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.

The quality of assessment in early childhood education – ERO(external link)

Reflective questions – He pātai hei whakaaro iho

  • What opportunities are there for documented assessments to be revisited in this early childhood setting, and in what ways does this revisiting contribute to relationships between children and between children and adults?
  • What examples indicate that assessments are very clear about the learning that is valued in the Contribution/Mana Tangata strand of Te Whāriki? In what ways is continuity for that learning documented?
  • How do assessments reflect an inclusive and equitable culture in this early childhood setting?
  • Do our assessments include the collaborative and the collective work that takes place in this early childhood setting?
  • How do assessments illustrate the value of relationships with those who are of different backgrounds, age groups, and genders?
  • Which of our assessments reflect contributions by Māori whānau and community to the curriculum?
  • How do documented assessments reveal implicit theories about the value of children taking responsibility for their own learning? Are children involved in their own assessments?
  • How are children’s special interests, abilities, and strengths affirmed in assessments?
  • Do assessments provide opportunities for teachers to share information about the children with their families and whānau? Is this a reciprocal process – are families and whānau sharing information about their children with teachers? How do assessments include advice and interpretation from whānau?