PLEASE SHARE THIS MAGAZINE! If you know anyone who would like to read the interesting and informative articles in Swings & Roundabouts, pass it on! ISSN 1179-688X (Print) • ISSN 1179-7517 (Online) PO Box 5649, Lambton Quay, Wellington 6145 Winter 2024 Oral Language and Literacy – what is it and what do we do? The ECC conference is the perfect opportunity to develop your professional expertise, build connections and gain the confidence you need to succeed in your work. Find out all you need to know in this Winter issue! What matters most influences our wellbeing ECC CONFERENCE 2024: SUCCESS THROUGH WELLBEING 9 - 10 August, Te Pae Convention Centre, Ōtautahi / Christchurch Movement-Active-PhysicalPlay (M.A.P.P) Programme and Teaching Resource
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Inside this issue... Editor Trudi Sutcliffe Editorial Enquiries publications@ecc.org.nz Advertising Enquiries Catherine Norton Waterford Press Ltd PO Box 37346, Christchurch, New Zealand. Phone: 03 983 5526 Email: catherine@waterfordpress.co.nz www.waterfordpress.co.nz Production Co-ordinator Luke Lynch Content Co-ordinator Lyn Barlow Graphic Designers Liki Udam Subscription Enquiries Early Childhood Council PO Box 5649, Lambton Quay, Wellington 6145 Phone: 0800 742 742 Email: admin@ecc.org.nz www.ecc.org.nz DISCLAIMER: A cancellation fee of 25% may be charged if the booking is cancelled after the sales cut off date. Your Media Consultant will be able to provide that information if you are not aware of it. Applications for advertising in Swings & Roundabouts will be considered from the following: 1) Early childhood centres and/or their associated management groups that are members of the Early Childhood Council. 2) Trade and service suppliers to the early childhood industry. 3) Government and not-for-profit organisations. Please note: Some industries may be restricted due to exclusive arrangements with the Early Childhood Council. Please note: We do not accept advertisements for staff vacancies. All advertising content is at the sole discretion of the editor. All advertising will be at the rates determined by Waterford Press Ltd. Swings & Roundabouts is produced by the Early Childhood Council and is sent free of charge to all independent early childhood centres in New Zealand. The information contained in Swings & Roundabouts is of a general nature only. Readers should not act on the basis of the information it contains without seeking advice for their own specific circumstances. The views and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the view of the Early Childhood Council Incorporated. All content in this magazine is copyright and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the editor. Swings & Roundabouts is published quarterly for the Early Childhood Council by Waterford Press Ltd. 7 FROM THE EDITOR 8 CEO’S MESSAGE 10 ECC UPDATE 12 SWINGS & ROUNDABOUTS IS GOING ONLINE 14 WHEN LESS IS MORE 16 CENTRE PROFILE: OMAKA EARLY LEARNING CENTRE 18 INTRODUCING M.A.P.P 22 ECC CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS 23 ECC CONFERENCE SOCIAL EVENTS 24 ECC CONFERENCE PROGRAMME 26 ECC CONFERENCE WORKSHOP PRESENTERS 30 BENEFITS OF NETWORKING HUI 32 WHAT MATTERS MOST INFLUENCES OUR WELLBEING 36 ORAL LANGUAGE & LITERACY 38 HOW TO NEGOTIATE LIKE A PROFESSIONAL 40 SENSORY PLAY IN ECE 43 RESOURCE REVIEWS July 2024 { 5 }
Insider information and advice to keep you safe, viable and compliant Discounted professional development workshops and webinars Preferred supplier discounts, deals and special offers Advocacy on your behalf Latest news and insights Tools, templates, policies and more Benefits include: BECOME A MEMBER! www.ecc.org.nz | admin@ecc.org.nz 0800 742 742 We are the largest body for ECE owners and managers in the sector; representing 1,500 centres across New Zealand. We support and encourage the provision of quality education and care services. “I’m very grateful to ECC for always fighting for what's best and fair for ECE.” “100% worth every cent, the support and information you can get from it is incredibly valuable.” “It is a great piece of mind as a stand alone centre to have ECC as a resource to us.”
FROM THE Editor Kia ora koutou The above whakataukī represents the importance of community and collaboration and is a pertinent reminder of the great work the ECE sector can do if we work together to ensure our tamariki are at the forefront of any future changes in the sector, ensuring our tamariki thrive in our diverse learning environments. This is my last issue as editor of Swings and Roundabouts. As Sue Kurtovich shares on page 12 the magazine started off as a newsletter to allow the Early Childhood Council (ECC) to communicate with their members from around 1992. Over time the newsletter, then magazine, evolved with a variety of editors. As well as being editor I have also held a variety of roles, from working at the ECC head office providing content and editing for Manager Matters, the ECC online e-newsletter for members, to member enquires, event coordination and then returning to teaching and leading teams – during this time of teaching I stayed on as editor. Over the many years of working as a teacher and within a variety of ECE services I have come to the conclusion that those working in ECE despite the various rhetoric we hear in the media all want the best for our tamariki. The ECC e-newsletter for members, Manager Matters, is also evolving and will be part of the new online Swings and Roundabouts. This digital format will still cater for ECC members with a members-only section as well as news and articles for non-members similar to the printed magazine but now delivered in a more timely and relevant monthly format. Find out more on page 10. Sue Kurtovich has the last word When less is more on page 14, an opinion piece about regulation and compliance. There is nothing like being there in person to really enjoy and learn from an experience. We can watch all we want about Florence for example on our screens, but going there, meeting the people, eating the food is how we become more intimate with a place, our learning more tactile and memorable, not unlike going to an in-person learning experience. There are plenty of online webinars which are fit-for-purpose allowing flexibility in time and ease but going to a conference and taking the time to chat with others, listen to presentations in person allows for networking, the sharing of ideas from those similar and different to yourself and a feeling that you are not alone but part of a community with shared values. If you haven’t registered yet for the upcoming ECC conference go to page 22 to find out more and register online at ecc-conference.info. Talking about values – Tiffany and Phil Smith share from page 32 a simple process for both individuals and centres to define their values so to reconnect with what truly matters, both personally and professionally. This is a bumper issue with plenty to read - be inspired by a centre who shares their journey, plus articles on oral language and literacy, physical movement, sensory play and negotiation. Enjoy! Kia tau te rangimarie Trudi Sutcliffe Editor Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi. With your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive. Protecting over 1500 childcare centres childproof.co.nz 0800 765 429 AJGNZ1341B July 2024 { 7 }
MESSAGE CEO's We will continue to publish Swings & Roundabouts once yearly, so a hard copy magazine will grace your finger-tips again in the future but not as frequently. In my March interview with Kathryn Ryan on Nine-to-Noon, I highlighted what it is like for early childhood centre managers, owners and the teaching teams when the Ministry of Education visits them. How perilous those visits can be and how much power the Ministry holds over them through their ability to reclassify licences, that’s the mechanism they use to shut down centres. Since March ECC has had to represent multiple members who are faced by Ministry licensing reclassifications, which ECC considers are unreasonable. A report has been released publicly by the Ministry listing all the centres they have interfered with and how much funding those centres would have lost. The total is so eye-watering that the Ministry has withheld the funding information from the public. They argue it’s not in the public interest you to know how much money these ECE providers lost. ECC disagrees strongly and considers it shameful that they will release financial information of centres when it suits them but not when it doesn’t. Keeping the losses secret is hard to justify. You can read the Ministry’s report online at https://tinyurl.com/bdc3y458 A centre licence suspension comes with immediate, irreversible financial consequences. No funding can be claimed for the duration of the suspension. A suspension can be a killer blow for a business because the government funding can represent over 80% of the required revenue to meet costs in some cases. To put this in simpler terms: when the licence is suspended the employer still has to pay the salaries for the teachers but they are not the money they used to. How long operates can afford to keep going depends on financial reserves and their resilience – which I can tell you now is not looking strong across the ECE sector, with over 400 centres closed since March 2023. Some of the reasons for suspensions are issues with safety checking compliance. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a case of the Ministry closing a state school because the school failed to do the safety checking process properly. The same regulations apply to both schools and ECEs. But why does a mistake in the ECE setting get treated so harshly? ECC does not think it is efficient to close ECE centres due to administrative mistakes alone. If an ECE failed to safety check someone who was a real risk – then that would be a different story. There is no data showing that the safety checking regime is actually identifying any risky individuals at all. Yet if you don’t do the process right, ECEs can expect to be suspended. Suspension is on the road to centre closure, in my book. This is the last quarterly issue of Swings & Roundabouts as ECC shifts its emphasis to getting centre managers and their people more regular news through our email-based newsletters each month. Get yourself on the list – sign up here. July 2024 { 8 }
I am speechless that Kathryn Ryan’s response to me about the issues facing ECE operators was: she simply didn’t believe me. In other words, Kathryn’s view is that either I am making it all up i.e I’m lying? or I’m putting my own “spin” on the facts. If I’m lying then that’s a juicy story. Sadly, I’m not so really it’s just one of the ways people in key roles – like journalists – are shutting us down and distorting the true story. I do feel hard done by, on behalf of the ECE providers that know it to be true based on their own experiences with the regulator. But those providers who know are not necessarily in the majority at all. That’s part of why this hasn't been fixed already – we actually need to stand together here. Remember that there are over 2,700 education and care providers in New Zealand and only a small fraction of them had these experiences with the Ministry (but that number is growing). Give it time and more will experience it. Those of you who haven’t had issues – I would advise you to be more compassionate and understanding than Kathryn Ryan was to me. It could happen to anyone. New unreasonable and disproportionate licensing cancellations and suspensions are still happening in 2024. In about January this year ECC worked with Police and ERO to attempt to fix an administrative trap that exists for ECE providers with safety checking. Our work with the Ministry on the issue is still ongoing. In the Children’s Act there are two different categories of children’s workers – “core” and “non-core”. The rationale for Parliament making this distinction remains unclear. The Children’s Act is awful legislation considering it takes a heavy-handed regulatory approach that makes safety checking mandatory (to keep children safe), instead of supporting the ECE sector to do the safety checks to an acceptable standard or quality. Of course, these checks take time. So it’s cynical for the government to presume the time spent checking is unpaid and when the checking work isn’t up to standard, instead of warning or helping you to fix a defective check. In the ECE sector it is a common view, for example, that administrators or cooks are non-core workers because their roles, while having contact with children, should never involve them being the only children’s worker present and neither role is meant to be the primary one with responsibility for children. ECC considers this common view to be legally correct. But it doesn’t really matter what ECC thinks. The problem is what the Ministry’s view is. In fact, when the Ministry finds a cook or administrator’s safety checking documentation has them checked as “non-core” they tend to consider suspending the centres’ licences. ECC is still trying to get the Ministry of Education and Police to agree to change the vetting form. If non-core and core is such a problem then we think the vetting form should be changed to make “core worker” the default setting for ECE checks. It doesn’t fix the regulations but it makes it harder for us to fall into this terrible trap. I encourage all ECE providers to switch to core-checking their workers just to avoid the trap for now. Who would have thought a different tick on a form could make such a difference to whether or not your ECE centre keeps its licence. July 2024 { 9 }
ECC Update Nau mai, haere mai The Early Childhood Council (ECC) warmly welcomes the following early learning centres that recently joined the ECC: ● Kids Co Early Learning, Auckland ● Cashmere Early Learning Centre, Christchurch ● Whānau Tree House, Wellington ● Akoteu To’o Lelei, Auckland ● Bloom Early Learning and Play, Te Puke ● Kauri Seeds Preschool, Auckland ● Pohutukawa Kidz Private Limited, Auckland ● Funshine Early Learning Centre, Riverdale ● Thrive Early Learning Centre, Blenheim ● The Wildlings Early Years, Auckland ● Cuddles Early Learning Centre, Christchurch ● Wanaexcel B4 School; Wanaexcel Education Hub, Wanaka ● Montessori Blenheim, Blenheim ● Bishopdale Community Preschool, Christchurch ● Cotswold Preschool and Nursery, Christchurch ● Lighthouse Childcare Centre, Invercargill ● Active Discoverers Educare, Hamilton ● TuiTui Educare, Auckland ● Spotted Frog Preschool, Auckland ● Fetū ole Moana Trust, Auckland (Provisional) ● Pihema Educational Services Limited, Kaihoke (Provisional) Stay up todatewith Swings& Roundabouts The latest news, exciting articles and stories from the sector - now delivered straight to your inbox. Our new online format will be sent monthly, and an online archive will be available so you never have to miss out! Scan theQRcode to sign up to themailing list. Make sure you’re signed up to receive the new Swings & Roundabouts digitally in September. July 2024 { 10 }
ECC App The Early Childhood Council App helps members save money on a wide range of products and services. The App is exclusively available to ECCmembers and all of their staff members. Contact ingrid.crispin@ecc.org.nz for support and feedback. *as of 25 April 2024 DOWNLOAD THE APP Search Early Childhood Council in the Google or Apple app store and install. 1. Open the app and click Sign Up to register your account. 2. Enter your details, including an email address unique to you. Membership Number refers to your 5-digit MoE licence number. Click Create. 3. You’re good to go - enjoy browsing! 4.
Swings & Roundabouts is going online Sue Kurtovich shares the history of Swings & Roundabouts: One of the primary purposes of the ECC is to provide useful, timely, accurate, and relevant information to the membership. In the early days of the ECC, before email, websites and other online information sources, Swings & Roundabouts was our flagship publication to keep members informed. Swings & Roundabouts started as a single-page newsletter, written, printed, enveloped and sent out regularly to members by a group of volunteers. As ECC grew and paid staff were employed, Swings & Roundabouts was developed into a full colour quarterly magazine. At the same time a new publication called the Executive Diary was introduced, to ensure ECC could still communicate critical information to members in a timely fashion. Originally all the work to produce the magazine, including sourcing advertising was done in-house by magazine editor Sarah Ellich. Printing was then done off-site, with boxes of the magazines delivered to the ECC National Office for enveloping, a job usually done by a team of schoolage children of ECC staff and board members. I recall many a fun Friday afternoons, stuffing envelopes, then loading them into the boot of my car to get them to the Post Office in time for the 6.00pm mail deadline. Modern technology has provided us with so many easier options for communicating – and it is now time for Swings & Roundabouts to move into a new on-line format. I am so pleased that the original name is being retained – it reflects so much history of the ECC. This Winter issue of Swings & Roundabouts is the last quarterly issue of the printed magazine, with the first online issue of Swings & Roundabouts delivered to your inbox this coming September. The magazine will continue to be published once yearly. With the ease of technology the magazine can be delivered more often - rather than quarterly – giving you its readers more up-to-date information more often. Sign up to the online issue here. July 2024 { 12 }
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An argument for a lighter, not heavier hand from Government and their officials. It’s no secret that I’ve been around for a while – this year marks my 35th year in the ECE sector in one shape or form. That’s about the same length of time that the printed version of Swings & Roundabouts has existed. The magazine has had a few different styles over those years, a bit like me. Perhaps it is apt then, that I get to have a few last words in this final hard copy. And what better topic to choose than my favourite, Regulation and Compliance. We are at a crossroads, from what I can see. We have a new Minister of Education, the Hon David Seymour, promising to reduce the regulatory burden in early childhood education. No sooner did those words come out of his mouth, than the battle lines formed. On one side the teachers union braying that the Minister is about to ‘de-regulate’ the early childhood sector, unravelling everything they have fought for. On the other side, ECE providers breathing a collective sigh of relief that perhaps, at last, their voices had been heard, and that the bureaucratic creep of the past few years might be reined in. That they might be able to return to serving their communities, rather than the public servants who police them. And in the middle, parents, completely oblivious to there being a problem, because they are happily dropping their children off to their chosen, trusted ECE service each day. Their child is happy and thriving, and mostly that’s all that any parent really wants. I’ve seen successive Ministers of Education When less is more By Sue Kurtovich Sue Kurtovich ECE Management Consultant ECC Life Member and Patron Former President and Former CEO of the Early Childhood Council Former ECE Centre Owner/ Manager and Administrator come to the ECE portfolio with their views on what our sector needs. I don’t doubt each has been well intentioned. I’ve seen a lot of policies and programmes introduced. Some have stuck, others have been canned as soon as the relevant minister has left the portfolio. Some were doomed right from the start, because they were simply dumb ideas. I’ve often pondered why governments, and the bureaucrats in charge of government policy, have so little faith in parents and providers of early childhood education. Why do they feel the need to interfere so significantly in the early childhood sector? Do they not trust parents? Do they not trust providers? Are they worried more about boxes to tick, or more about children’s actual care and education? When the 1998 two-tier regulatory framework was replaced in 2008 by the three-tier model of the Act, the Regulations and the Licensing Criteria, the sector was promised more certainty (not more regulation). There would be no more “making it up as they go”, no more inconsistencies from one region to another, no more changes without justification or without the sector being clearly informed, no more catching you out with ‘rules’ that you didn’t know about, no more moving feasts when it comes to the rules. Sadly, the reality has been far from that. The online publishing of Ministry of Education guidance to ‘support’ the Government approved Licensing Criteria has become a cottage industry in itself. This guidance has gone well beyond being helpful suggestions, and instead has given MoE officials the confidence to extend the intent of the actual legislation in whichever way they choose, whenever they choose. We have more regional differences in interpretation than we’ve ever had before, and little room being given to providers to show compliance with the actual regulations in ways other than those that are the view of the particular official. I am firmly in the camp of let’s get back to trusting providers and parents. Of course, we need regulation. And we need compliance with that regulation. But getting the regulatory balance right is critical to parents continuing to have affordable choices in ECE, and service providers being able to innovate, adapt, and provide the choices that their communities need and want. This full review of the bloated ECE regulatory framework can’t come soon enough. I just hope it’s not too late for the many smaller providers who have less capacity to absorb or fight, and are feeling the burden of over regulation more intensely than larger organisations. The list of closures of smaller, most often community services, makes for sobering reading. We should all be advocating for a vibrant and diverse ECE sector that provides real choice for children and their families. July 2024 { 14 }
PREFERRED SUPPLIER PROGRAMME Discounted special purpose audit service for private providers 15-20% off photocopiers, facsimiles, scanners and printers Special pricing on workplace supplies & additional discounts on high volume products Free ECC Financial Advice helpline & general 10% discount on accounting services 8% discount on monthly reccuring telco charges for your business. Competitive pricing on Child Proof insurance and other packages Exclusive short-term financial loans, advances & advice Early Childhood Council banking package for business owners Visit the www.ecc.org.nz for more information or contact information@ecc.org.nz to enquire about membership. Preferred Supplier partnerships give our members more value for money and are a key benefit of ECC membership. Official partner for the annual ECC Wages & Salary survey Exclusive Employment Law helpline offering 20 mins free advice Members receive favourable rates & 25% off standard rates for legal work Discounted international recruitment through the ECC pilot programme 6% discount on your monthly invoice for Mercury electricity
Centre profile: Omaka Early Learning Centre Nestled in the heart of Marlborough wine country is a rather special, purpose built, RIE and Reggio Emilia based ECE centre. Omaka Early Learning Centre is privately owned by Megan and Matt Stevens who loved what they originally saw when they purchased the centre in 2020 and have strived to stay true to the standards and philosophy already in place. Megan is an ECE teacher with 30 years experience, Matt is a jack of all trades. We are firmly rooted in our community; we have the Wither Hills to our south and the Richmond Ranges to our north, both grounding us. Omaka Airfield is just a stone’s throw away and frequently has vintage aircraft flying over our heads which inspires kaiako and tamariki alike to soar. The sky holds no limits. Our local history includes the growth of the vineyard sector (most of NZ’s wines are made here), the Airforce base and three museums celebrating the history of flight and vehicles. Nearby are societies dedicated to things like preserving vintage farm machinery. Much of this is our proud Pākehā history. With growing numbers of Māori students, with MoE support, we are initiating further exploration of local Māori culture and history. This will build on our te reo and tikanga practices that we have grown over the last four years. We are on a journey, not at speed but at a pace which allows us to be authentic in our practice. Omaka Early Learning Centre could be described as a premium centre. Outdoor spaces that are three times MoE standard size and a purpose-built building that provides amazing light filled spaces for learning. Meals, nappies and wet weather gear are provided. Adult:child ratios average 1:8 for over two-year olds, 1:4 for under twos. We provide an abundance of quality resources, including masses of loose parts, encouraging imagination to fly. Tamariki play outside in all weathers and sleep under cover on our deck. We are always working on our spaces. Big jobs recently have been a deck around one of our sandpits and extending our grass area into what was bark. We like grass and plants. Over last summer we planted many flowers in our nature garden and we have recently put in succulents for winter. Within the rooms, displays are constantly being added to or changed. As we write, Matariki is close and the tamariki are making things to display for Matariki and excited for the after-hours party and disco with whānau. In the sandpit yesterday one of our girls was preparing for harvest (raking the sand with a bush), she was preparing to harvest butterfly wings and marshmallows for our Matariki celebration. As Omaka Early Learning Centre heads towards its 5th birthday we can reflect on our journey. It has been dramatic with long Covid lockdowns followed by rapid government changes, teacher shortages July 2024 { 16 }
and now we are in a recession with the student roll dropping nationally (resolving the teacher shortage). However, we have learned and grown with the times. We have employed many great kaiako who have added to our centre’s culture and philosophy (big and fond thanks if you are reading this). Our current team is the most stable we have ever experienced and lower numbers means we can focus more on our kaiako, building capacity for when the economy recovers. Throughout we have stayed true to our twin philosophies of RIE and Reggio Emilia, they ground our practice in the same way our mountains ground our sense of belonging to our community. Our philosophies are about respecting our tamariki as confident and capable learners and respecting them as people. We are super proud to see our kaiako practicing this every day and we are all proud to provide our tamariki with the best possible place and foundation for their learning to take flight. July 2024 { 17 }
The Movement-Active-Physical-Play (M.A.P.P) programme and teaching resource was developed following over twenty years’ experience working alongside children, their families, EC teachers, ECE centres unpacking the role that movement and nature play in child development whilst raising three sons with husband Colin. My previous work as co-Director of Moving Smart New Zealand, Director of TimberNook New Zealand and early years project lead and Trustee for the Hawkes Bay Institute of Sport & Health connects me to my special interest in linking health and education for the best outcomes for children. In 2016 I co-authored movement curriculum Move, Play & Learn with Smart Steps that was published in the USA and in 2019 Founder, Director, and Curriculum Lead of the DEN, a unique and innovative ECE centre for children two to six years located on twoacres of outdoor play space. 2024 begins my final year of Doctoral study at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) investigating the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a scalable and sustainable teacher-led physical activity programme in ECE centres in New Zealand. M.A.P.P has been designed to support EC teachers and ECE centres in noticing, recognising, and responding to physical activity as learning and increasing child levels of physical activity through active play opportunities. In recent years considerable attention has been given to increasing physical activity through active play during the first five years of life as it is essential to the health and future wellbeing of children. It is so important it is recognised under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1992). Furthermore, young children should in a 24-hour period spend at least 180 minutes in physical activity, at least 60 of those minutes in moderate-to- vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sedentary screen time no more than 60 minutes and good quality sleep for 10 – 13 hours (Ministry of Health, 2017). Significantly, Butler et al. (2021) found that in a parent-reported item about how four-year-old children in New Zealand choose to spend their free time if given a choice, a quarter (n=1568, 26%) chose to do active things whereas a third (n = 1859, 30%) regularly chose inactive things. The remainder (n=2725, 44%) were just as likely to choose an active as inactive thing to do, confirming that young children spend a small proportion of time being active and have high levels of inactivity. Further, there is general agreement that being healthy in the early years generally sets children up for wellbeing across their life course (World Health Organization, 2019). Education begins for most young children well before they are five, with enrolment in early childhood education (ECE) continuing to rise and 87% of New Zealand young children accessing and participating in ECE, well above the OECD average of 71% (OECD, 2015). According to Tucker et al. (2022) for young children attending ECE centres, teachers serve as their primary daytime role models and although there is legislation, regulation, strategy, and curriculum supporting physical activity in ECE centres, worryingly EC teachers have communicated that they lack the education, body of knowledge and self- efficacy to confidently deliver (plan, implement and participate) in physical activity for young children (Aadland et al., 2020). In the context of physical inactivity and its growing prevalence in young children, experts have confirmed ECE as a setting of impact for early intervention (Coe, 2020). Therefore, M.A.P.P was developed as a sustainable and scalable online teacher-led physical activity programme and teaching resource in early childhood centres. I am grateful to the two ECE centres and EC Introducing Movement- Active-Physical-Play (M.A.P.P) Programme and Teaching Resource By Wendy Pirie - PhD Candidate (AUT) July 2024 { 18 }
The M.A.P.P infographic was designed to visually reflect the influencers on a child in an ECE centre and the inter-connected, overlapping role that all components play to ensure a child has a positive identity as a physically active learner, a sense of wellbeing and connection to their world around them. Critically, at the centre of the M.A.P.P design is the holistic view of the child who is surrounded and supported by family, environment, EC teachers, ECE curriculum, environment, movement, active, physical and play. M.A.P.P is designed to be a physically nourishing physical activity programme and teaching resource providing quality professional development for EC teachers. Additionally, M.A.P.P has been designed to connect the three domains of development physical, social-emotional and cognitive together in a developmentally appropriate, scalable, and sustainable way for EC teachers to deliver daily meaningful, quality, and fun physical activity for young children. The programme has been inspired by the Māori (indigenous people of New Zealand) holistic model of health, Te Whare Tapa Whā - Whenua (land, roots), Taha tinana (physical wellbeing), Taha wairua (spiritual wellbeing), Taha hinengaro (mental wellbeing) and Taha whānau (family & social). Furthermore, M.A.P.P has been designed from a nonindigenous worldview, recognising the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki as bi-cultural. Te Whāriki is heralded as the first bicultural curriculum not only in New Zealand, but in the world (Tesar, 2015). M.A.P.P has been developed to connect to the pedagogical principles of the curriculum - Whakamana (empowerment), Kotahitanga (holistic development), Whānau tangata (family & community) and Ngā hononga (relationships). Further, learning outcomes are connected to curriculum pedagogical strands, such as exploration, moving confidently and challenging themselves physically. Moreover, to create an environment that is physically comfortable and emotionally secure, M.A.P.P programme activity sessions can be adapted by EC teachers and young children to weave in their own unique context. Activities are designed to be completed in a flexible fashion to ensure that it is not a barrier to action. The M.A.P.P online teaching resource is made up of narrated webinars, readings, activity videos and an implementation guide to enable EC teachers to view at a time that best suits them. The professional learning is over 10-weeks, self-paced and designed to be completed during work hours when teachers are not teaching (non-contact time) and to take no longer than 30 minutes. Each week teachers are encouraged to watch one webinar, engage in the prescribed reading, and implement their new knowledge with children during the day. Each webinar Characters Characteristics Movement Max Rolling, spinning, upside down, locomotion (moving from one place to another in different ways, directions, and speeds), such as stretching, crawling and bear walking. (Vestibular development) Active Ann Running, hopping, skipping, jumping, throwing, catching, bouncing, galloping, leaping, kicking. (Fundamental movement skills and midline development) Physical Piri Hanging, swinging, climbing, monkey bars, lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling. (Proprioception and power) Playful Pip Enjoys lots of time, space with moveable equipment to explore experiential learning in her own way, guided and supported by active teaching. (Spatial and body awareness) and reading builds knowledge on the last, scaffolding learning for EC teachers so they can prioritise child interest in intentional planning, spontaneous active play, and environmental provocations for physical activity. Each M.A.P.P activity is pre-recorded, with a combination of children of different ages, ethnicities, either individually or in a group. There is a level of predictability and routine in each session with a warm-up of high energy music encouraging children to participate and a cool down of walking with hand on heart to feel their heartbeat and an opportunity for EC teachers to implement cross-curricula links and discuss with children their body’s reaction to physical activity and the importance of drinking water after exercise. Typically, EC teachers hold a high trust relationship with children in their EC Centre therefore children are physically comfortable and emotionally secure to explore and try new things. Children are invited to join the characters of Max, Ann, Piri and Pip on their experiential movement adventures through action songs. Activity sessions can be inside or outside with fun as a priority. M.A.P.P activities can be adapted by EC teachers and children to weave in their own unique context, where physical activity is a key thread in the sum of teachers who piloted and provided valuable feedback in the final development of M.A.P.P over a 3-week period. Once refined M.A.P.P was used in a pilot cluster-randomised controlled trial. Figure 1. Movement-Active-Physical-Play (M.A.P.P) infographic July 2024 { 19 }
References Aadland, E., Tjomsland, H. E., Johannessen, K., Nilsen, A. K. O., Resaland, G. K., Glosvik, Ø., Lykkebø, O., Stokke, R., Andersen, L. B., Anderssen, S. A., Pfeiffer, K. A., Tomporowski, P. D., Størksen, I., Bartholomew, J. B., Ommundsen, Y., Howard, S. J., Okely, A. D., & Aadland, K. N. (2020). Active Learning Norwegian Preschool(er)s (ACTNOW) – Design of a cluster randomized controlled trial of staff professional development to promote physical activity, motor skills, and cognition in preschoolers. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01382 Tesar, M. (2015). New Zealand perspectives on early childhood education: Nāku te rourou nāu te rourou ka ora ai te iwi (Vol. 6). Tucker, P., Bruijns, B. A., Adamo, K. B., Burke, S. M., Irwin, J. D., Johnson, A. M., Carson, V., Heydon, R., Naylor, P. J., Timmons, B. W., & Vanderloo, L. M. (2022). Training pre-service early childhood educators in physical activity (teach): Protocol for a quasi-experimental study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(7). https://doi. org/10.3390/ijerph19073890 The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. (1992). ([N.Z. ed.]. ed.). Office of the Commissioner for Children. World Health Organization. (2019). Global action plan on physical activity 2018-2030: More active people for a healthier world. World Health Organization. The aim is that EC teachers will have increased confidence in delivering physical activity during the day resulting in increased physical activity levels for children in ECE centres. To find out more about the M.A.P.P - Movement-Active-Physical-Play programme go to www.freshairforests.co.nz or contact Wendy directly, wendy@freshairforests.co.nz. planned and unplanned experiences within their curriculum. EC teachers are encouraged to take an active teaching role in the delivery of the M.A.P.P activities. However, there is no reliance on EC teacher as physical role models, as they can use the pre-recorded activity videos of M.A.P.P. Further, M.A.P.P is designed support EC teachers to notice, recognise and respond (assessment for learning) to physical activity as learning. All M.A.P.P character’s love to dance to music every day. Each character has their own action song and further active reading suggestions to encourage EC teachers to take an active teaching role. Table 2 displays the four M.A.P. P characters and movement characteristics. williambuck.com/nz/ Start your financial MOE audit now! Our team audits centres nationwide to comply with MOE requirements. We provide an easy to follow guide and tailored templates to use. ECC members from $875 + GST Non ECC members from $995 + GST Contact us to get started Caragh Holtzhausen | 09 366 5000 audit@williambuck.co.nz William Buck is a preferred supplier to the Early Childhood Council. Preferred supplier to the Early Childhood Council Best-practice ECE accounting with Rubiix can help to move your business from ‘doing OK’ to ‘going gangbusters’, because we’re recognised experts in the ECE sector. More than 450 successful ECE centres in New Zealand trust us to help them meet IRD and MOE requirements, as well as streamline their everyday accounting with Xero. And the ECE-specific knowledge we’ve gained, which grows every year, allows us to offer insights that can optimise your centre’s profitability. You might think it’s a nuisance to change accountants, but we make it easy. Our on-boarding process is quick and painless. You’ll never look back. The best time to upgrade your accounts is now call Mark at Rubiix Accountants on (09) 302 2268 or email msalmon@rubiix.co.nz To talk about a better, easier accounting system for your early childhood learning centre, Switching to a specialised ECE accountant is much easier than you think DOING BUSINESS BETTER STARTS WITH THE NUMBERS “Switching to Rubiix has been like finding a savvy CFO or strategic business partner.” Dr Darius Singh, co-founder Chrysalis Group of ECE Centres July 2024 { 20 }
OVER 350 REGISTERED ALREADY 9 - 10 August, Te Pae Convention Centre tautahi / Christchurch SUCCESS THROUGH WELLBEING Conference 2024: The ECC Conference is the premier gathering of ECE professionals in Aotearoa / New Zealand. It is the best opportunity for you as a leader to: network and build connections, develop your professional expertise, gain the confidence needed to ensure ongoing success in the sector. Now is the time to invest in yourself and your team; keep motivation up and reward your people. Register soon to save on airfares and take advantage of ECC’s exclusive accommodation savings before standard registration sales end. Anton Matthews Gemma McCaw Dr. Lucy Hone Dr. Jin Russell Hon. David Seymour Shamubeel Eaqub What can I expect? Within the two day programme (and exclusive member only day), you can expect the following: 7 keynote speakers Welcome Reception ECC Member Networking Event 15 workshops Centre Tours Gala Dinner and ECC Awards Standard Registrations ECC Members: $719 Non members: $1009 Special offer for groups of 10+ Scan for more information And Matt Brown, Founder of She Is Not Your Rehab
TIME SESSION 7:30am Registrations open 8:30am Mihi Whakatau and Welcome from CEO Simon Laube 9:00am Address from the Associate Minister of Education Hon. David Seymour 10:00am MORNING TEA 10:30am Enrich Tamariki Wellbeing through Gardening Anita Croft Identifying and addressing workplace issues Caro Rieger The ECE Funding System / Handbook from an operational point of view Todd Painter Managing and preventing outbreaks and infections in ECE centres Te Whatu Ora Talking Matters - Communication for Wellbeing Jilly Tyler 12:00pm LUNCH 1:00pm Connecting the Dots: Understanding Early Childhood Health and Development in Aotearoa New Zealand Dr Jin Russell 2:00pm Exploring Local Pūrākau and Resources Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Policy and Regulation Update Early Childhood Council Whiria te tāngata: Weaving a rightsbased culture of inclusion in ECE Kate McAnelly Become a DDO – Deliberately Developmental Organisation Karen Hayward Supporting Communities with Complex Needs Oranga Tamariki 3:30pm AFTERNOON TEA 4:00pm Normalising Te Reo Māori in Everyday Life Anton Matthews 5:00pm Welcome Reception - supported by New Zealand Tertiary College TIME SESSION 12:00pm Member Networking Event 4:00pm ECC Annual General Meeting (AGM) - Members Only 5:30pm Centre Tours Day One | Friday 9 August ECC CONFERENCE 2024 Day Zero | Thursday 8 August
TIME SESSION 8:00am Registrations open 8:45am Welcome back 9:15am The Role of Community in Collective Healing Matt Brown 10:15am MORNING TEA 10:45am Economic Context for a Thriving ECE Sector Shamubeel Eaqub 11:45pm LUNCH 1:00pm Thriving Through Challenges and Changes Dr. Lucy Hone 2:00pm Self-regulation and positive behaviour strategies Jimmy McLauchlan Working with the ECE Sector Ministry of Education Literacy in the early years: Supporting ākonga to thrive through their literate identities Alison Arrow How to keep your teams engergised and engaged? Paula Hawkings Differentiating Your Brand in a Competitive Market Robert Aitken 3:30pm AFTERNOON TEA 4:00pm Striking Your Balance – Prioritizing your Wellbeing in Order to Succeed Gemma McCaw 5:00pm Final Plenary and Major Prize Draw. Conference ends 5:30pm 7:00pm GALA DINNER EVENT PROGRAMME Day Two | Saturday 10 August Our programme is confirmed but is subject to change in the case of unforeseen events. The registration desk will also be open from 11:30am to 5:30pm on Thursday 8 August. Standard registrations end at midnight Monday 29 July - don’t pay last minute prices! Visit ecc-conference.info for more information. This conference is proudly brought to you by the Early Childhood Council and our conference partner Discover by Xplor.
ECC Conference 2024 Workshops Anita Croft: Enrich tamariki wellbeing through gardening This workshop will delve into the benefits of gardening for the health and well-being of children, as well as examine the wider benefits for their learning and development and provide practical ideas for engaging tamariki in gardening. Anita Croft, Founder of Growing Kiwi Gardeners. Policy and Regulation Update In this workshop, participants will receive a detailed briefing on the most recent changes to legislation, licensing requirements, and compliance standards affecting ECE providers in New Zealand. We will equip you with the tools and strategies to ensure understanding and compliance of the requirements, so you can continue to deliver exceptional education and care. The session will also provide insight on changes to be expected in the future, and how you can best prepare for these. The Early Childhood Council is the leading body for childcare centre owners and managers in the ECE sector, proudly representing more than 1,300 independently owned and operated centres across New Zealand. Caro Rieger: Identifying and addressing workplace issues Navigating your way through employment issues can often be challenging as there are a variety of processes, which need to be followed to address these issues. Being able to recognise, understand and appropriately address these issues is key to fostering and maintaining a safe, productive, and cohesive working environment. This interactive workshop will give you the confidence and knowledge to identify and address employment issues appropriately. Topics the workshop cover include: performance concerns, misconduct/serious misconduct, relational issues, and absence and long term or ongoing illness and injury. This workshop will help you identify and discuss the different processes available. Caro Rieger, Director and Principal Lawyer at Black Door Law. We are proud to present a diverse range of professional development at the conference, with workshops suitable for all. Learn from best in fields as industry experts share their unique insights and knowledge with you. These workshops are tailored for the ECE sector so you know you will walk away with relevant strategies and skills to succeed. July 2024 { 26 }
Jilly Tyler: Talking Matters – communication for wellbeing By creating language-rich environments, including responsive interactions, Kaiako become influential in the well-being of the tamariki. When communication and language are given priority the well-being of teachers and whānau is enhanced too. This workshop emphasises a whole-of-centre approach positioning responsive interactions as key drivers of well-being. Jilly Tyler, CEO of Talking Matters. Jimmy McLauchlan: Self-regulation & positive behaviour strategies ENGAGE is an evidence-based approach that supports the development of children’s self-regulation skills through intentional play. ENGAGE was developed by Associate Professor Dione Healey (University of Otago), and has been widely researched in Aotearoa. In collaboration with Methodist Mission Southern (MMS) and funding from the Ministry of Education, the programme is now being delivered across Aotearoa to equip tamariki with self-regulation skills to support successful navigation through school and beyond. Jimmy McLauchlan, Kaiwhakawhanake Pakihi | Chief Development Officer at MMS. Paula Hawkings: How do you keep your teams energised and engaged? Paula will be sharing some valuable secrets to success, including how to build capacity and knowledge within your teams. She will also discuss how children and team members stand to benefit from your growth as a leader or owner. You will have the opportunity to listen to some centre success stories and understand how some of these strategies could benefit your centre. Paula Hawkings, Director of ECE Consultancy Services Ltd. Todd Painter: The ECE Funding System / Handbook from an operational point of view Todd Painter shares insights on the ECE funding system / handbook from an operational point of view. He will discuss how you can develop good financial systems and monitoring to ensure the viability of your service, so you can focus more on achieving outcomes for children. In this session we will work through effective record management, good financial policies and procedures, ease for parents to enquire and enrol, effective fee structures, reduce daily administration and repetitive tasks, time management and communication. This will all aid in utilising your current student management system and meet the requirements for ECE funding and the Licensing Criteria. Todd Painter, of Advance ECE. Alison Arrow: Literacy in the early years: Supporting ākonga to thrive through their literate identities When it comes to literacy, the current buzz is around structured literacy, but building capable learners with a strong literate identity is more important in the early years. In this workshop participants explore what it means to be literate in the early years context, literate identities, as well as exploring what structured literacy is and what it means for ākonga as they go to primary school. We will also workshop the ways that ECE settings can weave literate identities with literacy practices. Alison Arrow, Associate Professor in Literacy at University of Canterbury. July 2024 { 27 }
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