Fort Collins Montessori School (FCMS) is an Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) USA member school. AMI pedagogical standards maintain the level of excellence that Maria Montessori envisioned. Established by the AMI Scientific Pedagogy Group, the standards insure that schools offer 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. There can be slight differences in the materials presented on AMI training courses, therefore, a “full set” of AMI materials includes those materials needed by the AMI trained teacher to present lessons given in their albums and according to their training.
The following companies manufacture materials according to detailed blueprints provided by AMI:
Nienhuis Montessori by Heutink International
www.nienhuis.com
Gonzagarredi Montessori
www.gonzagarredi.com/en/products/montessori-materials
Matsumoto Kagaku Japan
www.mk-k.com
Agaworld Montessori
www.awmontessori.com
NOTE: Not all of the materials in these companies’ catalogs are AMI-approved materials. Please, look for the AMI logo next to those approved by AMI.
Digital Materials
AMI Digital provides a large range of digital Montessori materials including charts, classified cards and publications. The materials can be purchased and downloaded ready to print at montessoridigital.org.
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: maximum of 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 every afternoon with an allowance of one morning or afternoon work cycle for specialty programming
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:
For more information about AMI/USA, please visit the Association Montessori Internationale/USA website.
