Govt looking at our curriculum document....

On the review of Te Whāriki - Lynley Tulloch

12:32PM, 19 December 2016

By Lynley Tulloch

Currently New Zealand’s internationally acclaimed Early Childhood Education (ECE) curriculum Te Whāriki He Whāriki Mātauranga mo ngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa is in the process of being updated. And it is not a just trivial tinkering of this world-class document, but rather a major rewrite.

Like a piece of meat submerged in a pool of hungry piranhas, the original Te Whāriki document has a ‘now you see it, now you don’t’ quality about it. The new draft is just over half the size, with many pages being taken up with glossy pictures of children in nature (completely at odds with the lack of attention paid to the natural environment and sustainability).

This review should be a matter of enormous public interest - after all our tamariki (or children) are a national taonga (treasure). In addition, Te Whāriki is held in high esteem and used with pride by most early childhood educators (Kaiako) in New Zealand. Yet this review has received very little media attention.

Coupled with limited publicity, the ‘update’ has been remarkably speedy. Members of the writing team were appointed in June 2015 (when the advisory committee on Early Learning recommended an update). The first meeting with wider ECE community and the public was only held on 15 November 2016.The deadline for submissions is on the draft is 14th December 2016.

In addition, the writing process appears much more shallow and rushed; having been written by academic ‘experts’ selected by the Ministry of Education, rather than the ECE community.

That hardly seems fair - to butcher and remake a curriculum - without adequate and timely consultation with those expected to implement it.

In contrast the original Te Whāriki document was drafted in 1993 and finalised in 1996. It was characterised by a broad and deep consultation process with diverse groups across the ECE sector over a period of years. It is a fluid and nuanced document, based on deep knowledge of how preschool children learn, grow and flourish in communities and other social contexts.

So it should not really be surprising that the new draft curriculum document has been received with some unhappiness by many early childhood educators and other interested parties. Despite its glossy brochure-like good looks, there is a feeling that we have lost an inherent joy, richness, colurful multi-layered and open approach.

At the heart of this unease is the observation that the draft represents a regulatory and prescriptive approach. The learning outcomes have been reduced from 118 down to 20 and are written in definitive terms detailing precisely what a child knows and what a child can show.

What this current update of Te Whāriki could mean for the children of New Zealand is that their pre-school education is shaped by a ‘tick-box’ approach - rather than one that is open-ended, play and discovery based. The new document includes assessment styles that link to the performativity model of education. It opens the door for testing. In my view this is both dreadful and draconian.

New Zealand preschool Kaiako generally favour a responsive and relationship based teaching and learning approach. This does not appear to be respected in the review.

Further, the new draft of Te Whāriki has a patronising tone. The earlier document engaged ECE practitioners in critical thought with plenty of examples and with open questions for reflection.

Another area of concern for early childhood Kaiako is the loss of a focus on the principles - ‘Holistic Development’, ‘Empowerment’, ‘Family and Community’ and ‘Relationships’. While these are still included in the new draft, they are in smaller writing and appear overlaid by (rather than interwoven) in the new whariki (woven mat) image

The irony of this is that the construction of the new draft itself has been disempowering. It has been non-holistic and lacked genuine consultation that would build trusting relationships with the families, communities, and educators. Rather it is part of a wider trend of de- professionalising educators and treating our tamariki like fodder for the capitalist grist mill.

It does seem a little Grinch-like that the Kaiako and tamariki of New Zealand are about to have their proposed futures altered so radically this close to Christmas.

A performativity model of schooling has already infiltrated our primary sector as evidenced in National Standards and the 2007 New Zealand Curriculum. To impose this kind of pressure and rigidity on the very young is tyrannical.

Lynley Tulloch has recently submitted her PhD at the University of Waikato, which was based on educational policy analysis. She is also working in the field of early childhood education.

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A message from our Association General Manager

Kia Ora Koutou

You would have seen information in the news about Campbell Kindergarten and Karori Kids Childcare Centre. The sale of the teachers college campus has put two early childhood services which are sited on the grounds at risk of closure.  Our collective action has seen Victoria University extend the timeframe to 16 February  - after that time they will move to sell the properties. So we need to urge the Minister of Education to intervene and acquire back the properties and lease them back to us at the peppercorn rentals we have always had. 

But this is also bigger than just Campbell Kindergarten and Karori Kids Childcare Centre, this is about the place of not-for-profit, community-based early childhood education in this country. It affects everyone of us and it affects the debate about whether ECE is a public good or a business where the profit motive dominates. 

I know you’re really busy, but please consider signing the petition and also circulating it through your  Facebook pages.

You can read more and sign the petition here:

https://www.change.org/p/minister-of-education-keep-campbell-kindergarten-and-karori-kids-open?recruiter=269898661&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_responsive

Thanks!
xoxox 

Articulating what we know

Kudos to Eleanor for sketching our mountain Te Ahumairangi today....
Those of you who have been joining us for mat time might recognise it! It's  a fab replica ( actually it's better) of the one we use when we got busy talking about our mountain and it's features.

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Our place to stand... the history

You might have heard if you've been at our mat time hui, or if your children have come home singing a song ( as some of you have reported as happening)..... we've been exploring a new song the team has devised as part of our project work about our geographical, peopled and historical area.  We've included signposts of the geography and the way the kindergarten began in Northland. If you don't know it yet from your child or children, here are the words. The team will record it soon as an accompanying soundtrack. We intend to use it as part of ceremony welcoming visitors to a mat time hui - or new people to our kindergarten community alongside 'tihei mauriora' which we use currently to say 'hi'!

A reminder!

End of year celebration:

 We so enjoy children’s learning that we love to celebrate a great year of Learning at Kindergarten.

Our end of year  celebration this year will be a teddy bear picnic.

Bring a named  teddy of sorts to kindergarten on the day and we’ll get busy  with lots of teddy related work and fun.. Bring your child’s lunchbox stocked as usual with maybe a party treat for the Picnic we will have.  Some families might like to contribute to the shared lunch picnic we will be Involved in….. We’ll be making fruit kebabs with the children who choose to be involved during the morning and so will be looking for donations of suitable kebab items of fruit and marshmallows. We’ll ensure sensitivities to foods are adhered to as we eat.  Dates for this are the 6th and 7th of December. … It’s this  coming week!

The bushwalking adventurers

Here's some info about a regular feature of investigation. Thanks to Leo Mishkin ( 4 years) for taking these photos for us to share while he was walking with us....

Thanks to the Lion Foundation!

 We've been enjoying giving our physical skills a bit workout, and  honing our thinking skills too as we make decisions to tackle known challenge! We've been fortunate enough to get a community grant for some fab new equipment.... which is always fun!

Welcome to the Kindergarten Taniwha!

Kia ora to the new Kindergarten Taniwha!  We've spent time in the planning project about Tūrangawaewae( our place to stand ) looking at legends... and we've investigated the idea of the Taniwha of Wellington Harbour as part of the stories important to our area.  Thanks to a kind donation from the Marshall family we have been able to purchase our Taniwha seat and you can see the children making it welcome... making sure he eats and is sunsafe! :)  Thanks to the Marshall family - we are so grateful!

Turtle Safe (April 2011)

Earthquake info

Hi - if you have had any residual after effects from children wanting to make sense of the idea of an earthquake, we've put some hand outs  next to the sign in sheets that might help 'earthquakes and other scary events'.   We've been so impressed with lots of children's conversation about how they managed an earthquake at home...  they've been practicing how to manage them at kindergarten each month! we even did a drill last week! we followed up with a mat time hui discussion and practice this Tuesday.  Quote of the week was a worried 4 year old who told me he couldn't do his earthquake turtle properly - because he was asleep when it happened!  It's a great time for families to think about what happens in a major event... and to ensure we have all your up to date information re: phone numbers and email addresses.
Don't forget to check the Whānau Manaaki facebook page if you are in any doubt about Kindergarten closing in a major weather event... it doesn't happen very often... I've been in this association 20 years and it's only happed 3 times! We also email all the families on the roll for the day concerned.... as we did on Monday- so watch out for that!
Above find a clip we often use on our computers during session, when we are programming a drill soon.... it's quite good for children to access the main ideas......take a peek.

Welcome to Moerangi!

Freeze frame on the programme in action!

Huge thanks to Gilly and Evie for bringing in their great friend Moerangi to Kindergarten to share her memories of Northland and Northland Kindergarten in the 70’s. We’ve talked a lot about history of late and her stories and video clips of Hawea’s

Adventures in Northland were very interesting. We had questions about how it was and we enjoyed sharing the ‘pigeon house ‘ song she remembered singing when she was a kindergarten girl. She talked about the differences in how it was to be a kindergarten aged person then as opposed to now, highlighted for us that the tunnels were a big feature then just as they are now,  and also talked about hangi as a way to celebrate milestones….Thank you for sharing … we were so pleased to welcome you. we are so very interested in finding out about our kindergarten 'place to stand'. 

Earthquake closures

!! Update on Earthquake Kindergarten Closures !!
Kia Ora Koutou
All Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens will be open tomorrow (Tuesday 15th) with the exception of Tai Tamariki Kindergarten that is based at Te Papa. Tai Tamariki Kindergarten will remain closed tomorrow. We will keep parents and whānau of children attending that kindergarten updated on when it will open. Also, Matariki Kindergarten in Upper Hutt will open at 8.30am instead of the 7.30am that it normally opens.
Apart from Tai Tamariki, all kindergartens in Wellington, Petone and Eastbourne, Upper Hutt, Porirua, Kapiti Coast, Levin and Wairarapa will be open tomorrow. Lower Hutt and Wainuiomata Kindergartens will also be open.
Thanks for your patience and understanding over this exceptional time. We will keep you informed via our kindergarten teams and Facebook as well as our website, but let’s hope we have an uneventful night!....

so check the whānau Manaaki facebook for updates!

Working with physics at Kindergarten.

Here's  a note that shows how the current project begun along the lines of planning, exploring and evaluating our ideas might look.... we'll have evidence on a new project planning wall in the  indoor environs.  A great 'hook' to get children involved in this idea is the way balls or other items work when used in a range of physics based scenarios.......

a perspective on the current funding crisis for all education services.......

Just to put this in persepctive..a goodly amount of the early childhood issues we have are due to bulk funding... 

A teacher tells you what you need to know about bulk funding

By Donna Eden
October 19, 2016

When it was scrapped in 2000, teachers and parents thought they’d seen the last of bulk funding, the hugely unpopular scheme for funding schools. Now it might be back. Donna Eden, a teacher with 20 years’ experience and a mother of two, explains why that’s a terrible idea.

The first I knew about this bulk funding issue is when I went to my kindy and saw that teachers were having a meeting about it. I wanted a cheat-sheet – what is bulk funding? As a parent, what do I need to know? I asked a teacher to give us a run down from her perspective. It’s a passionate piece, and that’s good. Teachers care about our kids – they didn’t enter this profession for the pay. I trust teachers when it comes to my child’s education. To me, it’s a partnership. Donna Eden has been a teacher for 20 years – let’s hear what she has to say about the possible future of school funding in New Zealand. – Emily Writes, The Spinoff Parents editor

Hekia Parata’s latest proposed update to school funding is causing a mighty brouhaha in the education sector, and rightly so. It might have a shiny new name – “global funding” – but it’s the same old bulk funding scheme that was so unpopular in the 90s and finally shelved in 2000. Now it’s back like fluro bike pants, lurking in the bottom of the wardrobe making everyone feel uncomfortable, frightened and a little bit sick. And it’s time to chuck it in the bin and be rid of it for good.

Teachers really don’t like bulk funding, so much so that they have been out of the classrooms meeting and rallying. And they’re talking to anyone who will listen about how our kids will be worse off.

And they will.

Why? Well, it will mean bigger classes and fewer teachers. It will mean our kids have less time with their teacher because instead of sharing him or her with 15 other children there will be 30 or more classmates needing the attention of their kaiako. It will mean less support for the kids that need it. It will mean fewer teacher aides for fewer hours.

It will likely mean untrained teachers in the classroom because they will be cheaper to pay.

It will mean winners and losers, and that, my friends, is not okay. Every child deserves the best, all of them, all over our country.

So what is the Ministry of Education’s proposal?

It’s simply that schools will be given a lump sum of money. And from this lump sum they will pay teachers’ salaries (which are currently centrally funded, meaning they don’t cost schools) and for everything else (think the power, water, supplies, first aid supplies, the caretaker, the office staff , support staff like teacher aides, any class room resources…)

There will be a separate pool of money for maintenance – property repairs and the like.

Why is it bad news?

Well, how much time do you have?

Firstly, because there is no new money. It’s just moving around the money that is already there. And it’s already not enough.

For the first time ever school operations grants, the cash that keeps schools running, have been frozen.

While costs rise, this budget won’t keep up. This means cuts to what schools can offer. It will start with trimming the extracurricular stuff. It won’t stop from there.

Hekia Parata is looking to remove the caps to class sizes and the guaranteed teacher funding this brings. It will mean that classes will get bigger – they will have to in order to stay within budget.

It’s like trying to do the grocery shopping with the usual budget when you have four extra people staying for the week. It just won’t stretch; something will have to give.

If it comes down to a choice between paying the power bill and paying a teacher, it is principals and boards of trustees that will have to decide who goes. What a horrible decision to have to make.

The second reason this is bad news: because by taking the property grants out of the hands of school principals they won’t be able to do the tweaking of budget that they currently do.

And let me be clear, this is not because they aren’t budgeting well – it is because there is not enough money.

Need extra teacher aid hours? We won’t paint this year.

Need new computers for the classroom? Then maybe that extra toilet block can wait.

Need to provide breakfast for half your roll? Then we won’t get new carpet.

Principals are using this money to fund the important stuff around teaching and learning and that money will be gone. You might have a shiny well-painted school but you will have lost all the things that this budget used to pay for.

They are talking about scrapping the decile system and instead targeting funding towards “at-risk students”. This may sound harmless, but it’s not. There is no new money for this; the funds will come out of the existing education pool – remember that one we talked about that isn’t enough?

We will be shifting money from some students to others. Targeted funding only works if the education system is already well funded. It does not work if you are shuffling cash around.

Once again, it just creates winners and losers.

What if it’s your child? What if it’s all the children at your child’s school? Your niece? Your nephew? Your brother or sister?

This funding that the minister plans to give to children in need is around $90 per child a year. That’s about $2 a week. What amazing services is she expecting to fund with that? It’s barely enough for a chocolate bar if you are having a bad day. It’s definitely not enough for a teacher aide, or a speech language therapist, or a physical therapist…

We have an amazing world-leading curriculum in schools and in early childhood education (ECE) services in New Zealand. We have some of the best, most qualified teachers in the world. We have dedicated support staff and we could have an amazing, world-leading education system.

But instead we have an education minister who seems focused continuing to cut dollars from an already underfunded system.

Already we are under-funding our children’s education by about $1000 (US) per student, per year, compared with other OECD countries.

Why we are trying to cut costs any more is beyond me.

Teachers are worried. As a parent I’m worried too.

Global funding is bad for kids and it’s bad for schools and ECE services.

Our kids are worth more than a cut price education system. They deserve the best and it’s time the minister listened.

So let’s get in there. Talk to your teachers, ask them about global funding. Let them know that they have your support. They are battle weary and they need to hear that you are worried too, they need to hear that you think it sounds like the worst idea since high heeled jandals.

They are fighting for what is best for our children, for your children, for mine – and it’s lonely in the trenches. Hekia Parata is great at spin, at pretending that “all the fuss” is because of naughty grumbling teachers. But frankly what else is she going to say? She wants to keep her post as minister and for people to keep voting for her. And it’s much easier to blame teachers for not being able to make the system work than to admit to a failing system. She says that we are putting more money into our education than ever before, and she is right. What she doesn’t say is that it’s because we have more children in the education system than ever before. More bums on more classroom seats means more money. Spin.

Please help others understand the reality. Talk to fellow parents, grandparents, your work mates, your friends. Talk to your MPs. Talk on Facebook, tweet, go along to a rally, wear the t-shirt, spread the word that our schools need better funding not bulk funding.

As a teacher and a mother all I can say is: Please, next November vote education. Look for a party that will fund our schools, and put our kids first

Play spaces Policy

It seems the Wellington City council is reviewing their.........

Playgrounds Policy 2002 - to make sure play spaces in Wellington City are well managed and planned for. This closes on the 18th of November. A revised Playgrounds Policy will:

• help us deliver our vision of a child and youth-friendly city
• mean that we can be strategic when deciding the number, placement and quality of playgrounds in Wellington
• allow us to refocus on what is important when planning new playgrounds and upgrading existing ones
• help us identify key projects and initiatives

Proposals

• increasing the number of formal play spaces (playgrounds) to a maximum of 111 (from 107) evenly spread around the city
• improving the wider park and user experience (eg improving accessibility or creating more usable space) when replacing play equipment and safety surfacing 
• keeping a network of six formal skate facilities and considering minor improvements to each in partnership with the community; the Nairnville Park ramp will be removed 
• providing a network of 23 outdoor courts (a mix of half and full-sized) for informal use around the city 
• keep on working with schools and communities when play spaces need to be renewed or new ones are planned
• focusing on programming and advocacy to get more people playing outdoors more often and promoting the ‘city as a play space’.
• play space principles and standards and the playground categories will guide what each play space looks like and who it caters for
• 3 categories of formal playground:

Destination
A premium playground that attracts residents, visitors and tourists, and services the city and region. Regionally unique and a celebration of place, centrally located, easy to get to and able to accommodate a longer stay with amenities such as toilets, parking, drinking water and structures for shade and shelter. Provides both formal and informal play opportunities for all ages, with spaces to gather and meet and natural landscape features to explore. May have art installations or other hard landscape features that offer opportunities for incidental play.
Community
Ideally located in community parks or near neighbourhood centres and mainly servicing the immediate neighbourhood and local community within about 800m walking distance. Enough activities to keep children and/or youth entertained for at least an hour with places to gather and meet. Unique or with a point of difference to other community playgrounds around the city and designed to encourage exploration of the natural environment as space and location permits.
Neighbourhood
A handy place for a quick play that services the local community (within about 600m walking distance) with a focus on play equipment for younger children. Likely to be a smaller space, but wherever possible there will be provision for kick-about space and nature play


http://wellington.govt.nz/have-your-say/public-inputs/consultations/open/playgrounds-policy

Thinking about 'our place to stand'

We are so enjoying exploring our local geography, history and people that makes up our community! One aspect of the notion of  tūrangawaewae is the idea of looking after our local environs....recycling and being respectful of our plantlife.... we welcomed a visitor this week- Zam the Gardening Man who had a chat to the group about worm farming, growing, making great use of 'rubbish', and planting....

more learning pathways after the olympics....

Leading the way.

Here's some of our Mountain enthusiasts popping off for a spot of research about our local awa..... the stream and flora over the fence.  We are keen for some other of our older  friends to take a turn at satisfying our curiosity about our local geography too.... We had such rich conversation and wonderful observations and sketches abounded. Great investigation e hoa! We have certainly added more info to our developing working theories in this area today!

The Northland Octathalon

The entrants for the 2016 Northland Olympics octathalon event have been announced!  Isaac, Gabby and Leo took part in 8 events.  The rings, the parallel bars, the beam, 100 m race, the 100 m relay, the long jump, the high jump and the shot put.  It was great to see the children bringing in so much knowledge from home.  What other events could we have?. Posted by Doug.

What else lives on our Mountain?

It's been great when our learners grab a moment or two to draw what they are thinking, discussing and wondering about..... We've had lots of friends of late drawing trees and plant life that they observe from the Kindergarten..... so many interesting works! Keep on compiling lists of  features for us to include in our shared Mountain work my friends!

Constructing on a Wet day

Thanks to all those families who responded to our plea  for collage boxes - we had completely run out! Now we are really busy constructing in the glue gun and art table spaces! Great work to be involved in on a series of wet days! :) thank for your support!

Thinking some more about the local area...

As part of our discussions with children about the features of the area where our Kindergarten community resides, we've talked a lot about mountains, and the things you might find on our Maunga. We've had some fab drawings  from our children as they express what they've noticed. Today's wonderful art work explored local birdlife. I enjoyed discussing it with the artist as she carefully reproduced the physiology she observed in some reference material. ka pai tō mahi!

this from Education Aotearoa's site.....

"High-quality early education is all about the teachers, says Professor Barnett."
"At its core it's about what the teacher does with the child. Can they deliver... rich content and interactions that are personalised to each child, one-on-one and in small groups, in an intentional planned way that accumulates over the year?" check it out on  https://www.facebook.com/NZEI.EducationAotearoa/?fref=nf

This way of working with and alongside children works well.....

The Key To Your Child’s Heart (7 Ways It Works)

POSTED BY JANET ON NOV 14TH, 2011

Write this word on your hand. It’s a magical way to connect with a child of any age, can ease tears and tantrums and even prevent them.  It’s a simple but surprisingly challenging thing to do, particularly tough to remember in the heat the moment…

Acknowledge.

Before you tell your child that it’s time to leave the park, or remind him that the really cool truck he’s examining has to stay at the store, acknowledge his point of view. Acknowledge your child’s feelings and wishes, even if they seem ridiculous, irrational, self-centered or wrong. This is not the same as agreeing, and is definitely not indulgent or allowing an undesirable behavior.

Acknowledging isn’t condoning our child’s actions; it’s validating the feelings behind them. It’s a simple, profound way to reflect our child’s experience and inner self. It demonstrates our understanding and acceptance. It sends a powerful, affirming message… Every thought, desire, feeling — every expression of your mind, body and heart — is perfectly acceptable, appropriate and lovable.

Acknowledging is simple, but it isn’t easy. It’s counter-intuitive for most of us, even when we’ve done it thousands of times. Won’t acknowledging our child’s wishes make matters worse? Won’t saying “I know how much you want an ice cream cone like the one your friend has and it does look yummy, but we won’t be having dessert until later” make our toddler hold on to the idea longer, cry harder? Wouldn’t it be better to dismiss or downplay the child’s feelings,distract, redirect or say:”Oh, sweetie, not now”?

Our fears about an honest acknowledgement of the situation “making things worse” are almost always unfounded. Feeling heard and understood allows children to release the feelings, let go and move on. Here are more reasons that acknowledging our child’s truth is worth the conscious effort it takes…

1. Acknowledging can stop tears and tantrums in their tracks.

I have witnessed this many, many times. Whether a child is upset about an injury, a disagreement with another child or anger over a conflict with a parent, acknowledging to the child what happened or that he is hurt, frustrated or angry can miraculously ease the pain. Feeling understood is a powerful thing.

2.Acknowledging, instead of judging or “fixing”, fosters trust and encourages children to keep sharing their feelings.

Parents and caregivers have an enormous influence, and their responses have an impact on young children. If, for example, we try to calm children by assuring them that there’s no need to be upset or worried about something that’s troubling them, they may become less inclined to express their feelings. If our goal is our child’s emotional health and keeping the door of communication open – just acknowledging is the best policy. “Daddy left and you are sad.”

I was reminded of this recently when one of my teenage daughters shared her anger and heartbreak over a long time best friend’s lies and betrayal. How hard it was not tell her that this friend is flawed and that my daughter deserves so much better!  How hard it was to just listen and acknowledge the hurt and disappointment. As painful as this experience was for me, I treasure it, because my daughter trusted me with her innermost feelings. I’ll do all in my power to encourage her to share with me again. (My daughter ended up resuming her relationship with her long adored friend, having noted her limitations, and I was so glad I held my tongue.)

3. Acknowledging informs, encourages language development and emotional intelligence.

Children gain clarity about their feelings and desires when we verbally reflect them. But don’t state the feeling unless you’re sure. It’s safer to use the words “upset” or “bothered” rather than jumping to “scared”, “angry”, etc. When in doubt, you might ask, “Did it make you mad when Joey wouldn’t let you use his blocks?” “Did the dog’s bark frighten you or just surprise you?”

An added benefit: talking to babies, toddlers, children of all ages about these “real things” happening to them is the most powerful, meaningful and natural way for them to learn language.

4. Acknowledging illuminates, helps us understand and empathize.

To state our child’s point of view, we have to first see it, so acknowledging helps to give us clarity.  When we say, “You want me to keep playing this fun game with you, but I’m too tired”, we are encouraged to empathize with our child’s point-of-view (and he ours).

Acknowledging the situation and asking questions (especially when we don’t know the reason our child is upset) can help us to unravel the mystery. “You’re upset and look uncomfortable. You just ate, your diaper is dry. Maybe you need to burp? Okay, I’m going to pick you up.”

5. Acknowledging struggles might be all the encouragement your child needs to carry on.

This is another scenario in which a simple acknowledgement can work like magic. Rather than saying, “you can do it!”, which can create pressure and set the child up to believe he disappoints us, try saying, “You are working very hard, and you’re making progress. That is tough to do. It’s frustrating, isn’t it?”

6. Acknowledgements instead of praise help children stay inner-directed.

This is as simple as containing our impulse to cheer loudly or say “good job!”, and instead smiling and reflecting, “You pulled the plastic beads apart. That was really hard.”

“Let your child’s inner joy be self-motivating. You can smile and express your genuine feelings but should refrain from giving excessive compliments, clapping your hands, and making a big fuss. If you do this, your child starts seeking satisfaction from external sources. She can get hooked on praise, becoming a performer seeking applause instead of an explorer. Praise also disrupts and interrupts a child’s learning process. She stops what she’s doing and focuses on you, sometimes not returning to the activity.” –Magda Gerber, Your Self-Confident Baby

7. Acknowledging proves that we are paying attention, makes a child feel understood, accepted, deeply loved and supported.

Could there be any better reason to give it a try?

“People will forget what you said; People will forget what you did. 
But people will never forget how you made them feel.” -Maya Angelou

“We all need someone who understands.” –Magda Gerber

 I share more about respectful care and emotional health in
Elevating Child Care: A Guide to Respectful Parenting

http://www.janetlansbury.com/2011/11/the-key-to-your-childs-heart-7-ways-it-works/

Transition to school...

Here's a really 'on to it' dialogue from Radio NZ - an interview with Sally Peters who is a pivotal researcher on Transition to school in the NZ context. I have a lot of time for Sally who spent a while in Wellington a while back mentoring the ECE teachers programme with Victoria University.
It's a realistic look at the notion ... check it out

http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201803843/parenting-the-transition-to-school

Northland Maunga!

 Those of you who have joined us in session during the week might have noticed that this week we are ' all about mountains' at Kindergarten!

We've been thinking a lot about what makes Northland unique and the geography is one aspect. We've enjoyed the idea that legends give weather or inanimate features of geography a character sometimes. often with facial features that show an emotion! 

So when a huge group followed two girl's plans to make a really huge maunga, we really enjoyed the process. We loved measuring how high it was getting, working hard together to achieve an objective, and  connecting the work to a kindergarten regular event - simulating a volcanic eruption. When some of the children wondered if there were actual mountains nearby, we did some storytelling about this and research- legends and images of local places of interest. We love the idea of our Maunga being Te Ahumairangi ( which means whirlwind!)

After our work sharing what had happened that day and our group korero at our mat time hui about what we know about legends of mountains - all week we've had friends drawing mountains. Those that are nearby with recognisable features such as wind turbines, those from legend  which have features showing how the mountain character is thinking,  and those which reflect our research on volcanic mountains. Whew! we've been busy! Here's a sample of some of the work we have so enjoyed developing with those children who choose to express and investigate their interests using art media..... ka pai tō mahi!

Hallelujah!

We love that there is so much information from NZ and international research about the value of carefully planned and quality taught programme..... it's nice to hear it validated on prime time tv.
If you haven't already seen this.. it is must see tv if you are interested in the education system in NZ and the wider world.

check this out:
http://www.tv3.co.nz/WORLD-CLASS-INSIDE-NZ-EDUCATION-A-SPECIAL-REPORT-World-Class-Inside-NZ-Education-A-Special-Report/tabid/3692/articleID/126943/MCat/5126/Default.aspx

The Budget and ece

This from the association...

The Budget delivered nothing for early childhood funding, meaning another effective cut for us at Whanau Manaaki, because there is no compensation for inflation.

 

New Zealand Kindergartens’ budget press statement describes the budget as “a big disappointment” and an opportunity lost. NZK chief executive Clare Wells says: “…quality is likely to take a backward step as services are forced to cut budgets”.

 

This cut to funding is hidden because the government has put extra money aside for the increase in the population, while the amount per child remains frozen. The amount per child per hour in kindergarten remains less than it was in 2008 – despite eight years of inflation.

 

There has also been no increase to equity funding, despite the government saying it wants to target funding to those most at risk.   Increases to special education are aimed at schools, which again is disappointing as the research shows early intervention is crucial for educational success.

 

Te Rito Maioha describes it as “insulting” while NZEI says yet another funding squeeze will undermine quality learning.  The Child Poverty Action Group, which holds post-budget breakfasts around the country to highlight what the budget offers children, says “this is not the New Zealand we want.” Child Poverty Action says “when so many families are in crisis and children are bearing the brunt, this budget does nothing.”

 

This budget, and the fact that the freeze on early childhood funding barely rates a mention in the budget media coverage, highlights the importance of our campaign to make early childhood funding an election issue. The Stuff website, one of the two main news websites, even said ECE was a ‘big winner’ in the budget. 

 

The government uses the slogan “more children in quality early learning” but its actions do nothing to ensure quality, although it is providing $436 million over four years for an  additional 14,000 children in early childhood education by 2019/2020.

 

In other budget areas, the schools operational funding was also frozen, which will mean more costs are passed onto parents. Increases to special education in schools should mean more children qualify for ORs support, while schools with a large number of beneficiary families are likely to get some additional targeted money – although schools say this is $2 a week for a child at risk and will not go far.  There were no significant other budget initiatives to support children and families.

 

We need to work together to make sure that quality ECE and proper funding features large in future budgets.

Every child deserves an equitable chance at success in education....

 This statement from the association........
Last Wednesday, the Minister of Education announced additional funding for special education – to schools.
This is appalling given the extensive issues facing many babies and young children and the ongoing concerns expressed by early childhood educators at the lack of special education support. Below is a media release from NZK. You may want to add this to your kindergarten newsletters or Facebook pages.
NZ Kindergartens welcomes the Minister of Education’s announcement today of additional funding to support children with additional learning needs in schools but questions why no extra funding has been allocated for children in early childhood education (ECE) services.
“It is false economy to only increase funding to schools when the research says early intervention is critical for children to experience success during their school years” says NZ Kindergartens Chief Executive Clare Wells.
“The Ministry of Education says between 80,000 and 100,000 children and young people receive some form of special educa-tion support each year. That is about one child in ten, which equates to around 20,000 children in ECE in every year.” said Clare Wells. “All these children go on to school. Why would you wait until they start school to provide extra support?”
Understanding and progressing children’s learning is central to the role of qualified teachers in kindergartens. “Learning diffi-culties are identified as soon as the child starts kindergarten and often before that. Adequate additional support needs to be available straight away.” Clare Wells says.
A 2015 survey of kindergartens found that 9 percent of children attending the kindergartens surveyed needed extra support to gain the same benefits of participating in ECE as their peers. Sixty-five percent of their teachers said there was not suffi-cient education support worker funding available to meet children’s needs.
A 2011 Education Review Office report on inclusive education in ECE recommended the ministry review the current provision of education support workers.
“The current funding allocation for special education support in ECE is not working for children, their whānau or their teach-ers. Despite their own evidence and advice, the ministry and the government continue to ignore the need for more funding to support young children with special education needs” said Clare Wells. “We need to turn that around if we are serious about making sure every child can succeed in education.”

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our whānau Manaaki Pepeha.......

kindergarten friends working together!

social competency... our local procedure about developing this area of learning......

 As you see it will be renewed later in the year so if you have any questions or suggestions do let us know so we can include your ideas in the review process.

Being a Kindergarten teacher....

• You must have a warm, smiling face that makes every child feel special and loved.
• You must be able to laugh at jokes that you don’t understand, or you don’t find funny. Child humour can be a confusing minefield to navigate.
• You will preferably have a little bit of quirkiness. If a child requests that you be the captain of a pirate ship, you will be the best pirate captain you can be.

• You must feel comfortable telling everybody in the same room as you, that you are going to use the bathroom.
• The ability to sing in tune is not necessary, however the ability to sing out of tune in front of a crowd is essential.
• Some knowledge of Frozen, Minions, Spiderman, Ariel, Peppa Pig, Octonauts, Thomas the tank engine and Sofia the first would be advantageous.
• A high level of multitasking is essential. If something would normally take 5 minutes to achieve, you must be comfortable with it taking 15 minutes or longer.
• You must be able to distribute warm hugs as required.
• Possessing the skills required to rapidly count the heads of numerous moving small people is of utmost importance.
• Must be comfortable entering public places on the way home from work with unknown substances on your clothing.
• You must have a high level of comfort around talking about bodily functions. You must also have a strong sense of smell to enable you to respond swiftly to said bodily functions.
• You preferably do not have an aversion to an environment that at times resembles the aftermath of a tornado.
• You must be able to remain focused in environments with high noise levels.
• Pretending to eat playdough creations realistically is required, this is a skill that may develop with time and experience.
• The ability to remember the names of 40+ children, their parents, siblings, grandparents, pets and special soft toys is a key component of this job. Again, this is something that will develop over time.
• You must feel comfortable sitting on furniture that does not contain all of your behind.

• A high level of comfort with being asked personal questions by children is essential. You will regularly be asked questions regarding what you are having for lunch, whether you are willing to share said lunch, whether or not you are married, and if not, why you are not married, where you are going (as you walk into the toilet), and what you did in there (the toilet).
• You must have an understanding that the small people you have a strong relationship with during the week, may completely and utterly refuse to talk to or acknowledge you when they see you at the local store. Your feelings must not be easily hurt.
• You must have the ability to read a ten page fairytale with at least one interruption per page.
• Authentically showing an interest in and curiosity for bugs and creepy crawlies is essential, even if they are your biggest fear on earth.
• You must be prepared to have a lot of fun in the workplace. Laughter is something you can expect to engage in for a large part of your working day.
• Finally, you must be prepared to feel loved, special, and important to many young children and their families. There is simply no other job quite like this one

Being safe at Kindergarten.

An added complication to a Friday afternoon nearly end of session at kindergarten is a smoke alarm.... signalling an unscheduled fire drill! Thanks to all the families who indulged us as we evacuated to our usual space and ensured we were all safe. Some families wondered about how their children knew what to do.... we practice a fire drill during less contentious times of the day every month! It's great to know the procedure holds up during more complex times of the day! :) we evacuate to the top point of the top gate and roll call after the signal. well done tamariki and families who humoured us as we did it.... .good news?  no lasting fire damage of any sort!

Rocking the food technology!

 Have you been wondering why your children are asking to bring whole apples in as part of their lunchbox repertoire? At Northland  Kindergarten we have a designated kai space where we all eat our morning tea or lunch kai. We have available an apple peeler and corer machine that the children get a kick out of using to prepare their apples. It's so much fun! A while back ours broke so we were without it for a few months... and this term we are 'machine capable' once more! So many apples to peel and slice into rings or springs! As we enjoy the transformation of the apple, it gives us a great context to talk about healthy food and the physics of a simple machine in action.... so keep on going keen investigators!

Today at Kindergarten....