A six-week online, collaborative process, to help you create an environment where children and parents learn and grow together.

Course Description

The Parent-Infant and Child Facilitator Course (PICC) is an introduction and exploration in the creation and facilitation of a Parent-Infant and Child program, or Montessori Playgroup. During this course you will learn how to apply Montessori philosophy, principles, and practices to guiding children and their parents in your environment. The course will take place through weekly video conferencing with your learning community and Pamela, as well as through written, video and audio course materials and assignments

Who This is For

Perfect for Montessori teachers, schools, administrators, and for everyone intending to begin a PICC class or program in your community. This is not a Montessori training

Course Activities

Create an Album or binder to keep notes from your video discussions as well as handouts and exercises. Assignments, including viewing of webinars, videos, audio recordings, and reading of handouts, will take approximately 2-3 hours each week. All course materials and assignments will be delivered in weekly modules.

Attending to your course work each week in a timely manner will help you to stay in the flow of the course, to interact, and to move on to the next week. I encourage you to print hard copies of handouts, as some will be helpful to refer to during videos or for review offline. 

Participation in weekly Video Conference

This is a central feature to your course, as it is here where you bring your questions, understanding, and will interact with Pamela regarding your studies and reflections over the week. In order to receive a certificate of completion, you must participate in each online discussion. It is your responsibility to speak with Pamela if you are needing to miss a weekly conference/meeting, prior to our gathering.

Observation and Other Experiential Assignments

These are designed to deepen your experience and understanding, in a holistic way, of our course topics by giving you an opportunity to put the concepts into practice. The focus for these assignments is in the experiences themselves, the process, however with each practice you will write your reflections in either your Observation Journal or Album, notebook. Each week will also include a reading by Dr. Maria Montessori, to enhance and support your process and understanding of each topic.

Observation Journal

Observation is central to Montessori; to the study of the Child and of ourselves. To journal is a valuable means for you to reflect on and process what you are viewing, experiencing, and learning. Each week will include a practice on Observation, whether within a handout or other form, and you are asked to reflect on these in your Observation Journal.  Our weekly video conference is a time when you can share how this process is going for you. 

Preparation of the Spirit

Along with Observation, this is the touchstone for us in practicing Montessori, whether in the classroom environment or in our daily lives. Each week you will have opportunity through experiential, video, or written work, to allow for this continuous study.

Course Outline

Week 1 – Intro to The Parent-Infant and Child program 

• How to begin from where you are

• What it is; benefits to the child, parents, and community

• Purpose, Intention; the What, When, Where, How, and Why

• A checklist for your planning and goals

• Administration, marketing and budget

• Preparing ourselves to be with ourselves and others; an experiential practice in how to become more present in our bodies. 

Week 2 – Preparation of the Environment

• For the Child

• For the parents and/or caregivers

• Grace and Courtesy; within ourselves, with the children and adults

• Observation: coming into stillness

• Design – specific to your unique space

• Materials – DIY and places to purchase

• How to model Montessori practice to parents/caregivers

Week 3 – Interacting with Parents or Caregivers

• Sensitive Periods in parents

• Tips for guiding parents and caregivers/when to step in?

• Observation Journal

• Orientation

• Parent Discussion Groups – Topics, how to facilitate

Week 4 – Interacting with the Child while parents are present

• Respecting exploration

• Discernment; how do we know when to allow, or to step in?

• Modeling; how we move, speak, and act

• Positive Discipline

Week 5 – The First Prepared Environment

• Life of the unborn child

• Sensitive periods during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum

• How to welcome or include pregnancy in your program  

• Ideas on what you can offer to families during pregnancy

Week 6 – Contemplation 

• What is essential based on your community?

• Reassess the environment for the child, and for the adults

• Enter, again, at the child and adult’s level. What do you see needs changed?

• Rhythm of the day. Based on the Child, not on the Adult

• Bringing it all Together

Highlights include: 

• Personal guidance by Pamela

• Weekly (Wednesdays at 8 pm EST) one hour Zoom class meetings

• An Observation Journal for your parents

• Interviews with a Certified Professional Midwife on preparing an environment for birth, and a PICC parent on his/her experience

• Membership in a private Facebook group with Pamela after the course to maintain contact

• Numerous resources to download

• DIY material support 

Course Fee

The fee for this six-week course is US$350, which includes all weekly video conferencing, materials and assessments. Or pay in two installments of US$175, the first at the start of the course and the second at the beginning of week four. Payments can be made through personal check to Pamela Green, or through PayPal (by credit card or PayPal)

Optional Site Visit

A site visit to your program in the first year of your training is available, at an additional cost of $100. During this one-day visit Pamela will observe and offer mentorship and support. Travel and accommodation costs for this visit are additional and will be determined at the time of scheduling the visit. 

Pamela Green is the owner of Ananda Montessori, a Montessori Playgroup in North East, Pa. She has been teaching and administrating in Montessori for over 30 years, and is Montessori credentialed (Early Childhood, Elementary I & II, and Parent-Infant Facilitator Training). Since 1990, she has also served as a birth doula, midwife assistant, and childbirth educator. Pamela is a consultant and mentor to teachers, staff, schools, and parents, worldwide.