Kia ora koutou,

In this issue of our curriculum update, we cover the latest developments on Kōwhiti Whakapae, a suite of tools that will assist you to notice, recognise and respond to children’s learning over time.

We provide details about the gazetting of the expanded early learning curriculum legal framework for Te Whāriki a Te Kōhanga Reo and Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa Early childhood curriculum.

Also covered is how you can get involved in the first eLearning modules available on the Education Learning Management System, and we outline what’s new on Te Whāriki Online.

Ellen MacGregor-Reid
Hautū | Deputy Secretary
Te Poutāhū | Curriculum Centre

(curriculum.newsletter@education.govt.nz)

A resource to strengthen progress through practice

In reference to Action 4.2 of He taonga te tamaiti – Every child a taonga: Early learning action plan 2019 – 2029, we are continuing to develop Kōwhiti Whakapae. This resource is designed to support you to enrich your context for learning and to notice, recognise and respond to children’s progress within the framework of Te Whāriki.

Thank you to all those who recently participated in a short user testing of the online tool using the social and emotional learning content. We are currently working through this feedback and making improvements to the online format.

To support the online tool, we have been working on designing a visual language for the site to help us represent:

• the underpinning foundations – Te Tiriti o Waitangi, principles of Te Whāriki, inclusion and identity, and language and culture
• three areas of learning: social and emotional, oral language & literacy, and maths, with unique icons that draw on te ao Māori symbols and patterns. For instance, the icon for oral language and literacy comprises four squares referencing the ‘te whare tapa whā’ holistic approach to learning, focused around a central space to show the multi-ways we communicate and come together.

At the same time, we are revising content for the oral language and literacy tool and work has begun on content for the maths tool. We hope to trial and evaluate both of these drafts with you later in 2023. In addition, we will be developing literacy teaching and learning guides for deeper dives into that practice. Together with Kōwhiti Whakapae, these will form part of the Common Practice Model for the Literacy & Communication and Maths Strategy.

How can you be involved?

We are looking to trial and evaluate the oral language and literacy tool and maths tool with kaiako later in 2023. We will provide further details on timing and how you can be involved in the next Te Poutāhū Early Learning Update.

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please email the Early Learning team in Te Poutāhū at:

early.learning@education.govt.nz

In July and August 2022, we consulted with you about including the goals and learning outcomes of Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa Early childhood curriculum in the legal curriculum framework and the inclusion of te ao Māori interpretations of the goals and learning outcomes.

There was strong support to include the goals and learning outcomes of the curriculum document in the legal curriculum framework, and even stronger support to include a te ao Māori interpretation.

On 21 April 2023 the Minister of Education, Jan Tinetti issued a notice in Te Kāhiti o Aotearoa | The New Zealand Gazette under section 23 of the Education and Training Act 2020.

The notice expanded the legal curriculum to include the full curriculum framework – principles | ngā kaupapa whakahaere, strands | ngā taumata whakahirahira, goals, and learning outcomes. This change highlights that all four parts of the curriculum provide the framework for high quality teaching and learning. Te ao Māori interpretations will strengthen the bicultural intent and support local curricula aligned to te ao Māori.

For kōhanga reo affiliated with Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust, the part of the legal curriculum framework that applies to kōhanga reo now includes Te Tauira Whāriki | Te Katoa o te Mokopuna – a component unique to Te Whāriki a Te Kōhanga Reo.

The expanded curriculum framework comes into effect on 1 May 2024, giving early learning services and playgroups time to understand and implement the new requirements.

The Ministry is providing:

• professional learning and development for services that want to implement te ao Māori interpretations of the goals and learning outcomes
• videos with Brenda Soutar and Lesley Rameka about te ao Māori interpretations
• eLearning modules about te ao Māori interpretations
• guidance and support for playgroups.

Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa Early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki a Te Kōhanga Reo, and the online portal Te Whāriki Online will continue to provide guidance for services and playgroups. In the coming months, we will be curating current resources on Te Whāriki Online to support services with the new requirements.

You can find more information online about the consultation feedback at:

https://conversation.education.govt.nz/conversations/gazetting-te-whariki/

You can find the updated Early Learning Curriculum Framework at:

https://www.education.govt.nz/early-childhood/licensing-and-regulations/the-regulatory-framework-for-ece/the-early-learning-curriculum-framework-he-anga-marau-kohungahunga-2023/

Our first eLearning modules for early learning kaiako available on the Education Learning Management System. These modules are:

• Why Histories? Three modules to help bring Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories to life in your setting.
• He Māpuna te Tamaiti – seven modules to support kaiako to support social and emotional competence in early learning.

You can find these modules by logging in to the Education Learning Management System using your Education Sector Logon and clicking on this tile:

You will also find a link on Te Whāriki Online:

Learning modules on Aotearoa New Zealand's histories | Te Whāriki Online (tki.org.nz)

To ensure the best experience when completing these modules, you will require an education sector logon. Logging in means you will have a record of the modules you have completed, and can come back to the same place you return.

You can download an ECE user request form here:

Education On-line services access for Early Childhood [PDF, 392 KB]

You can find further information about an Education Sector Logon on the Education Applications and Online systems website:

How to get an Education Sector Logon – Ministry of Education

Since the last curriculum update, we have published the following content, resources, and pages on Te Whāriki Online:

Pacific Learners

As introduced in our last curriculum update, we are happy to share with you our new Pacific Learners page and associated resources. From this page you can find out more about Pacific values and languages, as well as linking to a range of videos and stories of practice to help you support and enhance the learning of your Pacific learners.

Pacific Learners – supporting and enhancing success

Playgroups

We are happy to launch our first curriculum page for playgroups. On this page is introductory information and links to a range of resources that will support the curriculum in playgroups. New resources are being created and will be uploaded shortly. These include a refreshed set of play cards and a new planning template. Watch this space!

Playgroups page

Gifted learners in early learning

Also introduced in our last update, new content and resources to support kaiako to work with gifted learners are now live. From this page you can find links to the successful He Pito Mata programme, as well as stories of practice where kaiako have recognised and responded to children’s gifts.

Gifted learners in early learning

Climate Change

We are pleased to introduce the Early Learning Climate Change Directory that provides ideas, resources, book lists for tamariki and kaiako, and links to help explore the issue of climate change. This directory has collated resources that will foster curiosity and inspire learning to build children’s foundational knowledge for their important role as future kaitiaki of the natural world.

Climate Change | Te Whāriki Online