AMI PRIMARY TEACHER TRAINING
Accelerated Diploma Course
(with optional Master’s Degree in Education)
Ages 2.5 to 6+
Next course beginning June 2022!
The Montessori Training Center of St. Louis is excited to launch our new, accelerated AMI Primary Diploma Course—earn your diploma and optional M. Ed. in just over one year.
Engage in an in-depth study of Montessori philosophy and pedagogy while focusing on the developmental needs of children from 2.5 to 6+ years of age. Gain extensive knowledge of child development and the foundations for early learning.
Learn how to connect young children to the areas of Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, and Mathematics, while furthering their cognizance of the arts, sciences, and cultural studies in age-appropriate ways. During this training, you will learn how to assist young children to develop and refine their executive functioning skills and a lifelong love of learning.
Throughout your practicum, you will immerse yourself in classroom observation and student teaching. Following the successful completion of this course, you will be fully prepared and certified to lead a Montessori Primary classroom.
Course Dates
Summer 2022
Modules
June 13th - 17th
Virtual: Sessions will be held in the evenings from 6-9pm CT.
July 5th - August 12th
In St. Louis: Classes will be held onsite from 8:30am and end at 4:30pm CT daily, Monday - Friday, plus three Saturdays.
Fall 2022
Module
September 1st - December 13th
Virtual: Sessions will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6pm-9pm CT.
Winter 2023
Module
January 3rd - February 9th
Virtual: Sessions will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6pm-8pm CT.
Spring 2023
Modules
March 2nd - April 27th
Virtual: Sessions will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6pm-8pm CT.
May 9th - May 18th
Virtual: Adult learners will complete a practice written exam, followed by official written exams.
Sessions will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:00pm-9:00pm CT.
Summer 2023
Module
June 5th - June 30th
In St. Louis: Supervised practice in the prepared environment will be held onsite Monday - Friday from 8:30am-4:30pm CT.
Oral exams will be conducted during the final week of this in-person module, followed by graduation.
AMI Diploma Requirements
90 Hours of classroom observation
120 Hours of student teaching
90% Attendance for lectures and presentations (300 hours) and supervised practice (200 hours)
Pass on albums
Pass on written exams
Pass on oral exams
Material making
Tuition and Fees
Application Fee $100
Acceptance Fee $500
Course Tuition $12,000
AMI Membership $99
MACTE Practicum Fee $200
Examination Fee $500
Total Tuition and Fees $13,399
Adult Learners should budget between $300 and $400 for books and supplies.
Application for Admission
Priority Application Deadline is January 17, 2022.
If space remains available, rolling admissions will begin on January 18, 2022.
Submit your Application for Admission, transcripts, and recommendation forms to MTCSTL. Once received, MTCSTL will connect you with our Director of Training for an admission interview. Review our Admission Process for more details.
Master’s of Education Degree Program
Loyola University Maryland's partnership with the Montessori Training Center of St. Louis provides adult learners with the opportunity to complete a M.Ed. degree cooperatively with the AMI diploma. If accepted into the Graduate School at Loyola, adult learners earn 27 credits through the completion of their AMI diplomas. The final 9 credits are completed virtually through Loyola University Maryland. For more information, select the button below.
Primary Director of Training
Lakshmi Shekhar is the Director of Training for Primary courses at the Montessori Training Center of St. Louis. Lakshmi trained under and worked closely with MTCSTL’s beloved Dr. Annette Haines. She is AMI certified at both primary and elementary levels and has more than 18 years of classroom experience in private and charter Montessori schools. Lakshmi was the founding guide of the Children's House at the Montessori Lab School at Grand Center. She holds a Master's degree in English Literature.
Dates of Course in Progress
Summer 2020: July 6 to August 14, 2020
Summer 2021: June 7 to July 30, 2021
Summer 2022: June 6 to July 1, 2022
This course is accredited by MACTE, Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education.
MTCSTL is an affiliate of Association Montessori Internationale.
“These very children reveal to us the most vital need of their development, saying:
’Help me to do it alone!’”