The College of New Rochelle will offer a master’s degree program in early childhood education with a concentration in Montessori education beginning this summer, the school recently announced.
The dual program will combine the school’s Master of Science in early childhood education (birth through second grade) and its American Montessori Society credential in early childhood Montessori education. Montessori education, named for Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori, encourages students to learn through self-correction materials rather than direct instruction.
The 30-credit program is designed to be completed in one year and will qualify graduates to work in independent or public Montessori schools or other early childhood settings. Students will work as a group throughout the coursework. In a release, school officials said the recent surge in demand for early childhood teachers was the reason behind introducing the program.
“This dual program will be a resource for developing teachers to fill an upcoming shortage of certified early childhood teachers,” said Kristin Berman, an associate professor of education at the College of New Rochelle who helped develop the program. “The combined training makes teachers more effective in both Montessori and traditional settings, even if they are not using Montessori learning materials.”
The Center for Montessori Education in New York, based in White Plains, has been holding classes at The College of New Rochelle for more than 20 years.
