Early Childhood Folio vol. 26 no. 2 (2022)

In New Zealand, every child has the right to participate in inclusive, quality early childhood education (ECE), as outlined in the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC). However, research reveals both the struggles children with disabilities and their families experience to have their rights recognised and upheld, and the lack of confidence early childhood (EC) teachers report related to working with diverse groups of children. Drawing on an appreciative case… Read more

Children’s citizenship in early childhood education and care is the root of democracy, equity, and sustainability. In Aotearoa New Zealand, Te Whāriki has a strong aspiration for children as competent and active citizens. Early childhood settings are sites where children may have opportunities to act as powerful citizens. Employing Foucault’s theory of discourse and power, this article analyses interviews from 12 kindergarten teachers in Aotearoa. This article reveals multiple discourses… Read more

Children’s story experiences are foundational to their social, emotional, and communication development. Viewed through a sociocultural lens, variability in the ways children and teachers interact during stories across diverse learning contexts is expected. This article explores the social and cultural knowledge demonstrated by children of different ages as they co-construct meaning multimodally during stories with teachers across two early childhood educational settings, in Canada and New… Read more

An intentional teaching approach provided a Wellington kindergarten with valuable avenues for supporting the teaching and learning of young children from refugee and immigrant backgrounds. Despite reservations about implementing this approach, teachers found that it was possible to use it in a child-centred way. The teachers’ research inquiry into scientific learning provides examples of how intentional teaching supported positive and beneficial learning outcomes for young children. The… Read more

Weaving is a significant metaphor for kaiako in Aotearoa New Zealand. Te Whāriki is central to their professional lives. At Daisies Early Education and Care Centre (hereafter Daisies), the strands in Te Whāriki shape the curriculum and its principles guide pedagogy and relationships. In January 2019, the Daisies team decided to investigate how to weave more sustained shared thinking through our pedagogy. Daisies’ leaders obtained copies of the Assessing Quality in Early Childhood Education… Read more

The 2020 COVID lockdown provoked the early childhood team at Manukau Institute of Technology to radically rethink how practicum was assessed. The usual approach of an “in-centre” observation followed by a triadic discussion was replaced by weekly “virtual” meetings and an online triadic. A reflective framework was developed to guide students to think about and articulate their understanding of the assessment of practice criteria. At the conclusion of the virtual practicums, a small… Read more