Montessori inspired early learning is an approach where children choose their own work in carefully prepared spaces, with educators watching closely and guiding each child’s next step. At Westcare Early Learning Centre in Port Adelaide and Camden Park, this approach sits alongside Australia’s Early Years Learning Framework for children from 6 weeks to 5 years.
If you are weighing up early learning options for 2027, this guide explains what Montessori is and how our Montessori inspired program works day to day.
What is Montessori?
Montessori is an approach to education developed by Dr Maria Montessori, an Italian doctor who opened her first Casa dei Bambini (Children’s House) in Rome in 1907. She spent years watching how young children learn and saw that they concentrate deeply when they are given real tasks and materials sized for their hands.
The method rests on a handful of ideas. Children learn through their senses and through doing. The environment is prepared so everything a child needs is within reach and has a purpose. Children choose what to work on and repeat it as often as they like, while the adult observes and sets out the next challenge when the child is ready. Montessori called everyday self care tasks such as pouring water or buttoning a coat “practical life”, and she treated them as real learning. You can read more about the method through Montessori Australia.
What does Montessori inspired mean at Westcare?
Montessori inspired means we take the core principles of the method and build them into a long day early learning program that follows the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), the national framework for children from birth to five.
Every environment at Westcare is set up for its age group so children can do things for themselves. A child can put their own bag away, reach the things they need and find a familiar face at the door each morning. Practical life is part of every day, from the nursery through to the kindy environment, and children build independence and concentration as they go.
Our team observes what each child is drawn to and plans experiences around those interests, so learning grows from the child’s own curiosity. Outdoors, both centres have naturalistic play spaces with sand, water, wood and living plants, where children dig and build at their own pace.
How is a Montessori inspired program different from a traditional Montessori school?
A traditional Montessori school follows the full method closely. Classes usually mix ages, often 3 to 6 years together, teachers hold specialist Montessori training, and the day is built around long, uninterrupted work periods with a specific set of Montessori materials.
A Montessori inspired program like ours keeps the principles that matter most for young children, choice and independence in a carefully prepared space, and pairs them with the EYLF. Children at Westcare are grouped by age, so each stage from babies to preschoolers has an environment built for it. The team plans learning against the EYLF outcomes and draws on Montessori ideas alongside play and nature based experiences.
For many families the practical difference is the day itself. Both centres are open Monday to Friday from 6:30am to 6:30pm, so you get the calm, purposeful feel of Montessori with the hours of a long day early learning centre.
Is Montessori inspired learning suitable for babies?
Yes. Babies from 6 weeks join our nursery, where the environment is prepared for the youngest children. Dr Montessori placed a lot of weight on the first years of life, and the same thinking guides our nursery team as they respond to each baby’s cues and give them room to move and explore.
What should I look for on a tour?
Watch how children move around the room. In a Montessori inspired environment, children choose activities from open shelves and put things back when they finish. Ask the team how they decide what to set out next and how it links to the EYLF. Look at the outdoor space too, and notice whether children are trusted with real tasks at their level.
Enrolling for 2027 at Port Adelaide or Camden Park
Enrolments for 2027 are open at both Westcare centres. Port Adelaide is at U2/13 College Street, and Camden Park is at 383 Anzac Highway. Both care for children from 6 weeks to 5 years and are open Monday to Friday from 6:30am to 6:30pm.
Places differ by age group and change through the year, so it helps to visit early. You can read more about our Montessori inspired approach at Port Adelaide and Camden Park, book a tour at Port Adelaide or book a tour at Camden Park, or call the team on (08) 7094 2620.