Editorial
Ka ara mai a Matariki, ka ara mai a Puanga, ka mānawatia a Puanga, ka mānawatia a Matariki.
Matariki rises, Puanga rises, celebrate Puanga, celebrate Matariki.
E ngā kaiako, ngā tumuaki, ngā kaimahi tautoko o ngā kura o Aotearoa, tēnā koutou kātoa. He mihi nui i tēnei wā—he wā o ngā whetūrangi o Puanga mā Matariki. Haere atu rā ki te ao wairua, ki ō koutou tūpuna. I tēnei ao mārama, e ngā kaipānui, he mihi mo tō aroha me tō āwhina o ngā tamariki i roto i ō mātou kura.
The Māori new year is a special time to remember our loved ones, past and present. It is also a time to remember those we are grateful for. My appreciation goes to all the teachers, principals, and support staff who pour their time, energy, expertise, and care into our country’s younger generations.
Issue 1 2025 offers a practical compendium to commence the journal’s year for Set: Research Information for Teachers. Each article provides a clear framework for teaching its specific topic with real examples from the classroom.
Kerri Thompson presents a discussion-centric approach to reading. She borrows from mathematical inquiry communities and the concept of “interthinking” to propose a culturally responsive model for reading comprehension. Her dialogic highway framework offers a visual model of the talking moves that learners can use to participate in meaningful discussions. Students are encouraged to bring their own experiences and meaning-making to the centre, with space to evolve understanding and challenge one another’s ideas.
The power of dialogue is also central to Marie Davies’ and Gareth Haddon’s article. They present a model to improve students’ critical thinking skills. The street smarts framework takes students through a series of considerations and respectful conversations in relation to controversial issues. The evidence helps them articulate as well as to shift their viewpoints. Associated activities for each step are exemplified by a social studies class that investigated the topic of 1080 as a conservation measure.
Gill Rutherford reports on her research with teachers and senior leaders who welcome dogs as part of their school community. Insight is provided into the benefits of canine friends for students’ social, emotional, and cognitive development. Her article shares practical tips for keeping dogs and humans happy, safe, and respected in the school environment. She offers a set of policy considerations for schools to develop in the absence of a national policy framework.
Siân Morgan-Waite and Averil Coxhead attend to subject-specific vocabulary in the context of Catholic religious education. Their article shows readers how they applied a framework to decipher the different purposes of teaching and learning interactions about vocabulary. They make the point that a word or phrase can hold a range of meanings, and so it is important for subject teachers to clarify and encourage student conversation about the nature of vocabulary in their discipline. This is especially true when teaching students with English as a second language.
In Assessment News, Jenny Poskitt provides an update on the New Zealand Assessment Institute (NZAI). She reminds teachers about the Principles, Practice and Proof resource booklet about assessment that was sent to all schools in the past. She shares a new framework called RESPECT: Foundation of Assessment Practice, which demonstrates how assessment principles can be enacted. A quick wrap up on NZAI’s 2025 conference is also provided, highlighting ideas from the keynote speakers.
Mānawatia a Matariki mā Puanga. He mihi atawhai mō te mātahi o te tau. I hope that in receiving this issue of Set you can find time for reading, reflecting, and planning, and that you find the seasons ahead to be enriching and rewarding.
Josie Roberts
Set Etita