Cabartia Beach Child Care Services is a 56 place Montessori Center. It is always a goal of Montessori education in the classrooms to make the child independent and be able to do things for him/herself. This is achieved by giving children opportunities. Opportunities to move, to dress themselves, to choose what they want to do, and to help the adults with tasks. When the children are able to do things for themselves there is an increase in their self belief, self confidence and esteem that they may carry on throughout their life. The Educator or 'Teacher' prepares the classroom this is known as' the prepared environment' and is an important part of Montessori. It is the link for a child to learn from adults. Rooms and equipment are child sized. The environment has to be ready and beautiful for the children so it invites them to work. Montessori refers to work as an activity the child does or what many people might call play. She calls this work since it is through this that they create themselves and it is not just a play. Their play is their work and they are still enjoying it. "The teacher's" first duty is to watch over the environment, and this takes precedence over all the rest. It's influence is indirect, but unless it be well done there will be no effective and permanent results of any kind, physical, intellectual or spiritual." - Maria Montessori. Montessori observed how children learned the language without anyone teaching them. This sparked her idea for the "absorbent mind". Children under the age of three, do not need to have lessons in order to learn, they simply absorb everything in the environment by experiencing it, being part of it. It is therefore important that the environment set up is good, nice and positive since this is what the child will absorb whether he chooses to or not. The language of the adult is one that a child will easily pick up. For more information on The Montessori Method go to Montessori Australia website www.montessori.org.au we are members of AMI. Cabarita Beach Child Care Services operates as a Long Day Care Service and has a licence for 56 children per day between the ages of 6 weeks to 6yrs old. We have 3 Rooms: Infantile Room children under 2 and half years old: Bambini Room children between 2yrs 6mths and 3yrs 10mths : Prescolare Room for children over 3yrs 10mths up to 6yrs.