Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) is a group begun by Maria Montessori to uphold the high standards of her scientific research and work to develop the Montessori method. AMI is the steward of the Montessori educational approach developed over 100 years ago, building upon Dr. Montessori's endeavor to apply it in every setting and to each child without compromising the integrity of the approach. Village Montessori is a fully recognized AMI school.
Teachers receive a Master’s level training in all academic subject areas spanning 3-6 years. This training also addresses complex social, emotional & developmental needs. Teachers are fully versed in the use of specific materials and classroom design. AMI trained teachers can work in schools throughout the world.
The curriculum develops professional and social skills, beginning in the toddler years, necessary to be successful in both academic and business environments. This includes critical thinking, self-control, organization, planning, cognitive structures, leadership skills and fine motor development.
Students actively participate in collaboration with the teacher in understanding and developing their individual study plans based on their own interests & abilities.
Advancement is individually determined and occurs only after a student has mastered a skill. Students may advance as rapidly as possible in any subject. Progress reports are collaborative and focused on discussions of specific skills mastered and goal setting all the way through middle school.
Students learn internal self-discipline and conflict resolution skills. Students discover how to express themselves appropriately to resolve even small conflicts in AMI Montessori. This is considered a necessary professional skill and is reinforced by positive peer pressure in a community environment.
AMI Montessori instruction is tailored to each child’s learning style.
Older students are encouraged to tutor each other as well as younger students even summer and extra-curricular programs. This provides a meaningful context in which to reinforce previously acquired skills that may be lost if not revisited. Collaboration is encouraged.
All AMI Montessori academic subjects are integrated to provide meaningful context. For example, students may study the geography of a region, its history, its current political or social structure, and its art. Then, they might present their findings in a PowerPoint presentation to the class, as well as a play and an artistic representation.
Students explore visions and intellectual concepts from self-teaching, self-correcting materials offered in the classroom at their individual pace. Students are given as much time as is necessary to master a concept without interruption. Periods of concentration and self-directed interest provide in-depth learning.
Montessori students are taught organization and time management skills. They learn to allocate their work time on each subject or project based on individual ability to insure completion. This is a necessary skill in future professional and academic pursuit.
The self-correcting materials in a classroom are designed to provide students with immediate feedback in the learning process. This allows them to immediately correct their own work rather than waiting for future feedback from the teacher. Errors are always corrected to reinforce mastery.
Reinforcement of learning occurs through enjoyment of work and internal feelings of accomplishment as students successfully repeat and master a self-correcting manipulative task. They are then seen as leaders who can assist other students if needed. Self-esteem is nurtured.
The AMI Montessori classroom is filled with multi-sensory materials in all subject areas. The physical exploration of classroom materials is encouraged, providing for sensory development and concrete learning experiences.
Responsibility and independence are taught by offering an organized practical life program which guides younger children to care for themselves, their classroom, and the environment. Cooking, cleaning, gardening, etc. are part of the classroom experience.
Classroom time is strictly devoted to academic instruction and developing professional and social skills. All subjects are taught in a single class throughout the day. The students have individual academic plans and work independently without having to wait on others as the teacher addresses individual questions or needs. Students may seek help from other students as needed without having to wait for the teacher.