Kei Tua o te Pae

IntroductionThe exemplars in this book should be considered in conjunction with the discussion in Book 16. A definition of mathematics and statistics in The New Zealand Curriculum includes the statement:

"Mathematics is the exploration and use of patterns and relationships in quantities, space, and time. Statistics is the exploration and use of patterns and relationships in data. These two disciplines are related but different ways of thinking and of solving problems. Both equip students w…

A journey: Discovering the past

0-HUIARANGI

Known also as Pigeon Mountain or Pigeon Tree Mountain.

An extinct volcano, which has been partially destroyed by quarrying.

Exploring our mountain. O-Huiarangi

Getting the feel of the mountain. Sliding on the steep slopes inside the rubbish bags.

Shooting down at speed on the slippery grass.

Climbing the old trees

The weight of the rocks!

Making connections
Asking questions
Researching
Investigating
Looking for answers that lead to new under…

23 July: “Dom, will you be able to make this again?”

12 August: Remaking the construction

I captured this photo of Dom today. He was using a photograph of a construction in his portfolio to make another one just the same! Dom has done this a number of times and said to me that it made it easier having the picture there to remake his construction.

What’s happening here?
Dom makes a construction, copying from a photograph in his assessment portfolio of an earlier construction.

What aspects of…

A broad definition of the learning of symbol systems and technologies is provided by one of the goals in the Te Whāriki Communication/Mana Reo strand: “Children ... experience the stories and symbols of their own and other cultures.”14 However, the learning that these four books focus on is not confined to this strand. The Exploration/Mana Aotūroa strand includes becoming competent with a range of tools for pretend, symbolic, or dramatic play. Listening to stories and using books as references a…

Child: Emily

Teacher: Jane

A learning story
Emily came up to every one of us this morning proudly holding something she had written. I said, “What is it, Emily?” She answered, “It is a song.” I could clearly see the musical notes she had written. A little later Rosie made a suggestion that maybe Emily would like to sing her song at mat-time. I wondered if she would be brave enough to stand in front of everyone and sing a song, especially one that she had just written, without practising it. We…

This is the first of five books on assessment in the domain of symbol systems and technologies for making meaning.

In the Reggio Emilia programmes in northern Italy, symbol systems are described as "one hundred languages" for making meaning and communicating.1 Carlina Rinaldi writes about listening "to the hundred, the thousand languages, symbols and codes we use to express ourselves and communicate, and with which life expresses itself and communicates to those who know how to l…

Child: Zachary

Date: February

Teacher: Mary

 
A learning story

Taking an interest
“I’m making a card for my great-grandad,” Zachary told me.
“He’s really sad!” I asked him why.

“Because Great-grandma died. We go and see him and cheer him up.”

“My great-grandma died before I was born.”

“My daddy said when I’m a daddy, I might die, so I don’t want to be a daddy because I don’t want to die.

I don’t want to grow up ...”

(Monique was sitting listening to this wonderful chatting. She told him…

19 June

Here are Alice and I taking a browse through her portfolio. “I know the words,” Alice keeps saying to me. We look at each page. “In the family corner I like to play with my friends, Finn and Taylor,” says Alice running her finger along the line of words.

The next page is an old story of when Alice was beginning to write her name. “I do it now and I already have my birthday and I know how to do it.”

The next page is when Alice had been playing “Doggy, doggy, who’s got the bone?” On see…

1 C. Edwards, L. Gandini, and G. Forman, eds (1998). The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Approach – Advanced Reflections. Westport, CT: Ablex, 2nd ed.

2 C. Rinaldi (2006). In Dialogue with Reggio Emilia - Listening, Researching and Learning. London: Routledge, p. 65. The Hundred Languages of Children was the name of an exhibition conceived by Loris Malaguzzi. “Since 1981, the Reggio exhibition ‘The Hundred Languages of Children’ has travelled the world, accompanied by speakers…

1 Ministry of Education (1996). Te Whāriki: He Whāriki Mātauranga mō ngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa/ Early Childhood Curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.

2 Tilly Reedy (1995/2003). “Toku Rangatiratanga na te Mana-matauranga: Knowledge and Power Set Me Free …”. In Weaving Te Whāriki: Aotearoa New Zealand’s Early Childhood Curriculum Document in Theory and Practice, ed. J. Nuttall. Wellington: NZCER, p. 68.

3 Rangimarie Turuki Pere (1997). Te Wheke: A Celebration of Infinite Wisdom. Gisborne: Ao Ako…

In this project, assessment for learning is described as “noticing, recognising, and responding”. This description comes from Bronwen Cowie’s work on assessment in science classrooms (2000). It was useful to the teachers in her study, and early childhood teachers have found it useful as well. These three processes are progressive filters. Teachers notice a great deal as they work with children, and they recognise some of what they notice as “learning”. They will respond to a selection of what th…

Paul found a rakiraki (duckling) on the road as he was walking to school. Whaea Margaret asked Paul if she could bring the rakiraki to the centre to show the tamariki. He agreed, and Whaea Margaret brought the rakiraki to the centre.

She introduced the rakiraki to the tamariki at morning mat time and told them that he had lost his mother. The tamariki were fascinated with the rakiraki and gathered around the new addition to the fold. The staff suggested we give him an ingoa (name), and the tama…

27 March

Written by Louise

Elaine shuffled on her bottom from the block area into the main playroom and stopped just inside the open double doors. She sat still for a moment, then became engrossed in her own special hand movement.

I sat down in front of Elaine, mirrored Elaine’s hand pattern with my hand and touched the palm of my hand to hers, then retracted it. Elaine transferred her gaze to my hand. Maintaining the V on my upheld hand, I began moving away from Elaine (shuffling backwards w…

Effective assessment practices enhance children’s sense of themselves as capable and competent learners.

What to look for
Assessments that refer to children setting their own goals. 
Children developing their own criteria for assessing achievement. 
Teachers’ criteria for assessment that are transparent and accessible (and that may be negotiated by older children). 
Children being consulted about what they will do next. 
Children being consulted about what will be recorded or collected.
Reflect…

"Assessing or observing children should take place in the same contexts of meaningful activities and relationships that have provided the focus for the holistic curriculum … Assessment of children should encompass all dimensions of children’s learning and development and should see the child as a whole."

Te Whāriki, page 30

Sociocultural approaches to assessment:

construct “communities of learners”
support the ongoing development of learning communities with a philosophy of whanaung…

Vic Kelly (1992) comments:

"Accuracy of assessment is related inversely to the complexity and the sophistication of what is being assessed. And, since education is a highly complex and sophisticated process, educational assessment can be regarded as measurement only in the remotest of metaphorical senses.

page 4

Worthwhile educational outcomes are often complex, especially if they are about relationships and participation. Te Whāriki states that “the outcomes of a curriculum are knowledg…

In Hinepau’s centre, the documented assessments are both collective and individual (and often dictated by the children). Te Whāriki includes the following statement:

"This curriculum emphasises the critical role of socially and culturally mediated learning and of reciprocal and responsive relationships for children with people, places, and things. Children learn through collaboration with adults and peers, through guided participation and observation of others, as well as through individua…

One way of responding to the inevitable uncertainty is to get to know the children well, to listen and observe carefully, and to respond appropriately. This enables us to stand higher up the mountain so that we can see more of the horizon in order to provide continuity in their learning. Book 4 includes exemplars in which children comment on their own learning, set their own targets, and do their own assessing.

Philippe Perrenoud (1991), writing on assessment in schools, warns that it:

"…

10 February

Zalaluddin is a Malaysian boy, Sajed is from Afghanistan and Art is from Kosovo. They are good friends and take care of each other.

Sajed and Zalaluddin were driving the truck. They left Art behind and Art was looking unhappy. I asked him, “What is the matter?”

He said, “I like to play with them and drive the truck. They do not want to have company.”

I asked him if he would like to have another truck and play with it but he wasnʼt happy about it and said, “No no no! I like to pla…

Introduction – He kupu whakatakiThe exemplars in this book should be considered in conjunction with the discussion in Book 16. The concept of literacy described in that introduction informs this book of exemplars. Literacy assessment in early childhood settings has tended to focus on a ledger of skills and conventions to do with the mechanics of reading and writing, for example: the identification of letters of the alphabet, being able to recognise and/or write one’s name, and knowledge of print…