TEACHING AND LEARNING
Spotlight on literacy: An interview with Professor Tom
Nicholson
Sarah Boyd
Supporting the transition from early childhood education to school:
Insights from one Centre of Innovation project
Sally Peters, Carol
Hartley, Pat Rogers, Jemma Smith and Margaret Carr
From 2005–8 Mangere Bridge Kindergarten carried out a Centre of Innovation
research project exploring the transition between early childhood education and
school. Three teacher researchers, supported by two university research
associates, developed and researched a range of strategies for supporting
children’s learning as the children and their families “crossed the border”
between sectors. This article summarises some of the key findings from the
project and provides insights into the ways in which the transition to school
can be supported.
Reading-related language abilities: Mäori children “at promise”
Fleur Harris
The skills of oral narrative and phonological awareness are seen as
precursors and predictors of reading development. In this study of bilingual
Mäori primary school students, Fleur Harris found that current methods of
assessing these skills are based on the English language and Western modes of
storytelling, and cast these students as “deficit”, instead of uncovering the
complex, sophisticated and promising language skills they bring to reading.
Play, prey or “sexploration”? Understanding and responding to sexual
actions by children at primary school
Paul Flanagan
Schools and teachers are expected to respond appropriately when they
encounter children acting sexually. This article describes the literature on
child sexual development and behaviour and the responses of Waikato primary
school principals to a questionnaire. Specific issues for New Zealand primary
schools and teachers are investigated, with suggestions for child educators to
develop relational and collaborative approaches to support children and
families.
HE WHAKAARO ANÖ
NZCER: Building on a 75-year story
Robyn Baker
STUDENTS AND CURRICULUM
Let it rip—Patero at its best!
Bronwen Cowie, Ted Glynn
and Kathrin Otrel-Cass
When a teacher let her Years 4 and 5 class chose their own science topic to
study, they settled on—what else?—farting. This article shows how letting
students pursue their own interests led them to real science learning.
Enabling students to lead the way: Healthy lifestyles and healthy
futures
Sally Boyd
This article makes connections between the findings from an evaluation of the
Ministry of Health’s Fruit in Schools (FiS) initiative and recent changes in the
New Zealand curriculum, in particular in the Health and Physical Education (PE)
learning area. It explores the rationale for actively involving students in
health promotion at school and describes a range of student-led activities that
are connected to the Health and PE learning area. It also explores some of the
benefits and challenges of sharing decision making with students as they take
action to improve the health and wellbeing environment at their school.
Viewing schools as a health and wellbeing system: Does this fit with
the revised curriculum?
Sally Boyd
This companion article to “Enabling students to lead the way” explores the
rationale for using a whole-school approach to health and wellbeing, and the
connection between this approach and the revised curriculum. Some possible
changes that could occur to school actions in regard to health and wellbeing are
discussed. The article also explores some of the benefits and challenges of
whole-school approaches.
History students voice their thinking: An opening for professional
conversations
Philippa Hunter and Bruce Farthing
This article explores what a group of Years 11 and 13 students think about
history, how they talk about it and what they are interested in studying. It
suggests that being aware of student interests and considering how the key
competencies relate to history as a subject could open the way for professional
conversations about different ways to approach teaching history in high
school.
ASSESSMENT NEWS
Changing the assessment focus in science
Chris Joyce
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