Kei Tua o te Pae

Kei Tua o te Pae/Assessment for Learning: Early Childhood Exemplars is a best-practice guide that will help teachers continue to improve the quality of their teaching.

The exemplars are a series of books that will help teachers to understand and strengthen children's learning. It also shows how children, parents and whānau can contribute to this assessment and ongoing learning.

We are making improvements to our download-to-print functionality. So if you want a printed copy there are PDF versions available at the bottom of the main cover page.

Exemplars – Ngā tauaromahi

  • Not happy with the wheel
    • Child's chalk drawing of a car Child's chalk drawing of a car

      1. This is Matthew’s first attempt to draw his car, but he was not happy with the wheel.

      2. This is Matthew’s second attempt, but again, his wheel was not what he wanted.

      Child's chalk drawing of a car Child's chalk drawing of a car

      3. Matthew is starting his third attempt to draw his car

      4. Matthew is now drawing the doors on the car, and it has windows and hubcaps, too.

      Child's chalk drawing of a car Child's chalk drawing of a car

      5. The car is taking shape, and Matthew is very happy!

      6. Look, this door opens here!

  • Sahani's drawing
    • May

      At the end of our visit to the Treasures and Tales Exhibition at the museum, we had time to visit the Māori section.

      The children sat on the steps and drew some sketches of what they could see around them.

      Sahani drew Hotunui, the carved meeting house. She included incredible detail in this drawing and even included the writing that was positioned at the apex of the whare.

      Dark-haired girl drawing a meeting house Child’s drawing of a meeting house

      Sahani’s sketch of the Māori meeting house, Hotunui, at the museum.


      Learning story

      Name: Sahani Date: June Teacher: Lesley

      Impact of the visit to the Tūtahi Tonu Marae, June

      During the visit to the marae, the children had the opportunity to sketch their impressions and ideas in the whare. Sahani sat directly in front of the carving depicting the story of Māui finding his father and sketched the carving. She incorporated the bird at the bottom and the overall perspective of the carved panel.

      The next day at kindergarten, the children were given the opportunity to revisit their marae experience through their drawings. Sahani drew a series of designs depicting the tukutuku patterns and carvings featured in the marae, including Tāwhirimātea (who cares for the wind and the rain). She clearly recalled the stories shared by Whaea Urania (the marae co-ordinator), and these featured in her work. Sahani’s aunty told us about the extensive range of sketches she had done at home after the visit. Sahani shared with her parents in great detail the stories and experiences of the marae trip. The range and details of the sketches are incredible!

      Short-term review

      Sahani’s interest in the designs and patterns incorporated in the whare whakairo, both at the museum and the marae at ACE, was clearly evident through her extensive range of designs drawn at the museum, at the marae, at kindergarten, and at home. (Te Whāriki, Belonging, Well-being) The clarity of detailing and perspective are incredibly accurate. (Te Whāriki, Exploration) Sahani recalled the stories and their significance and connection to the carvings, kōwhaiwhai panels, and tukutuku panels, and she shared them accurately with her family. (Te Whāriki, Communication) 

      What next?

      Develop further Māori art processes: tukutuku panels using paper-weaving techniques.

      Parent’s voice

      Sahani talked with enthusiasm about what she saw and how she went in ... she draws pictures, paints them. I truly find her very creative. She consults with her brother when selecting colours ... she gets the co-operation of her brother, spends hours drawing, painting pictures of what they saw to take to kindergarten ... very, very involved!

  • Dinosaur exploration
    • Girl making a green play-dough dinosaur Girl making a green play-dough dinosaur Girl making a green play-dough dinosaur

      Green play dough dinosaurs

      Neeve came to me early in the day and said that she would like to make another dinosaur from play dough. Out came the play dough and a firm base to put it on, and she was onto it.

      Today she wanted to make a stegosaurus. She found the favourite dinosaur book, and she was right onto it. When the head kept drooping, she asked for sticks and began to strengthen it so that it was free-standing. I have not seen Neeve use tools to stabilise her work before, and I was impressed. The moment she finished, she decided that one was not enough and sat down to make an ankylosaurus. Neeve makes this dinosaur at home quite a lot, and she made it quickly and accurately and then began the third dinosaur, a magnificent green and orange one. Now, for Neeve, three in one day is not enough! She came to me at the end of the day and said, “Robyn, I made another dinosaur, and Maya put him in the sun to dry.” I went with her and, sure enough, there was the most beautiful little clay triceratops drying in the sun. Four magnificent dinosaurs in one day!

      Green play-dough dinosaur

      Soundtrack for the dinosaur movie show

      Children creating art Children creating art

      I brought a dictaphone to work this morning with Neeve’s Dinosaur Movie in mind. I talked to Neeve and Damien about making a soundtrack to accompany each of their movies. I thought that a practice run might be the best way to start, so Neeve, Damien, and I sat together and took turns to speak into the dictaphone. Neeve didn’t hesitate to say her name after Damien, and then she made a longneck sound. We repeated this several times. The three of us then took over the sleep room. Neeve and Damien’s scrolls were stretched from one side of the room to the other.

      I gave Neeve three pieces of her art work I had saved to attach to her scroll. She was delighted to see them and went to work immediately and independently.

      Both Neeve and Damien had a small amount of space to add more to their scrolls, so after both of them had finished attaching their pictures, we went to the computer to print some more dinosaur pictures. Neeve decided that she wanted the same two pictures as Damien. I enlarged and printed them. They shared the same chair and enjoyed watching them coming out of the printer. Neeve went straight back to work cutting and taping her dinosaur pictures onto the scroll until it was all completed. 

      Children creating art


      Short-term review

      Neeve has shown great dedication and independence in bringing this Dinosaur Movie production to its final closing stages.

      12 June

      Neeve, Damien, and Helen had a wonderful time today putting a soundtrack together for each of their movies. When we had finished, Neeve and Damien ran around the centre pretending to be dinosaurs themselves for a short time. Sound effects and all!

  • I did it!
    • Blonde girl walking down wooden path

      Hannah, Rena, and I went to Riccarton Bush this morning. On a previous visit, Hannah had to be carried over the raised walkways. She indicated that the gaps between the planks (and the fact that she could see down though them to the ground) were the issue.

      Today, however, she dared to crawl across the first platform after watching Rena (seven years old) bound across. She moved very slowly as she looked down through the gaps to the earth below. Rena and I both supported her bravery with lots of fervent encouragement. At the end, we made a huge fuss over her.

      “I did it!” said Hannah as she clapped her hands in self-applause.

      When we got to the next similar construction, she didn’t even appear to notice it coming. She was running behind

      Rena and ahead of me. Rena just flew over it, and Hannah followed – still running – and she didn’t balk, either. She looked so amazed (as was I) when she got to the other side. After I expressed my delight at what she’d done, she jubilantly commented, “It’s not scary.”

      I asked her to do this again so I could photograph it. As she ran across the platform again, she smiled, and as you may have noticed throughout this book, Hannah doesn’t generally smile for photos!

  • Growing potatoes
    • The children here learn, as a group, about real things, like gardening and how this contributes to daily life. Growing and harvesting crops in a semi-rural township is a significant economic event that involves everyone.

      Children standing on a porch Children gathered around potato plants

      “Are they ready? How do we know? Let’s dig one up to see its size.”

      “They’re big.”

      Children washing potatoes in a plastic tub Children washing potatoes in a plastic tub

      The Potato Scrubbers “Does that look clean to you?”

      They shared the potatoes out for scrubbing, showing good maths skills.

      Children eating cooked potatoes around a small table  

      Once cooked, now the taste test – a little butter – a little salt and mmm ... e kai.

       
  • Readers, carers, and friends
    • Daniel has recently developed an interest or enthusiasm for babies, and much of his play is seen by the teachers in this setting as the re-creation of his own experiences.

      Infant boy playing with a doll Infant boy playing with a doll

      The teachers went on to share their stories with Daniel’s mother, Lynne. This conversation has led to Daniel’s new interest being supported at home as well as at the centre.

      Daniel and George’s friendship has continued to grow immensely. They can often be found sitting together looking at books, either in the book corner or in the middle of the floor where a couple of books happen to be. Today, for example, we invited the children to go outside. When most had raced out, we looked around the room, and who were in the corner ... but Daniel and George!

      Two infant boys looking at books Two infant boys looking at books Two infant boys looking at books

      It seems that (aside from the common passion they share for books), whenever one of them becomes involved or interested in an activity or toy, it isn’t long before the other is by his side, showing his interest, too. For example, this week, Daniel has become interested in the “babies” (dolls). Finding the dolls on the floor, he talks to them and puts them into bed. George, too, has joined Daniel on many of these occasions, watching Daniel first as if observing Daniel’s interest in the activity, then becoming involved himself.

       Two infant boys playing with a doll Two infant boys playing with a doll

  • Immy dancing
    • Girl dancing and swirling multi-coloured ribbon Girl dancing and swirling multi-coloured ribbon Girl dancing and swirling multi-coloured ribbon Girl dancing and swirling multi-coloured ribbon

       Girl dancing and swirling multi-coloured ribbon Girl dancing and swirling multi-coloured ribbon

        Examples or cues

      A Learning Story

      Belonging

      Mana whenua
      Taking an Interest Finding an interest here – a topic, an activity, a role. Recognising the familiar, enjoying the unfamiliar. Coping with change.

      If ever there is music playing, you can always be sure that Immy will be there, ready to dance as quick as a flash.

      Today was no exception … I arrived to find her swirling the two ribbons to and fro. “Up in the air,” I gestured. “Down on the ground …

      Immy continued to wave the ribbons, dancing to the beat.

      “You too!” she called as she passed the ribbon to Lynn.

      After much jiving and swishing, Immy collapsed on the ground and said … “Immy sleep.”

      Well-being

      Mana atua
      Being Involved Paying attention for a sustained period, feeling safe, trusting others. Being playful with others and/or materials. 
      Exploration

      Mana aotūroa
      Persisting with Difficulty Setting and choosing difficult tasks. Using a range of strategies to solve problems when ‘stuck’ (be specific). 
      Communication

      Mana reo
      Expressing an Idea or a Feeling In a range of ways (specify). For example: oral language, gesture, music, art, writing, using numbers and patterns, telling stories. 
      Contribution

      Mana tangata
      Taking Responsibility Responding to others, to stories, and imagined events, ensuring that things are fair, self-evaluating, helping others, contributing to programme. 

      Short-term review

      I always thoroughly enjoy witnessing Immy's passion for music and movement. It is amazing, too, the way in which her interest is sustained for long periods – she is more than not the first to arrive and the last to leave after the music begins!

      Her willingness to include Lynn in her dance demonstrates the trust and confidence she has in her.

      I just loved the way she collapsed spontaneously on the floor! … literally “danced till she dropped!”

  • "Some boys are nice, and some girls are nice"
    • Narrative record for Abigail

      6 July

      Abigail and the baby’s gender

      Abigail has been quite definite that her new baby will be a girl, to the point where she says that if it’s a boy, she will take him back to the baby warehouse and swap him! Today we had a bit of a breakthrough. We were discussing that the baby could be a boy or a girl and you couldn’t tell, just had to wait.

      (I had talked to Liz previously – they don’t know the sex of the baby.) Abigail was not convinced. I tried to say that boy and girl babies are both nice. Abigail’s comment was along the lines of a boy would be OK if he wasn’t “rough”. This seems to lie at the heart of the matter. We had a lengthy discussion that not all boys were rough and some girls were rough, and Abigail began to accept this, particularly when I told stories about my big brother (who was rough) and Kate added stories about her sister (who sat on her brother). Abigail found these tales very amusing. As a conclusion, Abigail said: “Some boys are nice, and some girls are nice, and fairies are nice because they don’t have guns. They have nice dresses!” M. B.

      Planning (links to Te Whàriki)

      Outings with mainly boys. (Contribution)

      Encourage developing friendship with Leo. (Contribution)

      Books about babies. (Exploration)

      Educators to keep discussing the fact that “roughness” is not a boy-only thing, and boys can be gentle etc. (Contribution)

      Mitchell’s baby brother came in and had a bath at the centre.

      Follow up on gender – excerpts from incidental notes

      26 August

      Abigail threaded a beautiful necklace for her mum. As she was threading, she commented that the beads were “girl beads”, and I then asked her to explain this. “Because my mum bought them in for us,” was her reply. We had a discussion about beads being objects and that they didn’t have a gender, male or female. J. S.

      19 September

      Abigail’s ideas about gender are becoming more complex. M. B.

      23 September

      We read some books that challenged gender stereotypes today. Princess Smartypants was much enjoyed by all. M. B.

      27 September

      Abigail told a parent that some kids are “made” as boys and some as girls. Todd came as a boy, and she came as a girl.

      October

      Liz came in and said that Abigail had been sharing the complexities of the baby’s gender with anyone who cares to listen, informing people in the supermarket that you have to wait until the baby comes out. She’s using detailed descriptions and accurate terms! M. B.

      November

      Abigail’s baby has been born. Abigail was delighted to get a phone call at the centre from her dad that she had a little sister!

  • "Did they have alarms at your centre?"
    • Child's name: Jesse

      Date: 3 September

      Teacher: Wendy

          Examples or cues

      A Learning Story

      Belonging

      Mana whenua
      Taking an Interest Finding an interest here – a topic, an activity, a role. Recognising the familiar, enjoying the unfamiliar. Coping with change.

      Jesse: At your centre, did you have sleep time?

      Wendy: Yes, we did.

      Jesse: Did you have mahi taonga time, too?

      Wendy: No, we didn't have mahi taonga time. That is something special we do here.

      Jesse: So the children can do it here?

      Wendy: Yes, they can.

      Jesse: Did they have alarms at your centre and a practice with the alarms?

      Wendy: Yes, we did have alarms and a practice.

      Jesse: Not a real fire?

      Wendy: No, just a practice.

      Jesse: Are the alarms still there?

      Wendy: Yes, they are.

      Jesse: Why?

      Wendy: So the other people that use the building can have a practice for the fire drill.

      Well-being

      Mana atua
      Being Involved Paying attention for a sustained period, feeling safe, trusting others. Being playful with others and/or materials. 
      Exploration

      Mana aotūroa
      Persisting with Difficulty Setting and choosing difficult tasks. Using a range of strategies to solve problems when ‘stuck’ (be specific). 
      Communication

      Mana reo
      Expressing an Idea or a Feeling In a range of ways (specify). For example: oral language, gesture, music, art, writing, using numbers and patterns, telling stories. 
      Contribution

      Mana tangata
      Taking Responsibility Responding to others, to stories, and imagined events, ensuring that things are fair, self-evaluating, helping others, contributing to programme. 

      Short-term review

      Jesse has an understanding of the routines, customs, and regular events of the centre and an understanding that these can be different in other settings.

      Jesse's language skills are increasingly complex, such as asking relevant questions, asking for clarification, discussing alternatives and keeping a conversation on track.

      What next?

      Ongoing conversations with the children who have shifted over from the other centre.

  • The "mooshy gooey" bus
    • July

      Some round stickers were the inspiration for Grace to create a bus

      Step 1

      Auburn-haired girl wearing wedding veil creating a picture of a bus

      Grace stuck the circles on each side and selected a green crayon to draw windows.

      “It’s the Orbiter,” she decided. 

      Step 2

      Auburn-haired girl wearing wedding veil creating a picture of a bus

      Grace used her wonderful hand-eye co-ordination to hammer a lid on the roof.

      Step 3

      Auburn-haired girl wearing wedding veil creating a picture of a bus

      Grace chose red paint. “It’s the red bus,” she said. “It’s the coloured bus.” She very carefully applied the red paint all over her bus. 

      Step 4

      Auburn-haired girl wearing wedding veil creating a picture of a bus

      There was a container of black leftover messy gloop. Grace carefully spooned it onto the lid she had hammered on, then spread it out with her fingers.

      “Some of this is mooshy and gooey,” she told Joey and Coyse. “Look at my hands,” she said proudly!

      She continued to pour messy gloop onto the bus until she announced, “It’s finished,” and she went to wash her hands.

      “That was a wonderful bus you made, Grace,” I said.

      She nodded. “Mooshy play!” she replied.

      Interpretation

      Grace spent a considerable amount of time on this creation. Each step was part of a gradual process that required careful concentration.

      I really liked how she used a variety of materials and skills to get to the final product – of which she was very proud! Not normally involved in messy play, she has definitely moved out of her comfort zone to try out this activity.

  • Skye in a box
    • 13 December

      Dark-haired girl playing in a box

      Skye discovered the large box on the platform. She climbed inside, fitting perfectly. She sat upright, peering out through the transparent scarf. She poked her head out and smiled at me. I smiled back, saying “Boo!” Skye went back inside. Michael was sitting beside the box. Skye poked her head out and said “Boo!” to Michael. Then she went back inside the box. She did this over and over with Michael, laughing and smiling.

      Dark-haired girl and blonde child playing in a box

      Interpretation and analysis

      This activity portrays enclosure schema and interaction with another child.

      What next?

      We will provide more opportunities for Skye to be inside spaces.

  • Alex the writer
    • Alex at the beach, writing in her notebook

      Teacher: Robyn

      Girl writing in a notebook Girl and dark-haired female teacher looking at a photo Girl and dark-haired female teacher looking at a photo

      When we were at the beach, I noticed Alex busy writing in her notebook. She was totally absorbed in the task, standing on her own and writing. She even had her pencil with her – she had come prepared!

      The next day, Alex was looking at the photo of her writing at the beach. She said that she had been writing about the long steps there. She decided to make another book the same size, and she drew a picture in it of the steps and the flowers we saw at the beach. Leah said that she was a real journalist! What a wonderful understanding Alex has of meaningful literacy.