The diploma program provides the content of the Basic program in addition to Montessori Specialization.
Students in this program will develop a broad range of skills through the study and practice of certified courses in order to develop and lead daily age-appropriate activities for children aimed to help promote social, emotional, physical, cognitive and early literacy development. Students learn to observe children and communicate professionally, when appropriate, children’s progress and/or needs with parents, other staff members and individuals involved with the child’s development.
Students will also examine the six major areas of the Montessori curriculum: Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Math, Socials, Art, Music and Movement and how they interrelate. Montessori is designed to foster learning through a holistic approach, where education takes place through movement, connects mind, body and spirit, values collaboration and unfolds through love.
This program includes practicum placement. This experience within a workplace enables Instructional staff to observe the student in a practice situation while providing the student with the opportunity to gain direct exposure to the chosen career field.
Graduates are eligible to apply for an Early Childhood Educator Basic license from the Ministry for Children and Family Development.
Sprott Shaw is a member of Early Childhood Educators of British Columbia (ECEBC).
Learning Objectives
At the end of this program the student will have developed a broad range of skills through the application and understanding of the following learning outcomes:
- Cultural, economic, and generational influences on development
- Main categories and methods of observational recording
- Current licensing and registration regulations, development of
- policies and procedures, floor plans, and childcare center design
- Development of partnerships with parents, colleagues, and other service providers
- Positive contemporary child guidance practices, causes and characteristics of inappropriate behaviour
- Planning and implementing comprehensive program plans, focusing on social, emotional, cognitive, physical, language and cultural development
- Activities to facilitate diversity and multi-cultural experiences and concepts to enhance the curriculum
- Creating a positive learning environment that includes fun and engaging music and movement activities, enhancing other learning such as language and language skills
- The use of concepts and activities from LEAP BC 2010
- Resource Booklet and recognizing movement categories and motor skills
- Creativity and open-ended, process-oriented creative art activities and experiences
- Verbal and non-verbal communication skills and techniques.
- Design newsletters and communication tools for parents, children and staff
- Signs and symptoms of common communicable childhood illnesses
- Discover Maria Montessori’s theory and vision for young children
- Review the stimulating environment where children are free to respond to their natural drive to learn
- Examine the six major areas of the Montessori curriculum
- Analyze the relationship between the educator, the child and the environment
- Measure the value of social learning and participate in active learning
- Implement Montessori activities that promote ELF and SPICE
- Connect nature to the learning indoor and outdoor environments
- Value sensorial exploration and foster learning through the senses
- Bridge the Montessori environment to the greater world environment
- Identify the “sensitive periods” of growth to foster children’s development
- Plan and prepare a variety of Language acquisition cards and games
- Review the criteria for selection and presentation of DAP Montessori activities
- Manipulate Math materials and create activity extensions
- Connect order, coordination and concentration to Intellectual development
- Evaluate the hierarchy of the decimal system and its functions
- Link numbers, shapes and patterns to the real world
- Explore continents, people, languages, foods, flags, celebrations, multiculturalism
- Examine living and non-living things and describe life cycles
- Classify animals and plants and collect pictures
- Value interconnectedness in the classroom setting and extend it to the society
- Appraise family dynamics and their significant roles in children’s learning
- Value emerging creativity, originality, exploration and expression
- Appreciate aesthetic beauty, which in turn can foster discovery learning
- Examine Art and Music healing properties
- Appraise the “process” not the “product” and its importance in enhancing children’s development
- Develop a sense of guidance rather than instruction
- Implement learning that extends beyond academic learning
- Appraise Self-education and Self-evaluation
- Construct lessons promoting imagination, creativity and expression
- Research interconnectedness of mind, body and spirit
Sprott Shaw College Montessori Teacher Education holds accredited status for its Early Childhood IND Montessori Teacher Education Program from the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE).
