Navadisha Montessori Foundation

Theory Lectures
The theory lectures will offer the students the opportunity to examine Montessori's theory of child development in the elementary years, and to study in depth, Montessori's vision of cosmic education, an interdisciplinary approach to the study of human beings, their endeavours and relationship with the universe.

Demonstration Lectures
The practical demonstration lectures deal with the lessons and presentation of the materials offered to children from 6 to 12 years of age in a Montessori environment. The aims of the materials, the technique of presenting them to the child and the age at which they must be offered will be discussed in these sessions.

Supervised Practice
During scheduled hours students will have an opportunity to practice with the material presented to them. Students will be guided in the use of the material and encouraged to develop and practice the techniques by which they will present the various materials to children.

Care of the Environment
Students will also be asked to take responsibility for the environment everyday just as they would when they are with children. This is an essential aspect of the training that develops the students' eye for the care and maintenance of the material and helps them to develop a familiarity with the set up of an elementary class.

School Observation and Teaching Practice
Students will be assigned to go to various Montessori environments in the city for observation and teaching practice. During this time they will be shown how to keep a record of observations and as well as have an opportunity to work directly with children under the supervision of an AMI trained adult. Students will need to budget for their commute to the various city schools.

Assignments and Albums
Students will need to submit written work at regular intervals during the course, which will include theory essays, material making assignments and observation reports. Students will also prepare six albums in the different areas - History, Language, Arithmetic, Geometry, Geography, Biology. Students will need to do four to six hours of organised work at home every day in order to complete all assignments.

Email and Internet Access
Students will need access to Email and internet as information will be sent to them regularly by email. Some assignments will need to be submitted electronically.

Candidates fulfilling the following requirements will be considered eligible for admission into the course. The candidate should have:

Completed 20 years
A Bachelors degree
A sound knowledge of English
AMI Montessori Primary Diploma (3-6 Age Level) OR AMI Foundation Course
Excellent computer skills and internet access

We welcome candidates from all walks of life and different professions. Occasionally we do consider applicants who do not have a Bachelors degree based on their life experience.

Applicants for the 6-12 course are required to have the AMI Montessori Primary Diploma (3-6 Age Level). For those applicants who do not have it there is a MANDATORY five weeks Foundation Course. All the assignments set for the Foundation course must be completed and handed in as per requirements by the submission date. If the assignments are not up to the expected standard the candidate will not be permitted to go on to doing the Elementary course. Students withdrawing due to incomplete work in the Foundation course are not eligible for a refund of fees.

It is our strong recommendation that all students take the Foundation Course which will commence on Wednesday, August 14, 2019.

Admissions are on a first come first served basis. Admissions for FOREIGN NATIONALS will close on Friday, June 28, 2019. Indian Nationals who apply on or after Friday, June 28, 2019 will be required to pay a revised and higher fee.

Applications must be submitted with all enclosures. The Admissions Review Committee will process all complete applications. The decision of the committee will be final and binding.

To be considered for admissions please submit the following:

Application Form duly filled in and signed by the applicant with one photo affixed
Two additional photos identical to the one affixed on the application form
Attested OR Certified Copies of all educational documents
Letters of reference from current or previous employers
Application Fee
HANDWRITTEN essay (about 500 words) on An Overview of My Life

Fees	Indian Nationals INR	Foreign Nationals USD	Due
Application Fee	1289.00	65.00	With application

Based on the application, there will be an interview with a member of faculty. For foreign nationals who are not able to attend an interview in Chennai we can arrange a time when the applicant can call us for a telephone interview. Students may be required to take an English check.

Selected candidates will receive a letter of acceptance with a last date for the payment of fees. Once the fees are paid the candidate will receive a letter of confirmation along with the schedule for the first day.

Students must have 90% attendance for each aspect of the course including time taken off due to illness. Attendance records will be meticulously maintained throughout the year. In case of absence, students should notify the Director of Training in writing, at least one day in advance. In case of illness the student should inform the training centre by phone or email immediately.

The course is full time and will run 5 days a week from 8:45 AM to 3:15 PM Monday to Friday. Students will be asked to be extremely punctual. The Foundation course will commence on Wednesday, August 14, 2019 and end on Thursday, October 3, 2019. The Elementary course will commence on Wednesday, October 9, 2019 and end on Friday, March 5, 2021.

Module	From	To
Foundation Course	Wednesday, August 14, 2019	Thursday, October 03, 2019
Term I	Wednesday, October 9, 2019	Friday, November 22, 2019
School Observation Week 1	Monday, November 25, 2019	Friday, November 29, 2019
School Observation Week 2	Monday, December 02, 2019	Friday December 06, 2019
School Observation Week 3	Monday, December 09, 2019	Friday December 13, 2019
Term II	Monday, January 06, 2020	Friday, March 06, 2020
Teaching Practice Week 1	Monday, August 24, 2020	Friday, August 28, 2020
Teaching Practice Week 2	Monday, August 31, 2020	Friday, September 04, 2020
Teaching Practice Week 3	Monday, September 07, 2020	Friday, September 11, 2020
Teaching Practice Week 4	Monday, September 14, 2020	Friday, September 18, 2020
Teaching Practice Week 5	Monday, September 21, 2020	Friday, September 25, 2020
Teaching Practice Week 6	Monday, September 28, 2020	Friday, October 02, 2020
Term III	Monday, October 05, 2020	Friday, November 20, 2020
Term IV	Monday, January 18, 2021	Friday, March 05, 2021

All lectures will be in English. Course work will need to be presented in English both orally and in writing. It will be necessary for students to take comprehensive lecture notes and write original essays and prepare assignments based on course information. Students will also be required to explain theoretical principles during the Oral examination.

The students' eligibility for appearing for the Examination will depend on the following:

90% attendance for each aspect of the course

Punctual completion and submission of all assignments called for in the course of the year

Full payment of the fees

Completion of required hours of School Teaching Practice

Completion of required hours of School Observations

Completion of required hours of Supervised Practice

There will be three written examinations. Paper A will be on psychology and theory. Paper B1 and Paper B2 will be on the practical aspects with the underpinning principles. There will also be an oral examination in which students will be asked to present the use of the material and explain the underlying theory.

An external examiner will be appointed by AMI to conduct the examinations. The diploma is awarded by the Association Montessori Internationale after a successful written and oral examination and completion of all requirements for certification. The decision of the board of examiners will be final and binding. No appeals will be entertained after results are released.

Registered students who for valid reasons fail to appear for the examinations on the scheduled dates at the appointed time may be given the opportunity to appear at the examinations held the following year thereafter. They will have to apply for this opportunity in writing with a full and acceptable explanation. In case of medical grounds, a registered practitioner must attest the medical certificate. They will be charged the Examination Fee for the re-examination. Students appearing for re-examination in any of the four parts can do so ONLY the following year. They will be required to attend additional classes for which they will be charged a fee. They will also be charged the Examination Fee for the re-examination. Students who fail in the examination or re-examination and still wish to attain an AMI diploma will have to undergo another full course of training for which they will be charged the full Course fees including Examination Fee.

The AMI diploma is awarded by the Association Montessori Internationale. It qualifies the holder to work with children in a Montessori environment between 6 and 12 years of age. The AMI Elementary diploma is a highly valued qualification. It is a great asset to those who wish to open their own schools.

Fees may be paid by bank transfer, local cheque or demand draft in favour of Navadisha Montessori Foundation

Refund Policy
The fee is non-refundable. Once paid it cannot be refunded for any reason either prior to the commencement of or during the course on withdrawal of a student. Students will be required to submit a Refund Policy Acceptance letter at the time of payment of fee.

The last date for Application for Foreign Nationals is Friday, June 28, 2019. No applications from Foreign Nationals will be accepted after this date.

Fee structure for applications reaching us on or before Friday, June 28, 2019.

Fees	Indian Nationals INR	Foreign Nationals USD	Due
Foundation Course	0.00	0.00	NA
Tuition Fee	93000.00	4600.00	Before course commences
Examination Fee	20600.00	500.00	Before course commences
Special Fee	9816.00	356.00	Before course commences
GST	22215.00	982.00	Before course commences
Total	145631.00	6438.00	Before course commences

Fee structure for applications (Indian Nationals) reaching us after Friday, June 28, 2019.

Fees	Indian Nationals INR	Due
Foundation Course	0.00	NA
Tuition Fee	103000.00	Before course commences
Examination Fee	20600.00	Before course commences
Special Fee	10416.00	Before course commences
GST	24123.00	Before course commences
Total	158139.00	Before course commences

AMI Trainer: Rukmini Ramachandran

Rukmini Ramachandran, leads the training team at the Navadisha Montessori Foundation. Rukmini holds an AMI Montessori Elementary diploma at the 6-12 age level. She entered the field of Montessori education in 1991 when she received her AMI Primary Diploma at the 3-6 age level in Mumbai. She has a Masters in English. She came into Montessori education with a background in journalism, having started her career as Assistant Editor of a children's monthly. She edited the 1939 Montessori lectures in Chennai into a book titled Creative Development in the Child in two volumes. Her most particular interest lies in publishing for children. She currently serves on the Training Group at AMI, and also as the Managing Trustee of the Indian Montessori Foundation.

AMI Elementary Consultant: Ann Dunne

Ann Dunne, an AMI Trainer and educational consultant for the 6 - 12 age level is Director of Training in Dublin, Ireland and London, England. She travels extensively as an AMI Examiner and consultant around the world. She brings a wide range of experience to her work, mentoring and supporting training staff, students and schools. She had over 8 years teaching experience at the 6-12 level before joining the training team in Ireland. She worked closely with senior Montessori professionals in Ireland training many students. Ann brings her lively enthusiasm to her work in India where she has visited often as an examiner, consultant and speaker. She is currently a member of the Scientific Pedagogical Committee and the Training Group at AMI.

It is advisable for students to acquire the Montessori books in the Required Reading list. The students will also have to acquire stationery for the course, for course submissions and the creation of Albums. Students using computers must budget additionally for printing cost, particularly colour printing. The cost will vary depending on the choices made. We would like to emphasise that this a budget and that it is only an approximate guide. The training course neither recommends nor endorses particular stationery products. Students are advised to budget for books and materials for the duration of the course as follows.

Items	Budget	Likely to be spent
Montessori Books	6000.00	Before the course commences
Stationery	5000.00	For the duration of the course
Photocopying	3000.00	For the duration of the course
Printing	3000.00	For the duration of the course

To prepare for the Diploma course and for working in a Montessori environment it is good practice to read around the subject. The following list of books is provided to help you begin this process. Some of these books will be made available in the student library. .

Foundation Course

Montessori, Maria The Absorbent Mind Indian Montessori Foundation
Montessori, Maria The Child in the Family Indian Montessori Foundation
Montessori, Maria The Discovery of the Child Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company
Montessori, Maria The Secret of Childhood Orient Black Swan, Chennai
Montessori, Maria Education for a New World Indian Montessori Foundation
Montessori, Maria What should you know about your child Indian Montessori Foundation

Required Reading

Montessori, Maria The Formation of Man Indian Montessori Foundation
Montessori, Maria Education and Peace Indian Montessori Foundation
Montessori, Maria The Advanced Montessori Method Vols. 1 & 2 Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company
Montessori, Maria From Childhood to Adolescence Indian Montessori Foundation
Montessori, Maria To Educate the Human Potential Indian Montessori Foundation
Montessori, Maria The Child, Society and the World Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company
A M Joosten Foundations of Montessori Pedagogy Indian Montessori Foundation

Courses Offered

AMI Montessori Elementary Diploma Course (6-12 age level)