Our unique workshops meld the expertise of trained Montessorians and special education professionals. We offer a variety of live and virtual trainings tailored to provide evidence-based tools to Montessori administrators, guides, and staff.
Developmental Disorders in the Montessori Classroom
As Montessorians, we observe children closely and see them act on their environment in ways that other adults may miss. This gives us the honor and responsibility to notice when a child might need additional support. In this workshop, we will examine typical developmental milestones across four domains of development (cognitive, language, social-emotional, motor) for the child in the primary environment. Learn how to identify “red flags” for common disorders within this population by understanding how signs and symptoms may manifest during the Montessori work cycle.
Yoga in the Primary Environment
Join family yoga teacher and AMI-certified primary guide Autumn Wilson in this exploration of yoga in the Primary Environment. Participants will see how yoga fits seamlessly into the Montessori environment and will understand ways to engage children in yoga as a harmonious part of the prepared environment. Montessori, guides, assistants, and other support staff will learn to use yoga and meditation as an independently-chosen Practical Life activity, as a redirection and re-centering tool, as a preparation for a lesson, and as a small and/or whole group activity.
This workshop provides all the concrete tools necessary to implement yoga and meditation immediately into your environment.
Montessori 101
Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone working in your school had the same fundamental knowledge about Montessori? This workshop is ideal for non-Montessori trained school staff, substitute teachers, related-service providers, and anyone working in a Montessori school who is interested in gaining an understanding of the philosophy and its application. Participants will develop knowledge of basic Montessori terms, become comfortable working in Montessori classrooms, and learn to provide more Montessori-compatible instructional and therapeutic spaces for children.
Supporting Behavior in the Montessori Classroom
Montessori philosophy addresses behavior through a variety of practices, including Grace and Courtesy lessons, modeling, and mix-aged environments. Incorporating elements of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) into the Montessori environment can provide additional support for the social and emotional outcomes of all children, including students with disabilities and students from under-represented groups. Our workshop will help promote a positive school climate by offering you concrete, Montessori-friendly tools and strategies to apply along a continuum of behavior support.
Supporting speech and language development in the montessori classroom
Montessori pedagogy provides a rich linguistic environment and a variety of concrete practices for language development. Knowing current best practices from the field of speech-language pathology can help Montessorians enhance what we already do in our classrooms. This workshop is a collaboration between experts in both Montessori pedagogy and speech-language pathology and will help practitioners in Montessori classrooms learn easily-implemented strategies to support the language development of all children. We will also share Montessori-friendly tips and tricks to use when working with children who may be demonstrating speech or language challenges.
language and literacy development of english language learners
In the Montessori primary environment, there are a variety of ways to gauge language and literacy development. This workshop will help Montessorians understand typical oral and written language developmental milestones for non-native English speaking students. Ideal for guides, assistants, administrators, specialists, and support staff, this workshop will show you how to differentiate between normal phenomena of second language learning and signs of a possible disorder. After the workshop, you will be able to identify “red flags” for common language and literacy disorders for non-native English speaking students by understanding how signs and symptoms may appear within the Montessori environment.