This article stems from participation in a TLRI research study, Renewing Participatory Democracy: Walking with Young Children to Story and Read the Land. It presents an account of the growing awareness of the place-based environmental and cultural relationship between Maunganui Kindergarten and Mauao.

Kaitiakitanga is promoted in the revised curriculum document "Te Whariki--He Whariki Matauranga mo nga Mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early Childhood Curriculum" (Ministry of Education, 2017). The authors give primacy to the Maori world-view of sustainable living through engaging with, and protecting, the natural environment. This article reports…

In te ao Maori, our connection to our maunga and physical landmarks speaks to who we are as a people. Our maunga are also a source of inspiration and direction. This article draws on the symbolism of maunga and describes a Maori process of the way maunga can also act as a metaphorical journey to strengthening identity and transformative change. It…

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…

"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 involvement of whanau in the teaching and learning process is important at every juncture of a child's educational journey. Rich understanding of the curriculum enables whanau to make deep and meaningful contributions to discussions about their child's development. It also presents an interesting challenge for educational settings to create…

This article draws from a Teaching and Learning Research Initiative research project that aimed to explore how three early childhood centres support children to experience and learn about their local area, including its stories, geology, biodiversity, and cultural meanings. The project helps children envision socioecological futures. This article…

This article presents the findings from a Teacher-led Innovation Fund (TLIF) project where kaiako set out to develop and then explore nga korero tuku iho as an assessment approach within kohanga reo. Underpinned by kaupapa Maori research protocols, wananga (discussions) were held with kaiako and whanau to evaluate the approach. The findings from…

This article draws from a 2-year TLRI-funded research project looking at how four early childhood centres constructed positive outcomes for children from migrant families. The research questions focused on how the people, places, and practices in early childhood settings support a sense of bicultural belonging to Aotearoa New Zealand, sustain…

In this article we present some initial findings from a Teacher-led Innovation Fund study undertaken in a kahui ako based in the small community of Dannevirke. Teachers from the eight early childhood education (ECE) services and six schools have worked together to explore teacher practice and research the impact of teacher pedagogy on the…

Aotearoa New Zealand's early childhood curriculum "Te Whariki" includes the explanation that "A weaver weaves in new strands of harakeke or pandanus as their wha¯riki expands…" (Ministry of Education, 2017, inside cover). The joining of new material to the whariki symbolises new learning. This metaphor of a continued weaving…

Tuakana/teina is an important feature of a traditional Polynesian kinship model. Historically it referred to a pairing of older and younger male siblings and cousins, and older and younger female siblings and cousins. In contemporary early childhood education (ECE) contexts, tuakana/teina describes the practice of older, more expert children…

This article explores the way in which an early childhood community was able to support the active participation of a disabled child. The Huakina Mai model provides a framework that conceptualises the participation of all members in terms of being active, ecological, pedagogical, equitable and inclusive in nature.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNICEF Office of Research-Innocenti, 2001) highlights our role as educators in the "preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples" (Article 29(1)(d)). "Te…

Despite making major advances in educational provision, Maori and Pasifika children continue to lag behind other groups, in New Zealand, achieving disproportionately lower results on national averages. Key to educational success for Maori and Pasifika children is the acknowledgement that they are culturally located and the recognition that…