Mountainside Montessori and AMI

AMI pedagogical standards maintain the level of excellence that Maria Montessori envisioned. Established by the AMI Scientific Pedagogy Group, the standards insure that each school offers programs for their children that allow for their full intellectual, social, and psychological growth and that the approach is consistent with what is presented in AMI training courses worldwide.

The Teacher
There will be one AMI trained teacher at the appropriate age level in each class.

Assistants
Each class may have one non-teaching assistant. Should local regulations make it necessary to have more than one aide, he/she should be a non-teaching aide and should assist the directress by making materials, supervising outdoor activities, and assisting with field trips or “going-out.”

The Materials
Each classroom must be equipped with a complete set of Montessori materials from an AMI approved manufacturer. These materials are available through one of the following AMI recognized distributors in the United States: The Juliana Group, Inc. or Nienhuis Montessori USA.

The Classes

Number of Children
Classes include a well-balanced division of ages as well as an appropriate number of children to ensure social development:

Nido:  6-9 children

Toddler: 10-14 children

Primary: 24-35 children

Elementary: 24-35 children

Age Range
Classes are made up of children in the following age ranges (ages listed are approximate):

Nido (infant environment): 2 months to 12/15 months

Toddler Community: 12/15 months (walking well) to 3 years

Primary class: 3-6 years

Elementary class: 6-9 & 9-12 years, or 6-12 years

Uninterrupted Work Period
Classes are scheduled five days per week (unless specified otherwise) with substantial uninterrupted work periods every day:

Toddler: 2 hours per day, at least four days a week

Primary: 3 hours per day every morning for all children, and 2-3 hours per day every afternoon for the older children (extended day)

Elementary: 3 hours per day every morning, and 2-3 hours four afternoons per week

Consultations
A consultation by an AMI trained consultant is required at least once every three years.

AMI School Recognition Status
The AMI school recognition program was initiated in the United States to assist parents in assessing whether schools are following Montessori’s principles and practices in their original integrity and completeness. It is upon these standards that AMI recognition is granted.

A school applies to become an AMI-Montessori school annually. The recognition status is based upon the training of their teachers as well as their compliance with the pedagogical standards. There are three different status levels offered:

AMI Recognized
To receive an AMI Certificate of Recognition a school must be in compliance with all of the AMI standards.

For schools that do not meet all of the standards, AMI/USA offers two alternatives:

AMI/USA Affiliated
To qualify for Affiliated Status, two out of three classrooms or three out of four classrooms, or multiples thereof, must have AMI-trained teachers at the appropriate level.  Additionally, the school must meet all other AMI standards.

AMI/USA Associated
All schools can qualify for Associated status when they are in the developmental process and are striving to meet all of the AMI standards within three years.  An exception to the three-year time limit is when low enrollment is due to circumstances beyond the control of the school, in which case the three-year time limit can be exceeded with annual review and evaluation.

Public schools may qualify for Associated status when 50% of the teachers hold AMI diplomas and when at each level there is at least one AMI teacher holding a diploma for that level.

Grace Period
Affiliated and associated schools are granted this status based on the fact that they are aspiring to become AMI recognized schools. These schools are given a grace period of up to three years in which to meet the requirements for AMI recognition.