AMI Courses at Montessori Institute Prague
Montessori Teacher Training with AMI
Orientation courses, full diploma courses, refreshers and mentoring, for every age group from birth to eighteen. Montessori Institute Prague is the only AMI certified training center in the Czech Republic.
How to Become a Montessori Teacher
That single distinction is what most people are really asking about when they start looking into Montessori training, and it decides everything else: how long you will study, what it costs, and what you can do afterwards.
The usual route looks like this:
- Start with an orientation course if you are new to Montessori, work as an assistant, or want to understand the approach before committing to two years of study.
- Take a diploma course for the age group you want to work with, when you are ready to train as a lead guide.
- Keep going with refreshers and mentoring once you are in the classroom, because the work of observing children never really finishes.
Some people go straight to a diploma course. Others assist for a year or two first. Neither is wrong, and the orientation course is not a prerequisite for the diploma.
Which Course Do You Need?
AMI Orientation Courses
For assistants, parents and newcomers
AMI Certificate Courses are meant for current or future Montessori assistants, and work as an introduction for parents, school founders and educators new to Montessori.
- Fully online, live via Zoom
- 4 to 6 weeks, 25 to 60 hours
- Lectures, discussion, self-study, essays
- Official AMI Orientation Certificate
AMI Diploma Courses
For current and future guides
AMI Diploma Courses are meant for current or future Montessori teachers and guides, and provide the most comprehensive Montessori education there is.
- Onsite modules in Prague plus online components
- 1 to 2 years, 400 to 490+ training hours
- Theory, observation and practice with children
- Official AMI Diploma, recognised worldwide
AMI Refresher Courses
For practitioners already in the classroom
Each refresher examines one curriculum area in depth, so practitioners can take something practical straight back into the classroom. Led by AMI trainers.
- Single subject, in depth
- For anyone already working with children
- Led by AMI trainers
Mentoring and School Leadership
For guides and for people running schools
Small-group mentoring works on the questions your own classroom is throwing at you. The school leadership course is built for principals, board members and owners.
- Mentoring: small online groups over several months
- Leadership: a course for administrators and owners
Choose Your Age Group
Montessori training is always taken for one stage of development, because the environment, the materials and the adult's role are different in each. Pick the age you want to work with.
0 to 3
Assistant to Infancy
The infant community: movement, language and independence in the first three years, and work with parents in the earliest period of a child's life.
3 to 6
Early Childhood
The Children's House, with its practical life, sensorial, language and mathematics areas. The best known Montessori environment and the most widely taught.
6 to 12
Elementary
Cosmic education, where the reasoning mind meets every subject as part of one connected whole, and children work in groups and go out into the world.
12 to 18
Adolescent
Adolescence, where the need turns towards real work, responsibility and belonging, and the programme is built around genuine practical undertakings.
Working across the whole first plane? There is also a combined 0-6 orientation course.
AMI, AMS and MACTE: What the Letters Mean
The word Montessori is not protected, so the training behind a course matters more than the name on it. Three abbreviations come up when people compare programmes.
- AMI is the Association Montessori Internationale, founded by Maria Montessori herself in 1929 and described on our own courses as a worldwide leading authority on Montessori education. It sets training standards internationally, which is why an AMI diploma is recognised in the same way from one country to the next.
- AMS is the American Montessori Society, founded in the United States in 1960. It has its own training standards and is most widely used in North America.
- MACTE is the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education, a United States accreditor of Montessori teacher-education programmes. It accredits training programmes rather than running them, and programmes from more than one Montessori organisation can hold its accreditation.
If you plan to work internationally, or want your qualification to travel with you, the international standard is the practical thing to look at. What AMI Montessori means goes into what those standards actually require.
Not Sure Which Course Fits?
Leave us your name and we will send you our brochure, with the courses, the age groups and the dates in one place, and let you know when the next intake opens.
Or write to courses@amiprague.cz and tell us what you do now and where you would like to get to.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I become a Montessori teacher?
By completing a Montessori diploma course for a specific age group. An AMI Diploma Course runs one to two years, includes 400 to 490+ training hours of theory, observation and practice with children, and qualifies graduates to apply for Montessori teaching positions worldwide.
What is the difference between an orientation certificate and a diploma?
AMI Orientation Courses are introductory and focus on foundational understanding of Montessori philosophy and practice. AMI Diploma Courses are full professional training programs required for lead guides in Montessori classrooms.
Can I train as a Montessori teacher online?
Orientation courses run fully online, live via Zoom. Diploma courses are hybrid: they combine in-person training modules in Prague with structured online components, because the practical work with materials and the observation of children cannot be done through a screen.
How long does Montessori teacher training take?
An orientation course takes four to six weeks and 25 to 60 hours. A diploma course takes one to two years depending on the level, with 400 to 490+ training hours.
How much does Montessori certification cost?
It depends on the course and the age group, and the current fee is listed on each course page. Diploma courses can be paid in instalments. Orientation courses cost a fraction of a diploma, which is one reason people start there.
Which age group should I train for?
Train for the age you want to work with, since the environment and the materials differ at every stage: 0-3, 3-6, 6-12 or 12-18. If you are working across the first plane, there is also a combined 0-6 orientation course.
What is the difference between AMI and AMS?
AMI is the Association Montessori Internationale, founded by Maria Montessori in 1929, which sets Montessori training standards internationally. AMS is the American Montessori Society, founded in the United States in 1960, with its own standards and a mainly North American reach.
Is Montessori Institute Prague AMI accredited?
Montessori Institute Prague is the only AMI certified training center in the Czech Republic, and works in partnership with AMI as an Approved Accrediting Agency for the Global School Accreditation framework.
Start where you are
Whether that means a four-week orientation course to find out whether this work is for you, or a two-year diploma because you already know it is, the courses are open to people at both ends of that range, and to everyone in between.
Join the community
Leave your name and email and we will send you the Montessori Institute Prague brochure.