Progression and continuity are considered to be indicators of quality and effectiveness in early childhood education, but there are different and sometimes competing definitions of these concepts.

The challenges of sociocultural assessment are complex but exciting. Discussion and debate will help to broaden the boundaries and empower practitioners to reconceptualise assessment so that they focus not just on individual experiences, but also on the experiences of the group within the principles of Te Whäriki.

The ideal that early childhood centres in Aotearoa/New Zealand are places where children and families “belong” raises questions for families who are in the process of looking for a centre to “belong” to. What image of inclusion with regard to disability, ethnicity, and diverse family structures do early childhood centre ...

Interviews with nine families about the transition to school for their special needs children showed that parents faced rejection and a multitude of dilemmas over access to resources, specialist support, and the amount of time their child was able to have at school. Sue Wartmann offers a set of principles ...

The latest findings from the longitudinal Competent Children project show that early childhood education continues to have important bearings on children’s performance at age 10. Early childhood education quality is particularly important.

One challenge posed by the development of Te Whāriki is to ensure that assessment and evaluation processes associated with its implementation are in the interests of children and their families. The approach we developed and trialled is closely connected to the strands of Te Whāriki, and starts with the ...

Literacy and numeracy have been receiving increasing attention in New Zealand in recent years. This paper discusses how early childhood practitioners might respond to current initiatives in the area of numeracy. Suggestions are offered for fostering early numeracy in ways that are consistent with the early childhood curriculum Te Whāriki ...

Five case studies of starting childcare show that this experience is a complex one for all involved: children, mothers, and teachers. This article presents elements of the experiences of the participants in the study.