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The guidance is provided as a starting point to show how services can meet the requirement. Services may choose to use other approaches better suited to their needs as long as they comply with the criteria.
C1 Curriculum consistent
Criterion 1
The service curriculum is consistent with any prescribed curriculum framework that applies to the service.
Kupu whakataki | preface
Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa Early childhood curriculum (Te Whāriki) is Aotearoa New Zealand’s bicultural national curriculum document for ECE services.
The prescribed curriculum framework for the Early Learning Sector is in 3 parts:
- Te Ara Whānui: the principles | ngā kaupapa whakahaere, strands, goals and learning outcomes | ngā taumata whakahirahira of Te Whāriki.
- Te Ara Māori: a Te Ao Māori interpretation of the principles | ngā kaupapa whakahaere, strands, goals and learning outcomes | ngā taumata whakahirahira of Te Whāriki.
- Te Whariki a te Kōhanga Reo: ngā Kaupapa whakahaere | ngā taumata whakahirahira me Te Tauira Whāriki (Te Katoa o te Mokopuna) mō Te Kōhanga Reo.
Licensed early learning services (except kōhanga reo) need to decide which pathway to implement either: Te Ara Whānui or Te Ara Māori (not both). Te Whāriki a te Kōhanga Reo is the pathway specifically for kōhanga reo and their curriculum guidance is provided by Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust.
Guidance
To meet this criterion in a way that is consistent with the prescribed curriculum framework each licensed early learning service should design its own culturally responsive, bicultural curriculum priorities using Te Ara Whānui or Te Ara Māori as a guide.
Curriculum is interpreted broadly. It includes all the experiences, activities, and events, both direct and indirect that occur within the service. It provides a framework that foregrounds the mana of the child and the importance of respectful, reciprocal, and responsive relationships.
Services should demonstrate the visibility of the principles, strands, goals and learning outcomes of their chosen pathway within their documentation i.e., policies, curriculum documentation, and engagements with parents and whānau, local community, and hapū and iwi.
Te Whāriki is a bicultural document and Te Ao Māori should be woven and considered through all curriculum criteria.
When assessing whether their curriculum is consistent with the prescribed curriculum (Criterion 1), services should take into consideration if they are meeting Criteria 2 – 13, and how well.
Things to consider
- Who will our service need to work with in a reciprocal and responsive way as part of making the decision to implement Te Ara Whānui or Te Ara Māori? Think about parents and whānau, hāpu, iwi, mana whenua, and others in the community.
- How will we identify curriculum priorities? What will this journey look like for our service and how will we document this?
- What is important in this place and why? What do we know about our whenua? How will we explore the histories of this place?
- Think about how Te Whāriki is evident in everything that happens in our service. Consider the physical, temporal, and social environment (eg, regular routines throughout the day, the way people interact with each other) caregiving routines (eg, for infants and toddlers) how do we articulate this?
- How do self-review and internal evaluation inform our understandings of the curriculum framework and lead us to ask questions like “why do we do things this way, and “how well”?”
- How does curriculum leadership happen in our team? How do we develop curriculum leadership?
The link below gives educators, coordinators, and service providers more information, advice, and guidance to support implementation of the licensing criteria.
C2 Assessment
Criterion 2
The service curriculum is informed by assessment, planning and evaluation (documented and undocumented) that demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning, their interests, whānau, and life contexts.
Guidance
To meet this criterion in a way that is consistent with Te Whāriki, each service should develop processes for assessment, planning, and evaluation.
Assessment for all children should be consistent with the principles of Te Whāriki, a mana enhancing process for children and parents and whānau and conducted in ways that uphold the principles of Te Whāriki. Experiences planned to support and enhance children’s learning should be purposeful and meaningful to them.
Assessment considers the whole child – parents and whānau, tinana (physical), hinengaro (cognitive), wairua (spiritual), and whatumanawa (emotional). Kaiako draw on their wide knowledge of each child to make meaning of their observations and plan for next steps.
Parents and whānau should be included and encouraged to contribute to discussions about their children's progress and achievements. The assessment process should recognise people, places, and things that support a child's learning, and the ways in which children assess their own learning.
Educators and coordinators should notice, recognise, respond, and revisit and evaluate children’s learning to see the progression of learning over time.
Documentation and evidence gathered through assessment, planning, and evaluation processes may be captured in a variety of ways to suit the service and could include observations (narrative and other types); examples of children’s learning over time, wall displays, recorded discussions, policies and procedures, and minutes of meetings.
Things to consider
- How do we collect and reflect children’s voices in our assessment process? How do we know what is important for children?
- How do we notice and recognise what children’s knowledge, abilities and interests and how they are progressing over time?
- How do we respond to each child’s learning and development through intentional teaching practices and organisation of resources, time, and space?
- How do we evaluate how effectively the curriculum is supporting the strengths, abilities, and competencies of all children?
- How do children have opportunities to review and extend their own learning? How do our approaches to documenting children's learning reflect our service, its philosophy, and the community?
- How do children access/revisit their learning if it is held on digital platforms?
- How do we understand parents and whānau priorities and aspirations and reflect these in our service?
- What intentional teaching strategies and practices do we provide to support mokopuna learning and the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki? How do we evaluate the effectiveness of these?
The links below give educators, coordinators, and service providers more information, advice, and guidance to support implementation of the licensing criteria.
Supporting teachers to assess and share children's early learning progress - Kōwhiti Whakapae
C3 Interactions
Criterion 3
Educators engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships.
Guidance
To meet this criterion in a way that is consistent with Te Whāriki, relationships should be recognised as a source of learning, empowerment, and identity for all. Educators, coordinators, and service leaders have a responsibility to engage in responsive, respectful relationships with children, parents and whānau, hapū, iwi, and each other.
Interaction provides a rich social world for children to make sense of and understand. Educators’ interactions should provide encouragement, warmth, acceptance, and challenges to help children extend their ideas and understanding of the world.
When mokopuna experience stable and consistent relationships with educators it enhances their learning, diverse strengths, and wellbeing. The service provider should consider how the organisation of staffing fosters opportunities for meaningful, positive, and consistent relationships between children and educators.
All interactions should create a sense of whanaungatanga in the service.
Educators have an important role and responsibility in fostering, role modelling, and supporting the peer-to-peer interactions of mokopuna.
Educators should draw on knowledge gained from the child and their parents and whānau as they build authentic and reciprocal relationships that support positive transitions for children in, through and from the service.
Things to consider
- What do we understand about whanaungatanga? How is it reflected in our service?
- How do we ensure that every child has the opportunity to develop strong, reciprocal relationships with educators?
- How do we create a sense of belonging for everyone in our service including educators, and other adults?
- How is our service staffing organised to ensure consistent relationships?
- How are children’s transitions through the service planned for and discussed with educators and whānau?
- How would we explain to others how children’s learning is supported through meaningful and positive interactions?
- How are reciprocal relationships reflected in our setting?
- What intentional strategies do we use in our teaching practice that provide meaningful and purposeful interactions for children?
The link below gives educators, coordinators, and service providers more information, advice, and guidance to support implementation of the licensing criteria.
C4 Adults' knowledge
Criterion 4
The practices of educators and coordinators demonstrate an understanding of children’s learning and development, and knowledge of relevant theories and practice in early childhood education.
Guidance
To meet this criterion in a way that is consistent with Te Whāriki, teaching practice, assessment, and curriculum planning should demonstrate that educators and coordinators understand children’s learning and development and have current knowledge of relevant theories and practices that underpin the bicultural framework of Te Whāriki.
Early learning service providers should support educators and coordinators to remain current in their understanding of learning and development, theories, and practices. Regular professional learning and development (formal and informal) should support educators and coordinators to develop their knowledge and practices.
There should also be opportunities for educators and coordinators to engage in professional reading and to discuss and debate ideas and theories, identifying meaningful ways to put their new knowledge into practice.
Internal evaluation is another important way to create opportunities for educators and coordinators to recognise how well their current practices meet the needs of the learners and highlight areas where educators and coordinators may need to develop their practice.
Pages 59 – 62 of Te Whāriki provide more guidance to help educators and coordinators demonstrate an understanding of children’s learning and development, and relevant theories and practice in early childhood.
Things to consider
- How do we use Te Whāriki to guide our teaching decisions and curriculum design and planning?
- How do we make decisions about our focus for professional development?
- How do our relationships and interactions reflect relevant theories and good practice in early childhood education?
- What do we say by our actions? What goes unnoticed or unsaid? Do our actions match our words?
- How do we perceive or view children, and how do we express our perceptions or views?
- How does the language we use demonstrate our understanding of relevant theories and good practice?
- How do different theories that guide our practice connect with each other? How are they different?
- How do we articulate to others why we do things, and what we are doing?
- How does our professional learning change our perspectives on Te Whāriki?
The link below gives educators, coordinators, and service providers more information, advice, and guidance to support implementation of the licensing criteria.
