Stories are one critical aspect of literacy across the life span. For young children, stories invite engagement in shared thinking, and social and emotional connections with others in family homes and early childhood education settings. In this article, we share key findings from two studies that illustrate ways that story ...

The involvement of whānau in the teaching and learning process is important at every juncture of a child’s educational journey. Rich understanding of the curriculum enables whānau to make deep and meaningful contributions to discussions about their child’s development. It also presents an interesting challenge for educational settings to create ...

Kaitiakitanga is promoted in the revised curriculum document Te Whāriki—He Whāriki Mātauranga mō ngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early Childhood Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2017). The authors give primacy to the Māori worldview of sustainable living through engaging with, and protecting, the natural environment. This article reports on a picturebook research ...

Critical pedagogy has the potential to create transformation experiences within early childhood settings, as educators open up children’s worlds to explore fairness, equity, and democratic participation across issues of interest and relevance to young children. Using a critical inquiry framework, informed by the work of Paulo Freire, teachers from an ...

The KidsCan ECE programme is designed to remove barriers to participation in early childhood education through the provision of raincoats, shoes, nit treatment products, lunches and snacks. Data from an evaluation of the pilot programme involved surveys and interviews with whānau and teachers. Findings showed the benefits for children’s health ...

Inclusive teaching approaches and positive teacher attitudes are vital when creating inclusive early childhood educational (ECE) settings for all children, and especially for children with additional learning needs. This study focused on understanding how teachers nurture and promote the spirituality of children with additional learning needs in their early childhood ...

Kauri Tearaura (Ngāti Mahuta, Tainui, and Cook Islands) shares his personal story before expanding on the harm that is done by hate speech, especially to minority communities, such as the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, and Sex Characteristics community (SOGIESC). He suggests that a way forward might be found ...

Fiona Cram (Ngāti Pahauwera) reflects on her introduction to the new technology of her childhood—the television set. She intersperses her memories of how this device changed her whānau’s dynamics with advice for today’s young people as they clamour for new technology to think more deeply about the associated consequences.