Early Childhood (2.5-6) Certification Program
in collaboration with
​Northeast Montessori Institute

Sundrops Montessori School  
955 Houston Northcutt Blvd. 
​Mt. Pleasant SC 29464
(Summer location)

Murray LaSaine Elementary School
691 Riverland Drive, Charleston, SC 29412
(Observation and seminar site in collaboration
with Charleston County School District.)
Course Components

Educational Philosophy
  • Historical background on Dr. Maria Montessori
  • Fundamental concepts of Montessori philosophy
  • The role of the Montessori Teacher
Child Development 
  • Current research in child development from birth to 6
  • Seacoast mentors support course participants 
Practical Life Curriculum
  • The vital role of practical activity in self construction 
  • Material presentations and supervised hands-on practice sessions
  • Cooking, Nutrition, and Food Preparation
Sensorial Curriculum
  • How the young child’s senses support formation of the child’s intelligence
  • Rationales for the use of traditional Sensorial Materials
  • Material presentations and supervised hands-on practice sessions
Math Curriculum
  • Historical background on the origin of math
  • Development of the child’s “mathematical mind”
  • Material presentations and supervised hands-on practice sessions
Language Curriculum
  • Building children’s oral and auditory skills through literature, poetry, songs, fingerplays, and movement
  • Introduction to the Montessori materials for pre-reading and pre-writing
Classroom Leadership
  • Responsive Clasroom Environmental Design
  • Freedom and liberty for the young child
  • Orienting new children into the class
  • Goals and  methods of observation and recordkeeping
Cultural Studies
  • Peace Education
  • The child and the natural world
  • Music, Movement and Art
  • Geography and History
Charles Terranova: Sandpaper Letters and Handwriting (parts one and two) 

Faculty 

Natasha McKenzie, Instructor, Site Director 

Natasha is a teacher educator and school consultant. She has been a classroom teacher and administrator for Early Childhood and Elementary I. Natasha is a core faculty member for Northeast Montessori Institute as well as for the NMI/Seacoast Center Montessori Early Program. Natasha has been active in teacher education in the US as well as Asia.  She holds AMS Early Childhood and is concluding her Elementary I certification. 

LaDene' Conroy, Instructor

LaDene' is currently Principal of Mary Ford Elementary in North Charleston SC and  Montessori and Reading Specialist and Consultant for Charleston County School District. Her teaching and administrative experience extends from the classroom to the Board level. She is a key figure in dissemination of Montessori education at all ages in South Carolina and the broader Montessori professional community. She holds the AMS Administrator Credential granted by Houston Montessori Center, for which she is also a lecturer. 

​Cathy Constantine, Instructor 
Cathy has been a Montessori educator for nearly thirty years. She holds AMS certification from 3-12 and has been a classroom teacher and administrator during that time in New England and the Southeast, most recently as Head of School for the Montessori Community School in Durham NC. She holds AMS Early Childhood and Elementary I-II Certification. 
Charles Terranova, Instructor

Charles is currently Curriculum Director at Cambridge Montessori School, MA. He has been active nationally and internationally as a classroom teacher, teacher educator, administrator, and speaker. Charles holds AMI Early Childhood and AMS Elementary I-II Certification.



Kathleen Gasbarro, Instructor
 
Kathy is Head of Woodside Academy in Millis MA. She has provided many workshops and has been a core faculty for Seacoast Center for ten years. Kathy’s teaching experience ranges from infant and toddler through Middle School. She holds AMS Certification for Early Childhood and Elementary I. 




​Heather Teems, Instructor 
​
Heather is an artist and educator  currently serving as a teacher in the Charleston County School District. Her skills involve movement, music, and visual crafts and arts from 3-12. She holds the AMS Early Childhood and Elementary I-II credential.