RESS-EC: Early Childhood Residency7
The face-to-face training fosters personal interactions among adult learners, educators, and faculty. The direct engagement enables students to experience hands-on connections with the materials.
Topics Covered
The face-to-face early childhood summer residency includes:
- Discussions on Montessori philosophy and practice, an overview of early childhood, the sensitive periods, the prepared environment, and the first day of school
- Discussions on practical life, environmental design, grace and courtesy, self-direction, open-ended activities, spiritual preparation of the educator, and reflections on teaching peace
- Discussions on sensorial to science, development of motor memory, and spatial thinking
- Integrating the arts into the curriculum, such as music, health, physical education, material-making workshops, and practice
- Discussions, demonstrations, and lectures on geography, history, botany, zoology, math, language arts, and cultural studies
- Practicing classroom management strategies and observing the child
- Advice on working successfully with colleagues, record-keeping, and classroom management
Practical Life Discussions
The face-to-face early childhood summer residency includes:
- Developmental aims: concentration, coordination, order, independence
- The art of the presentation
- Practical skills to encourage independence
- Care of self & environment
- Food preparation
- Exploration with practical life activities
- The development of gross and fine motor skills
- Foundations for life-long learning
- The science behind the three-period lesson
- Introduce (present), remember (practice), know (mastery)
Sensorial Discussions
The face-to-face early childhood summer residency includes:
- Sensorial materials – isolate each sense and highlight specific qualities
- Sensorial – development of “motor memory.”
- Sensorial – presentation of language
- Sensorial work is a means for adults to detect deficits in the function of the child’s senses
- Sensorial as a preparation for geometry and spatial thinking
- Exploration with sensorial materials to refine senses
- Language developmental aims – receptive & expressive skills
- Preparation for handwriting
Cultural and Language Studies
The face-to-face early childhood summer residency includes:
- Introduction: land, water, and air
- Mapping the hand, body, classroom, and community
- Parts and caring for plants
- Domains and Classification of the Animal Kingdom
- Word building and beginning reading
- Function of words
- First grammar lessons
- Creative writing and expressive language
- Exploration with language materials
- Art of storytelling
Group Discussions
The face-to-face early childhood summer residency includes:
- Open-ended activities
- Preparation, set-up, and clean up
- Exploration of creativity, movement, and healthy choices
- Self-direction and the learning community
- Flexibility, freedom, and responsibility
- Role of the teacher
- Early Childhood prepared environment design
- Emotional and intellectual environment
Daily Schedule 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Early Childhood Summer Residency (80 clock hours, 10 days)
- Day 1: Introductions, Early Childhood philosophy, and child development
- Day 2: Art Integration, music, health, and physical education, language arts
- Day 3: Language arts
- Day 4: Geography and history
- Day 5: Botany and zoology
- Day 6: Practical life
- Day 7: Practical life
- Day 8: Sensorial
- Day 9: Sensorial geometry
- Day 10: Math, money, time, and fractions
Material-Making Workshops
Discussions cover the importance of creating handmade, well-constructed materials and identifying areas of the learning environment that need supplemental materials.
Can the face-to-face residency be my first course?
Yes, the residency course is designed to help new educators become familiar with the materials and build basic knowledge for first-year teachers.
What do I need to bring with me to the residency?
The dress is casual and comfortable. You will need to bring a bag lunch, water, and snacks daily. All adult learners are asked to bring the following items: a laptop; any required manuals or textbooks; a cell phone and its charger; a phone and its charger; colored pencils; crayons; scissors; and cardstock or construction paper.
Where is the residency located?
LOCATION
Auburn Montessori School, The Children’s House, 231 E. Drake Ave., Auburn, Alabama 36830
What are the 2026 dates?
Week 1 – Tuesday, July 7, through Saturday, July 11, 2026
Sunday off
Week 2 – Monday, July 13, through Friday, July 17, 2026
Kym Elder
Instructor
Dr. Kym Elder is the founder and executive director of Montessori Live. Kym holds a doctorate in instructional technology and distance education and a master’s degree in charter school educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University.
Charlene Kam
Instructor
Charlene Yvett Kam is an accomplished Montessori School Leader. She holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with specializations in Management Information Systems and International Business. Charlene founded Auburn Montessori School in 1997.
Forum Reflections
Each day, participants answer questions posted in the course’s forum. The questions cover the day’s subject matter and help the instructors determine the adult learners’ understanding and comprehension.
Art Integration
Art integration, language, cultural, and math extensions into art, material-making workshops, and practice with the materials are integrated into lessons throughout the residency.
Accredited Programs
Early Childhood (EC), Elementary I (EL I), Elementary I-II (EL I-II), and School Leadership
Textbooks and Required Manuals
You can either purchase the early childhood manuals from Montessori Research & Development (MRD) at https://www.montessorird.com or sign up for a 30-day virtual monthly subscription for $30 and access all manuals electronically.
Already a Student?
Montessori Live will enroll students in classes based on an agreed upon schedule. Contact registrar@montessorilive.org for changes to your schedule.
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