Eligibility Requirements

The Montessori Eligibility Requirements

All schools applying for Montessori Canada Accreditation must meet the following criteria for each of their Toddler, Casa and Elementary Montessori classes:

• Have all appropriate licensing and Provincial or Territorial requirements for child care programs or schools to operate.
• Are guided by the educational philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori.
• Have one teacher in each classroom who holds an age-appropriate diploma from an AMI or MACTE accredited teacher training institute.
• Have a full range of Montessori materials in each classroom as recommended by Montessori Canada, which offers the broad curriculum to allow for sequential learning.
• Have an uninterrupted work cycle, that is ‘age and stage’ appropriate (1 to 2 hours for Toddler; 2 ½ to 3 for Casa; 2 ½ to 3 for Elementary), to allow for the development of focus.
• Recordkeeping including: tracking, lesson planning, record of child’s work in progress, and weekly anecdotal notes on each child.
• Have multi-age groupings in each classroom (with a span of 1 year or more in the Toddler classroom and 3 years in the Casa and Elementary classrooms), which supports the concept that learning is a social process.
• Require attendance 5 days a week, for consistency in learning, with consideration for a phase-in period for Toddler.
• Abide by the Montessori Canada Code of Ethics.