As part of ongoing collaborations with associate and mentor teachers, we explore teachers' decision making in order to help student teachers and others become aware of the myriad decisions and political choices made by teachers in their everyday work with children. In this article we are particularly interested in care, and in the way the idea of…

Autism/takiwatanga causes differences in the way people develop and learn. This research, using case study methodology, focused on teacher interactions with young autistic children in different early childhood education and care settings. The findings indicated most of the teachers included the autistic child through the use of acceptance, good…

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic rapidly impacted the education sector both in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally. Most research has focused on the impacts within the primary, secondary, and tertiary education sectors. This article brings attention to the challenges faced by early learning kaiako while providing learning opportunities during…

Inclusive teaching approaches and positive teacher attitudes are vital when creating inclusive early childhood educational (ECE) settings for all children, and especially for children with additional learning needs. This study focused on understanding how teachers nurture and promote the spirituality of children with additional learning needs in…

This article discusses the relationship with time in early childhood practice and research. It is based on a 2-year study, Slow Knowledge and the Unhurried Child (2020-21). The study was underpinned by a concern about time pressures, testing, and measurement within the early childhood education and care sector and a desire to seek alternative…

The KidsCan ECE programme is designed to remove barriers to participation in early childhood education through the provision of raincoats, shoes, nit treatment products, lunches and snacks. Data from an evaluation of the pilot programme involved surveys and interviews with whanau and teachers. Findings showed the benefits for children's health and…

The Middle Eastern population in New Zealand has grown significantly in the past two decades. However, little is known about Middle Eastern parents' expectations and their children's experiences of the New Zealand early education system. The PhD research on which this article is based was an attempt to address this gap. The findings discussed in…

This article is one component of a doctoral study that explored six early childhood teachers' experiences of working with culturally diverse refugee children and their families in an urban district of New Zealand. Specifically, this article focuses on how teachers supported the transition of refugee children from home to centres. Data were…

Kaiako in Aotearoa New Zealand inquire into innovative practice in meaningful ways. This mixed-methods study explored the use of curriculum innovation and key factors that shape kaiako self-belief, relationships, and teaching contexts. Phase 1 utilised a national quantitative survey of early childhood education (ECE) kaiako from a range of…

The 2017 refresh of Aotearoa New Zealand's early childhood education (ECE) curriculum "Te Whariki" was undertaken to better guide teachers in understanding their role in supporting children's learning and to foster alignment of teaching practices, including intentional teaching, across the ECE sector. This article draws on a small-scale…

Children's inquiry is an approach where tamariki explore and research their own questions and curiosities over sustained periods of time with the support of their kaiako. This article explores findings from research examining how this approach has been interpreted and enacted by early childhood kaiako in Aotearoa New Zealand. The article examines…

This study examined factors that influence and are influenced by the co-construction of pedagogical documentation by educators and children in early learning settings. Throughout a 6-month period, seven early childhood educators were asked to co-construct documentation with children and with a child audience in mind. Using interviews,…

"He Taonga te Tamaiti, Every Child a Taonga: Early Learning Action Plan 2019-2029" (Ministry of Education, 2019) presents goals directed towards strengthening quality provision in early childhood education (ECE) in Aotearoa New Zealand, including actions needed to attract and retain a diverse range of kaiako in the sector. Because…

The enactment of everyday democratic practice in early childhood settings supports children to practise being active agents in their own lives. Through learning to take action on matters of importance, practising collaboration and listening, and seeing that their ideas matter and have significance, children are positioned to become engaged…

Excessive noise levels in early childhood centres have a direct impact on the learning of young children, as well as on the wellbeing of teachers. Psycho-acoustic studies show that noise is a key factor contributing to elevated adult stress levels and annoyance, leading to lower levels of adult sensitivity to children's needs and fewer direct…