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Te Whāriki is a play-based curriculum. It aims to support tamariki | children to grow and thrive.
The curriculum guides children through a wide range of learning areas including science, maths and literacy, and social, emotional and cultural development.
A 'whāriki' is a woven mat in Māori. We use this idea to show how all the parts of a child's learning and development are woven together by kaiako | educators and whānau | family.
Te Whāriki is organised around a framework of principles, strands, goals and learning outcomes. It is designed to include all the experiences, activities and events that happen within an early childhood education setting.
Te Kōhanga Reo
Te Kōhanga Reo has its own curriculum, called Te Whāriki a te Kōhanga Reo. At Te Kōhanga Reo, tamariki will learn in te reo Māori.
See the curriculum online
Te Whāriki and Te Whāriki a te Kōhanga Reo are available online.
What your child will learn
Te Whāriki supports children to learn what they need to be confident learners for life.
They will have the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills. For example, they may learn:
- how to ask for what they need
- to work with and alongside others
- how to take responsibility for themselves
- how to contribute their ideas.
Children all learn at their own pace. If your child is interested in a particular topic, they will be given opportunities to explore more through play and planned learning experiences.
Early learning lays the foundation for reading, writing and maths. This could look like counting as part of a game, sorting, making patterns or comparing sizes. Reading and language development will be supported by reading together and storytelling through activities like puppets.
Māori language and culture
Te Whāriki is a bicultural curriculum. Children will learn te reo Māori words, phrases and waiata | songs as part of everyday learning.
Some early learning services teach in te reo Māori or other languages, such as Pacific languages.
Local curriculum
Each early childhood service develops its own local curriculum. This is based on the place you live as well as the history of the land and people.
It is also about the children and families who attend including their:
- language
- culture
- identity
- aspirations
- interests
- passions.
For example, a centre close to the sea might explore sea animals, and local myths or legends about the moana | ocean.
How learning is developed
Educators observe what your child can do and is interested in. They then use Te Whāriki to make plans to support your child's learning and development.
Teachers and families work together to support children's learning and development. At a playcentre or playgroup, this is led by you, as the child's family.
Sharing learning with you
Your child's progress could be documented in stories written by teachers or by you, as photos, or as artwork by your child.
Your child's progress can be documented in lots of different ways including:
- learning stories
- photos
- examples of art or other work by your child
- videos
- written observations of learning.
Common ways that learning is communicated is:
- electronically, on a mobile application that only you and staff can see
- on paper, such as in a scrap book, that you can look at with your child
- displayed in your early learning service.
How to support your child's learning
Early learning services encourage families to take an active role in their child's learning.
This could be by regularly talking with educators, sharing learning at home, and celebrating your culture and language with your service.
