Conversation analysis (CA) can be a useful tool for research when investigating toddlers’ social interactions, because it can showcase their capabilities and agency through in-depth analysis of their verbal and non-verbal actions. This article argues that by using CA to analyse the details of toddler conversations within the peer group ...

In contemporary early childhood education (ECE) contexts, tuākana/tēina describes the practice of older, more expert children caring, teaching and taking responsibility for those younger or less expert. This article explores the tuākana/tēina  understanding and practices that were evident in a recent Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI)-funded research project, Te ...

Despite making major advances in educational provision, Māori and Pasifika children continue to lag behind other groups, in New Zealand, achieving disproportionately lower results on national averages. Key to educational success for Māori and Pasifika children is the acknowledgement that they are culturally located and the recognition that effective education ...

A growing number of 2 year olds are now attending early childhood education (ECE) services nationally and internationally. However, New Zealand has been slow to address the specialist provision and needs for high quality ECE for 2 year olds. The current survey of 248 New Zealand ECE services examined the ...

In the Hebrew story, King Solomon was asked to decide which of two “harlots” was the mother of an infant. His proposal to divide the baby between them revealed who could recognise the child’s best interests. This ancient story has resonance for early childhood education, for although our curriculum holds ...

Teachers understand the importance of whānau (family) involvement for children’s learning. This understanding comes from their own experience as teachers, from an extensive published research base, and, in Aotearoa New Zealand from the national early childhood education curriculum, Te Whāriki. Early childhood teachers also know that finding acceptable ways to ...

This article has arisen from a study involving teachers in an early childhood centre and their responses to being introduced to schema learning theory. As a former practitioner in early childhood education and in my current role in initial teacher education, I have an interest in cognitive constructivist learning theories ...

This article has two aims. First, it conveys the results of a questionnaire and focus-group study. This study asked parents of 3- to 5-year-old children what they would like to help support their children’s development toward the transition from early childhood services to primary school. Second, it describes the process ...