In New Zealand, every child has the right to participate in inclusive, quality early childhood education (ECE), as outlined in the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC). However, research reveals both the struggles children with disabilities and their families experience to have their rights recognised and upheld, and…

Children's citizenship in early childhood education and care is the root of democracy, equity, and sustainability. In Aotearoa New Zealand, "Te Whariki" has a strong aspiration for children as competent and active citizens. Early childhood settings are sites where children may have opportunities to act as powerful citizens. Employing…

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,…

Immigrant families face many cultural and adjustment issues, including children's engagement in early childhood education (ECE). Through research-based interviews, nine Indian parents shared their perceptions of their children's experiences in New Zealand ECE. They identified positive experiences and concerns related to curriculum, language…

Children are active and creative mathematical learners in the early years. This article reports part of a Teacher-led Innovation Fund (TLIF) project that investigated children's mathematical activity at an early childhood centre and the first year of school. Teacher-researchers were from each site, and mathematical opportunities were identified in…

In Aotearoa New Zealand, populations of Pacific peoples increased by 45% between 2006 and 2018 (Statistics New Zealand, 2018). Consequently, teachers need to be equipped with knowledge, skills, and resources to be able to respond to Pacific learners and communities appropriately and effectively. This article presents findings from a research…

"Te Whariki" promotes the use of te reo rangatira in English-medium early childhood education (ECE) settings. There is a growing body of work concerning the use of pukapuka pikitia (picturebooks) to support language learning, but there is very little, if any, research documenting how pukapuka pikitia can support te reo rangatira. This…

Young children learn how to communicate with others through their everyday interactions and social relationships. In this article, we argue that stories about personal experiences are a valuable context for exploring how 1-year-old toddlers learn to engage with others across their family homes and early childhood settings. We demonstrate how…

"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…

Despite more than a century of academic scrutiny on parental discipline of children, parents' use of positive discipline practices is not well understood. This article draws from a larger study (Southey, 2020) aimed at understanding the prosocial practices parents use to guide their children's social, emotional, and behavioural development, and…

This article presents findings from a doctoral study which examined the ways teaching teams in six New Zealand early childhood education (ECE) centres fostered and supported young children's scientific experiences. The focus of this article is the pedagogical practice of using provocations to facilitate scientific opportunities. The way…

Early childhood education (ECE) settings in Aotearoa New Zealand are becoming increasingly ethnically superdiverse. This article draws on a research project that examined the cultural challenges that Japanese children sometimes encounter in New Zealand ECE contexts which was undertaken for my Doctor of Education. Data were analysed using a…

The article opens a conversation about specificities and complexities of the positioning and identity constructions of early childhood (ECE) preservice teachers within initial teacher education (ITE) spaces and places. It draws on a study on if/how ITE can support preservice teachers to build a critical mentality to engage with robust professional…

This article analyses data from a study that explored the role of early childhood education in supporting a sense of belonging for immigrant children and families in Aotearoa New Zealand, whilst sustaining their connections with homes and homelands. We draw on teachers' documentation of curriculum experiences, focus group discussions, and…

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…