Early Childhood Education Update
This is the fourth time the early childhood education Update publication has appeared in the Education Gazette. The next early childhood Update will appear in Volume 87 Issue 22, which is available from 15 December.
FIRST AID CERTIFICATES
The Ministry of Education is required to individually Gazette all recognised First Aid courses for the purposes of meeting regulation 25(3) of the Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998.
From 13 November 2008 the Ministry of Education will recognise all First Aid qualifications arising from courses that:
(a) are delivered by a New Zealand Qualifications Authority accredited First Aid provider; and
(b) meet the minimum requirements of Unit Standard 6400 (or the successor to that Unit Standard); and
(c) are evidenced by a certificate issued by the trainer that is valid for a period of up to 2 years following qualification; and
(d) require an 8 hour refresher course every 2 years to maintain the certificate as current. For centres operating under the 1998 regulations all previous Gazette notices relating to the regulation 25(3) remain in force. Anyone holding a current First Aid Certificate meeting these requirements, or a previously recognised qualification, can therefore be included in the count towards meeting 1998 regulation 25(3).
If you hold a current First Aid Certificate that meets the requirements identified in (a) to (d) above it can also be included in the count towards meeting regulation 46(1)(a) of the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008.
Current Department of Labour recognised course provider information can be found at
www.nzqa.govt.nz/providers/index.do?frameworkId=75398&unitStandardId=6400
More information can be found at
www.lead.ece.govt.nz/Staffing/Firstaidqualification.htm
TEAM-UP: STRENGTHENING RELATIONSHIPS WITH PARENTS
Team-Up is a Ministry of Education programme helping parents, families and whanau get involved in their kids learning. Research shows children whose parents, families and whanau team up with their learning are more likely to have a better future. Team-Up works alongside the Te Mana campaign for whanau as part of the Parents, Families and Whanau team.
NEW-LOOK TEAM-UP WEB SITE
The Team-Up web site – www.teamup.co.nz – has been refreshed to make information even easier to find. The web site features over 600 pages of ideas and information on fun, easy ways parents can get more involved in their young children's learning, to support what they learn in early childhood education.
Some useful topics covered include:
• finding a quality early childhood education service
• behaviour
• language and learning
• fun activities
• getting off to a great start in early childhood education.
You could let parents, families and whanau know about the Team-Up web site through your newsletters or a link on your web site. You are also welcome to include tips and information from our web site in your newsletters.
Encourage parents to team up online
Encourage parents at your early childhood education service to sign up to receive regular e-newsletters from Team-Up which include tips on how they can get more involved in their children's learning, see
www.teamup.co.nz/subscribe
Booklets for families with migrant and refugee backgrounds
Helping your children learn at home and at school is the new Team-Up booklet for parents of children from migrant or refugee backgrounds. The booklet is available in six languages – Arabic, Chinese, Dari/Farsi, Hindi, Korean and Somali.
The 48-page booklet is packed full of useful tips and information on early childhood, primary and secondary school education in New Zealand.
For more information visit www.teamup.co.nz/migrants or order free booklets by emailing team.up@minedu.govt.nz; please include the language edition and the book title Helping your children learn at home and at school.
DRAFT LITERACY LEARNING PROGRESSIONS
The Ministry of Education has developed a professional tool to support teachers implement the New Zealand Curriculum.
The purpose of this resource, Literacy Learning Progressions, is to provide teachers with a professional tool that shows them what knowledge and skills their students need in order to meet the reading and writing demands of the New Zealand Curriculum.
The Literacy Learning Progressions describe the knowledge and skills that students need to have developed at specific points in their schooling. The progressions recognise that children start school with the literacy foundations and the diverse knowledge and experiences that they have gained from particpation in their various social and cultural contexts.
The ministry is interested to hear your views and we encourage you to take time to read the draft Literacy Learning Progressions, in particular the section on school entry, and to provide us with your feedback. Feedback is due by 30 November 2008.
For more information go to www.literacyprogressions.org.nz
A copy of the document is also available, free of charge, by contacting Wickliffe on 0800 660 662 or by fax on 0800 660 663.
Vegetable toolkit for under-five gets a makeover
A 20-year-old resource which encouraged a generation of young New Zealanders to eat their vegetables has been revamped and re-launched.
When Horticulture New Zealand launched Vegies for Little Children in 1987, it proved so successful that many early childhood centres still use it today. So, in response to feedback from the sector, the Ministry has been working with original toolkit author, Glenda Gourley, to update this popular resource and align it with Te Whariki.
The newly-titled Vegetables for Healthy Kids is designed to create opportunities for under-fives to taste and enjoy a wide range of vegetables. The toolkit features Squash – a friendly puppet – who can be used in a fun way to introduce new vegetables. Also included is a matching card game, posters, a rubber stamp and comprehensive teaching notes.
Vegetables for Healthy Kids will be distributed free to all licensed early childhood education services during November/December 2008. For more information, contact mission-on.team@minedu.govt.nz
Subject matter experts for educate.ece.govt.nz wanted
The Ministry of Education is planning to put more information for early childhood educators onto the educate.ece.govt.nz web site. The ministry wants to develop a pool of subject matter experts who may:
• write materials for the educate.ece.govt.nz web site
• critique and prepare early childhood education service materials for publication on the web site
• generate submissions of early childhood education service materials which illustrate effective/interesting or best practice
• moderate or facilitate blogs or e-forums that generate collegial discourse on early childhood education matters
• peer review material
• assist in the identification of content priorities.
Are you interested? The ministry is seeking interest through a tender process and the Request for Proposal document can be found on www.gets.govt.nz or by emailing pru.dryburgh@minedu.govt.nz
All applications must be received by 19 December 2008.