MANZ Professional Events

Find Montessori professional development events in New Zealand.

Montessori from Birth to Six
Brentwood Hotel, Kilbirnie, Wellington
Saturday August 21 10am – 4.40pm and 7.30 – 9.30pm
Sunday August 22 9am- 4pm
 

MANZ is delighted to offer a weekend workshop focusing on Montessori infant-toddler and 3-6 year old communities.

Montessori for the Infant and Toddler

Whether you are working or planning to work with infants and toddlers, interested in what comes before three or a parent, this is a workshop to challenge and sharpen your perceptions about young children, their development and your role in the life of young children.

The workshop will cover:
The Montessori approach to the developmental needs of the child under three years.
An introduction to the Montessori infant-toddler prepared environments. 
Explanations about how and why the under-three environment is prepared and organised.
An overview of the Montessori learning materials specific to under-three programmes.
An overview of what happens in both the Montessori nido (infant) and toddler programmes.
Practical ideas about environments, resources, daily routines and activities.
Exploration of the role of the adult in both teacher-led programmes and parent-led playgroups.
How the Montessori under-three environment is different from the three-six environment.
The importance of practical life and the focus on food in the infant and toddler community.
The importance of movement and language for learning and how to support this developmental need for young children.
The different approaches taken by teacher-led programmes and parent-infant playgroups and opportunities offered by each models.
Montessori approaches to practical issues of eating, sleeping and physical care of infants and toddlers.
Transition of children from Montessori under-three programmes to Montessori three-six classes.

Montessori Fun and Games for Three to Six

Do you have fun with your community of three to six year olds? And more importantly do your children have fun?  What does it mean to experience the `joy of learning'?

This workshop will cover:
Ideas for extending learning offered by the Montessori learning materials and curriculum.
Extension and small group games for sensorial, math, language and cultural areas
The importance of creating a rich oral language environment and ideas for how to do this in the classroom, as well as the home environment. 
The idea of exploration and creativity in a Montessori context and how we, as the prepared adult, can encourage, support and foster this.

During the workshop there will be opportunities to create and practice Montessori games from different curriculum areas with other participants and to make your own discoveries.   Exploration is the work of the child. Experience the joy of self discovery, creation and the love of learning!

Evening Workshop: The Importance of Movement

On Saturday August 21st at 7.30 pm all participants will focus on the sensitive period for movement and how we support this in all children; from birth to the infant-toddler programme and into the three-six classroom.  Come prepared to `move' and experience the different stages of movement the young child progresses through.

Workshop Leaders

Sara Brady

Sara Brady is from Sydney and has 12 years of experience working in Montessori infant and toddler programmes. She did her Association Montessori International (AMI) Assistants to Infancy training in Denver, USA, with Judi Orion and Chacha Vidales and graduated with a Masters in Montessori Education from Loyola College, USA. Sara has worked in both infant and toddler programmes and has experience in home care, long day care, preschool and parent-child classes. She went on to do her AMI 3 to6 training with Joen Bettmann, graduating in 2005. Sara first visited New Zealand in 2004, where she led an infant workshop in Christchurch. She has since started her family and now has a five-year-old son and twin daughters who are three years old. Sara has been accepted into the AMI Trainers programme and will work alongside Judi Orion at the AMI Assistants to Infancy programme being offered by the Australian Montessori Teachers Education Foundation (AMTEF) in 2011 in Sydney.

Amy Kirkham

Amy is no stranger to the New Zealand Montessori community and will be making her fourth visit to New Zealand for this workshop. Amy is one of two 3 to 6 AMI trainers in Australia and is the Director of Training for the Australian Montessori Teacher Education Foundation (AMTEF) in Melbourne. She has been involved in early childhood education since 1988 and obtained her AMI 3 to 6 Diploma in 1993.  In addition to her Montessori Diploma, Amy holds a Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood), Bachelor of Educational Studies (Hearing Impairment) and Master of Education. Amy is actively involved in school consultations, the provision of professional development for Montessori staff as well as parent and community education. Amy is also a keynote speaker at the MANZ 2010 Conference in Christchurch in April and is looking forward to bringing her seven year old daughter on another trip to New Zealand.

To register download the form below.

If you have any requests or ideas for professional development for your school, centre or staff please be in touch e: eo@montessori.org.nz