The following is intended to be a guide to what an observer would see during the uninterrupted work cycle: Infant & ToddlerĪt the Infant level, a 2- to 3-hour uninterrupted work cycle is not developmentally appropriate. While the work will look different for each age group, at all program levels children should have ample time allotted for the uninterrupted work period.

being removed from the class for therapeutic services.

more one-on-one teacher time and direction.

This uninterrupted work period is vitally important, as that is when the building of coordination, concentration, independence and order, and the assimilation of information are able to occur.Īt all levels, students with special needs may need unique considerations, such as:

Within the Montessori environment, the children need to have time to work through various tasks and responsibilities at their own pace. The uninterrupted work period is fundamental to the Montessori approach, which recognizes and respects individual variations in the learning process. This explanation is comprehensive but not exclusive of what may be observed in AMS-accredited schools during the work cycle. AMS-accredited schools are required to meet the following definitions of uninterrupted work time for each applicable program level (as articulated in Criterion 3.9 of the AMS School Accreditation Standards and Criteria), and these definitions are recommended as best practice for AMS member schools.

The American Montessori Society School Accreditation Commission and the AMS Teacher Education Action Commission offer this resource to AMS schools and affiliated teacher education programs to clarify AMS’s definition of optimal uninterrupted work period in Montessori classrooms.

Ground rules montessouri worktime