Kei Tua o te Pae

The “te kākano” diagram lists a number of purposeful activities for developing and understanding mathematical symbol systems and tools. This diagram has proved useful for exploring the mathematics programme in early childhood settings. Using mathematical symbols, tools, and practices for a purpose includes:

setting and solving problems that use mathematical symbols and systems (as in the exemplar “Measuring the play dough”, where Tom uses a ruler and centimetres to compare the lengths of dough…

Child: Lute

Teacher: Karen

Date: 20 March

  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.

This morning a group of children and I were looking through catalogues. The children were selecting equipment that they would like for their outdoor area. (We were applying for a grant.) They had great delight picking and choosing, and recorded th…

Today Kauri’s mum told us the story of how Rangitoto got its name.

Back in the days of early migration when the great ancestral waka came to settle in Aotearoa, many of the landmarks that were discovered were named not only according to appearance but about incidents that occurred there. Such is the case of Rangitoto. The Te Arawa waka captained by Tamatekapua arrived on the volcano.

It was closely followed by the Tainui waka. Horouta was the captain. He had been in pursuit of the Te Arawa wak…

Children: Joe and Elliot

Date: 27 August

Teacher: Shelley

Joe and Elliot decided that they would like to illustrate the story of Hatupatu. They looked at each other for a minute, and then Joe said, “We could do it together, eh, Elliot?” Elliot agreed, and Joe said, “I’ll do the first page.” I encouraged them to draw the title page first so that we would know what the story was.

At mat time, Joe and Elliot stood behind the overhead projector and put the pictures on one by one. Joe pointed out…

Learning storyChild’s name: Brittany

Date: 7 October

Teacher: Shelley

  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.

Brittany came to the swings. She started to tell me about the trapeze swing she was on.

Brittany told me the story of how her sister, Hayley, had a photo taken on this swing when she was at kindergarten.

Hayley has a…

Book 6 outlines three aspects of competence. Two of these are “learning strategies and dispositions” and “social roles and culturally valued literacies”. Children explore and develop these aspects by engaging with people, places, and things and through the involvement of the early childhood learning community in the outside world. For example, visiting artists can help the learning community set reference points for competence in art. Exemplars throughout the books provide examples of the docume…

As part of the kindergarten environment, we have been planting and growing some vegetables. The children have helped with preparing the soil, planting, watering, and weeding. They are now reaping the benefits and help themselves to tomatoes when they want them.

We were talking about other vegetables that we grow at home and were very lucky to have Maxine bring us in some corn and a corn plant. There was a lot of discussion about how it grew, what it had needed to grow, and where the corn grew o…

Child’s name: Suelisa

Date: 19 February

Teacher: Karen

 
 
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.

Recently Suelisa has been unhappy when she comes to kindergarten. She has just started morning sessions and due to sickness has not been coming regularly.

Today Suelisa was upset when it was time to say goodbye to her dad. I gave h…

Joshua has a pretty good understanding of what is going on around him. He can recognise different faces and he expresses his feelings through body language and facial expression.

Joshua is very vocal and he will babble away while he is playing with toys and during interaction with his peers.

We have been encouraging Joshua to sound out simple kupu like “kia ora”, “hōmai”, “inu”, “kai”, “pakipaki”, “ihu”, “waha”, etc. He can understand and respond to simple instructions like “pakipaki”, “pūkana…

Child: Tom

Teacher: Rosie

Date: February

A learning story

Tom held up a long piece of play dough he had squeezed from the piping equipment and exclaimed, “Look, Rosie – it’s sooo long!”

“Yes, you’re right, Tom, it sure is! Let’s get a ruler and measure it to see how long it really is,” I suggested.

Tom placed his play dough strip along the tape measure.

It’s 19 long!!

Can you see the numbers, Tom? They tell you how long it is,” I explain.

After studying the numbers carefully, Tom clever…

It all began when some children began to take on the role of cats in the family play area. We decided to hire the video of the musical Cats 19 and see if there was any interest in this, especially after the children’s interest in ballet earlier in the term.

Watching the video on the Friday.

We hadn’t really expected that many of the children would watch the video, or that they would watch it for any length of time, so we were amazed when we put it on and not only did a large group appear in fr…

Date: 30 August

Teacher: Lorraine

Learning storyPierre discovered a shape puzzle that seemed to fascinate him. He sat manipulating the shapes for about 10 minutes.

Each time he touched one, he’d look up and say, “Da, da.” I gave him the name for each shape in English and te reo.

He carefully examined each shape before attempting to place it on the puzzle – a very reflective, studied approach!

Although it was a wet day and there was considerable activity around him, he persisted at his task,…

Learning storiesChild: Alexandra

Date: 30 November

Teacher: Helen

 
 

A Learning Story

Belonging

Mana whenua
Taking an Interest

Alex brought her portfolio to me and asked if we could look at it together. She had rushed off to get it after observing me checking through Corey's portfolio, which he was taking home with him today after celebrating his fifth birthday.

We turned to the first page, and Alex pointed out her name in a learning story and then ran her finger in a straight line…

Child's name: Andrew

Date: February

Teacher: Karen

  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.

When Andrew's mum came to kindergarten today, she got Andrew's portfolio and began to write a Parent's Voice. Andrew's mum was writing a story about Andrew's exciting weekend.

Later on in the session, I ask…

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.

Daniel found a doll lying on the floor and picked it up, saying “baby” in an excited voice. Next to me was a pillow and blanket, which I pointed out to Daniel, suggesting he might like them for his baby. Daniel smiled and dragged the pillow over to the doll, then covered the baby using the blanket.
He practised covering and u…

15 AprilMaria returned after the holidays keen to continue experimenting with koru patterns. She uses a range of drawing resources to create her koru patterns. Each time she makes a different drawing, Maria shows me her designs.

6 MayMaria showed me her work with koru patterns (using pencil). She went back to the office table and began to draw another range of koru patterns using coloured pens. The book “How Maui Slowed the Sun” by Peter Gossage was nearby. Maria identified spiral patterns in t…

Child’s name: Erica

Date: 3 September

Teacher: Ginny

 
 
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.

I've noticed that Erica often likes to have two of the same objects to play with at the same time.

Today she found two metal objects from the heuristic playthings and tapped them together, making a big sound. Shortly afterwards,…

Child: Sherina
Date: 6 October
Teacher: Janet

The child’s voice

 
 

A Learning Story

Belonging

Mana whenua
Taking an Interest
First day of term 4, Mum brought Sherina into kindergarten and took her to see Sue.
“Hello, Susie,” sang Mum.

“Susie, Susie,” sang Sherina.

“Hello, Sherina,” I sang to Sherina.

“Hello Janet,” sang Sherina, using the same melody.

Mum told me that Sherina finds it easier to sing people's names instead of saying them.

Well-being

Mana atua
Being Involved

Expl…

Teacher: Glynis

Date: May

Suelisa's Pictorial Learning Story 

Today Suelisa came to the woodwork area, a part of the kindergarten that she hasn’t spent much time in until today. She watched some children using the glue guns and decided that she would like to make something too!

 

She chose two pieces of wood and proceeded to glue them together being very careful where she placed the glue. When she finished doing that I suggested she look in the baskets on the shelves to see what else s…