West Coast Montessori

Material Monday: Spindle Box 🔢

It’s one thing to sing the numbers 1 to 10, but it’s another thing entirely to feel what those numbers actually mean.

The Spindle Box bridges that gap by connecting written numerals to physical quantities. Placing two loose wooden spindles into the '2' compartment helps children realise that numbers represent sets of separate objects, and the empty '0' compartment introduces the concept of zero as "nothing."

It’s also self-correcting: if they get to the end and have spindles left over (or run out early), they know right away to go back and check their count.

💡 You can easily recreate this simple concept at home using a muffin tin, numbered paper liners, and dried pasta!

Yesterday, some of our Adolescent Program students spent the day at Murdoch University, taking part in workshops on pixel art, game theory and criminology. They toured the campus, joined uni-led sessions and had the chance to experience what a day at university can look like.

University is a popular choice for our students, with multiple entry options available to them. Visits like this give students the opportunity to become familiar with the campus while exploring future study possibilities. Thank you to Murdoch University for welcoming our students and giving them such a varied day.

One story has led to another in our Mooja Lower Primary class this term. After the Book Week production, the students came back to class talking about their favourite parts, acting out stories and writing detailed descriptions of characters from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Their work has since taken them in many directions, including researching countries, creating maps and finding out about different languages and cuisines.

The students have also been looking at how people communicated before the written language we know today, exploring ideograms and pictographs and creating some of their own. It is always interesting to see where a conversation or a story takes them next, and this term has already given the students plenty to get stuck into.

We had a fantastic turnout for our first Dad Network event, with our primary school families coming along to spend some time together. Our students made pizza for their fathers, and on the night they worked together to make paper airplanes. There were plenty of smiles and lots of positive feedback afterwards, with many sharing how much they enjoyed the evening and having the chance to connect with their children.

A big thank you to everyone who helped put the event together, and to The Fathering Project for supporting events like this that give fathers more opportunities to connect with their community. We loved seeing so many of our primary school families there and hope even more will join us at the next Dad Network event.

A beautiful new beginning for our Karnup Playgroup, which officially commenced today. The space is looking amazing and we are so excited to welcome families through the doors. It currently runs Monday to Wednesday, from 9:15am to 11:15am.

New families are welcome to book a free trial day and come along to experience the playgroup with their child. You can find more information and book through our Infant Toddler Program page: https://westcoastmontessori.wa.edu.au/infant-toddler-program

Material Monday: Nature Baskets 🌿

Ever watched a young child inspect a seed pod like it’s the most fascinating thing on earth?

Unlike manufactured toys that feel smooth and uniform, natural items give children real sensory variety. Handling seed pods, bark, and pinecones introduces unpredictable textures, varied weights, and rich descriptive language like brittle, spiky, or rough.

No fancy gadgets required, just curiosity, natural materials, and the time to explore.

Do your children love collecting treasures on walks? What is their latest collection?

The Choir is less than two weeks away from performing in the One Big Voice concert at the RAC Arena, and the excitement is definitely building. The students have put a lot of time and effort into learning their parts over the last few months. Last Tuesday, we brought the choir together from both Primary campuses for a full run through, and hearing all of their voices come together in one room was a great moment. They are sounding fantastic, and all their hard work is really paying off. We cannot wait to see them at the RAC Arena soon!

Recently, our Lower Primary Starfish students explored the Third Great Story, The Coming of Humans. They learned about what makes humans unique, including our ability to think, communicate, create, and pass knowledge from one generation to the next.

The children explored ancient cave paintings and discussed how early humans used symbols to communicate ideas and tell stories. They also made connections between animals, continents, and the movement of people across the world.

Inspired by their learning, the children created their own cave paintings using symbols to share stories and ideas. Through this experience, they connected with one of the earliest forms of human expression while developing an appreciation for our shared history.

🌈 Material Monday: Stacking Rings 🌈

Children often choose this material again and again, and that's exactly the point. At our childcare, we don't rush children from one activity to the next. When a child repeats a material, they're refining a skill, building confidence, and developing greater control with every attempt.

This wooden ring stacker invites children to slow down, coordinate their movements, and work independently at their own pace.

Why do we love this material?

💠 Strengthens hand and finger muscles through grasping and releasing
💠 Develops hand-eye coordination and controlled movements
💠 Encourages concentration as children focus on completing the task
💠 Builds confidence through repetition and self-directed practice
💠 Supports independence by allowing children to succeed without adult intervention

In Montessori, repetition isn't about doing the same thing over and over, it's how children master new skills. Every time they return to a material, they're refining their movements, deepening their understanding, and becoming more capable.

It's one of the many carefully chosen materials you'll find throughout our childcare centres, where children are given the time and space to learn through purposeful repetition.

This term, the students in Dolphins, one of our Children's House classes at our Rockingham campus, have started exploring botany! We kicked off our project by planting a variety of seeds and creating our very own Plant Observation Books.

The children made predictions about what they think their plants might look like by the end of the term. Each week, we will observe our growing plants and record what we notice through observational drawings.

It has been valuable to connect this topic with our wider Montessori curriculum. In Culture, the children have been learning about the different parts of plants, including flowers, leaves and roots. In Practical Life, they are taking real responsibility for looking after our class plants through hands-on plant care activities.