Early Childhood Folio vol. 21 no. 2 (2017)

Mathematics learning in early childhood education is strongly supported by existing resources of a mathematical framework (Te Kākano) and a curriculum tool, Te Aho Tukutuku. With the publication of the update of Te Whāriki, this article revisits these three resources in order to identify important threads of mathematical learning. A discussion of mathematical practices with examples sets out possibilities for further strengthening of early childhood mathematics.

Children’s interests are an important basis for creating an early childhood curriculum. However, opportunities to build a curriculum responsive to children’s interests may often be missed if busy teachers simply add new resources to activities. This article draws on the notion of real questions as a way to interpret children’s interests more deeply. We discuss examples from one child, Zoey, and her family, to show how children’s real questions might provide a basis for curriculum through… Read more

Leading from a distance presents unique challenges, particularly with regards to building leadership capacity. This article draws from a small research project that explored the role of the professional leader supporting teachers within kindergartens and early childhood centres in a large geographically dispersed kindergarten association in Aotearoa New Zealand. The findings highlighted the need for leaders to be authentic in their practice and that building leadership capacity in others was… Read more

Social–emotional skills provide a critical foundation for learning and wellbeing in early childhood and beyond. In this article we present specific teaching strategies that teachers can implement within the context of supportive, responsive relationships to foster young children’s developing social–emotional competence. The teaching strategies represent practices that have been identified and validated by a range of New Zealand kindergarten teachers and stakeholders from a larger research… Read more

Young children’s increased engagement with technology and “screen time” has created growing concern about children’s opportunities for connecting with nature. This article draws on data from three early childhood education (ECE) settings in New Zealand that prioritise the provision of regular experiences of natural outdoor environments. The article focuses on how young children respond creatively to elements of natural outdoor settings. The findings highlight some of the unique… Read more

New Zealand’s increasingly heterogeneous population places manifold demands on the education sector to integrate children who do not speak English as a first language. Limited research exists on how minority language children acquire English within early childhood education settings and how teachers support this development. This article reports on research which shows teachers rely predominantly on centres’ philosophies and sociocultural practices as per Te Whāriki, and on children’s… Read more