“Care To Learn” is a name that embodies our values.

It is a phrase that evokes many different interpretations and we invite you to find the message that uniquely resonates with you.

Here is what our name means to and about us…

 

Intrinsic motivation

 

Care To Learn reflects our ethos that intrinsic motivation is the most healthy, long-lasting and effective way of guiding your learning. It acknowledges that you must care about what you are learning. You learn best when you care about the subject matter, so to achieve quality insight and growth you really must care to learn.

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Respect for the ‘whole child’
 

Care to Learn expresses our deep belief that the child must be viewed as a holistic entity, with the physical, psychological, social and emotional needs all inextricably interwoven into one whole child.

 

A child needs to be cared for in order to learn well. Social, emotional and physical well-being are the fundamental foundation upon which cognitive exploration can occur. A child who does not feel secure in their care will be unable to engage in learning. The two cannot be separated and while they are part of a cycle we believe that the provision of attentive care must precede any expectations of learning.

 

 

Reframing perspectives

 

Care To Learn invites observers to move from thinking about early childhood services as simply “care” facilities to understanding that the early years are a period of immense learning and growth.

 

We ask the social and political realms to move reframe their perspectives on our work from “care” alone to “learning” as well in order to truly understand the depth and breadth of the impact we have on young children and their futures.

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Elevating practice

 

Care To Learn encourages individual educators and services to also reframe their perception of their own professionalism. We aim to elevate your own self-image from being a “child care worker” to being a “facilitator of learning”, from a “child care centre” to an inspirational “early learning environment”.

 

Dr Maria Montessori once said of early childhood educators, “We are guides of these travellers just entering the great world of human thought.” By understanding our great work in these terms, in respecting not only our duty to care but our opportunity to guide meaningful learning, we elevate our practice to new heights and improve outcomes for children.

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Personalising support

 

Care To Learn expresses our desire to learn about you, because we care deeply about your unique values, characteristics and needs.

We don’t offer generic formulas or ‘one size fits all’ solutions; we work with you to develop the strategies and approaches that will empower you to offer your ‘best self’. This can’t happen until we learn about you, so we frame ourselves as co-learners in our shared journey.

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Our commitment to growth

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Care To Learn is a symbol that we care enough to make sure that we keep learning, discovering, questioning and growing!

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We truly believe that an individual’s learning journey is never finished, that it is a lifelong process, and that certainly applies to us too! We are committed to proactively seeking out fresh ideas, new perspectives and the latest research. This process of discovery energises us and elevates our capacity to empower you!

 

 

 

 

 

“You're Montessori experts, so why not ‘Care to Learn Montessori’ instead?”

 

We specialize in Montessori and it is certainly a passion that forms the foundation of many of our strategies and approaches. It might therefore seem logical to include “the M word” in our name! We believe, however, that a rose by any other name still smells as sweet and we don’t feel that we must put a specific label on ‘best practice’. Labels can sometimes be limiting, especially when they are interpreted as definitive instead of descriptive. Montessori is not the beginning and the end of who we are and what we do. We are informed and inspired by a range of different influences, pedagogies and research-based discoveries. We are certainly proud of our Montessori values, and we enjoy helping other educators and services to incorporate this pedagogy, but we do not limit our scope to this perspective alone. We care to learn about a wide variety of different practices, and we can’t wait to share these with you!