(Background music.)

(Text on screen: Your child’s learning. Learning in the first six months of school or kura.)

(The presenter is standing and talking, facing the camera.)

Kia ora.

Starting school or kura is a significant milestone for both you and your child. 

(Children in the classroom talking and working.)

The New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa are here to ensure a smooth and enriching transition from day one.

Here's what you can expect in the first six months.

(Text on screen: Learning handwriting, letters to sounds.)

Your child will be doing handwriting and learning to read by matching letters to sounds.

(Teacher holding up cards with letters on them.)

(Children in the classroom talking and working.)

Expect them to bring books home to practice what they've learned in class, reinforcing their skills.

(Text on screen: 20 weeks phonics check.)

At 20 weeks, your child will do a phonics check with their teacher. This involves reading a range of words.

(Children in the classroom talking and working.)

(The teacher engaging with the children.)

Information from the phonics check combined with teacher observations will provide a clear picture of your child's progress, and you'll be kept informed every step of the way.

(Text on screen. Your child’s learning. Kura: Hihira Weteoro. Phonics for te reo Māori learners.)

(The presenter is standing and talking, facing the camera.)

If your tamaiti  |  child is attending kura  | school they will be offered Hihira Weteoro, a suite of phonics checks specifically created for te reo Māori learners.

(Text on screen. Your child’s learning. Kura: Hihira Weteoro. Phonics for te reo Māori learners.)

(Text on screen. Your child’s learning. Kura: Hihira Weteoro. 20 weeks first check: Te Mōhiohio Oro.)

(Children engaging in classroom learning.) 

We know that mokopuna |  children in their first year of school are excited to learn and want to do well in everything they experience.

(Children engaging in classroom learning.) 

(The presenter is standing and talking, facing the camera.)

Hihira Weteoro provides opportunities to celebrate their progress and achievement while identifying any support that may be required to help our mokopuna  |  children progress and achieve as expected.

At 20 weeks of schooling, the first check will be Te Mōhiohio Oro, which assesses mokopuna's  |  children's ability to hear and distinguish correct sounds.

(Children engaging in classroom learning, maths, writing) 

(Text on screen: Foundational maths concepts)

Your child | tamaiti will also be learning the six-month sequence in the first phase tūārere of learning for maths and Pāngarau. 

Your child | tamaiti will start learning many foundational and exciting maths concepts in number, algebra, geometry and measurement.

(Children engaging in classroom learning, maths, writing) 

(Teacher talking to a parent.)

Just like they do for the English and Te Reo Rangatira learning area, your child's |  tamaiti teacher | kaiako  will let you know how your child | tamaiti is progressing in maths and Pāngarau.

(The presenter is standing and talking, facing the camera.)

After school, ask your child | tamaiti how their day was and what they enjoyed the most.

(Text on screen: Parent tip

After school, ask your child:

• How their day was, and
• What they enjoyed most

www.education.govt.nz/understand-learning)