided into three-year age ranges. There is a great benefit for children to see others, both older and younger, do and accomplish things. It's part of all of our learning. In Montessori, learning is structured into how our classrooms are designed. Oaks Montessori Teacher Education is set up that way, too, with modeling how to lead a classroom at the level that a teacher will be credentialed to teach.

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Infant and Toddler - birth to 3. Lots of growth, both physical and mental growth happens during this stage of development. Dr. Montessori recommends giving children access to learning materials and tables, chairs, mattresses, etc. that are low enough for them to crawl and grab, as well as providing for independence and choice at an early age.

Early Childhood  - ages 2.5 through 6. Learning to order, coordinate, communicate, and to become independent. Investigating their worlds through skills of practical living, sensorial exploration, understanding number concepts and letter recognition. 

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Elementary I - 6 through 9 and Elementary II - ages 9 through 12.The core of the Elementary level is Cosmic Education  - the Cultural subjects - Geography, Biology, History, and Physical Science where the students gain an understanding of the world around them.  Math, Geometry, Literature, Grammar, Writing, etc. are brought in through the Cultural subject where students move from individual work to small group work to discuss and discover solutions together.

 

And Secondary I - 12 through 14 or 15 and Secondary II is ages 14 or 15 through 18. Similar to Infant and toddler, this adolescent period is another time of major growth. These adolescents are learning how to become more self-reliant and social. "What's cool and what's not cool?" "How do I operate in a world a bit more independent of my parents?" Of course Math (algebra, geometry, and more), History and Social Studies, Science (Biology, Chemistry, and more), Language, Writing, Grammar, Foreign Language and a lot more are all part of the Secondary I-II education for students.

 

The Montessori Overview is a required class for most of the levels but may be of interest to parents, school administrators and school staff who want to understand the broad scope of Montessori education. This three or four week, online course is designed to help adult learners know how all of the above age levels work together and how the Montessori philosophy doesn't change, but some of the ways that philosophy is used changes with the age of the students in the classrooms.

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A Brief Explanation of How Our Program Works

 

This teacher education program (TEP) offers a blended Montessori teacher delivery with most of the academic phase of lectures/lesson presentations online, including a required minimum in-residence participation (during the summer) and a nine-month internship or practicum. Both online and residential training delivery provide genuine Montessori methodology for adults interested in becoming Montessori teachers.