2022 start with an interesting twist

Starting school at five can be an exciting and nervous time for both children and their families, especially during these uncertain times we are currently teaching under.

For New Entrants my goal is to firmly establish the key skills required for literacy and numeracy success, and to build upon the work parents and your ECE/Kindergartens have begun. We know all children are different and I structure my New Entrant programme to cater to each individual child’s needs.

For this first part of the year it is all about building relationships with both the children and the parents. Making sure that they are having fun and want to return to school the next day!!

I have a couple of really boisterous boys and they just love being outside - I was lucky enough to capture one conversation they had and this was truely eye opening to me. Just the way they were communicating with each other to build their treehouse.

This made me more aware on how I need to take my learning outside and really dig deeper into Blue Sky thinking and teaching.

Oral Language will be a BIG focus on developing good listening skills, speaking clearly and loudly for others to hear, and asking appropriate questions.

How will I make them a better speaker and me a better listener:

Giving the students time to answer questions and encouraging them to ask questions
Encouraging them to join in discussions and encouraging them to listen to others
Showing them how to talk on the phone
Showing them how to ask for help
Telling them stories
Encouraging them to bring an item to show and talk about during news time – eg. photos, books, insects, cultural items, own arts and crafts

Our main focus in Maths is on developing children’s understanding of number concepts. Other mathematical areas that we cover are algebra, geometry, measurement and statistics.

How will I make sure this happens:

Encouraging them to do lots of counting in english and Te Reo
Looking for numbers in the environment
Solving simple real life problems – eg. if Grandma and Granddad come for tea, how many people will we have altogether?
Encouraging them to use counters or count using their fingers
Encouraging them to play board games
Asking them to say how they ‘figured it out’

Fine motor skills will be an integral part of my day to day activities - as much as possible exposure to different activities inside the class as well as outside.

Looking forward to a very successful year!!

Look at the amazing work we have done so far:

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The Syntax Project - NZ version that aligns with our curriculum

I found this on Facebook this morning. I am so excited to share this amazing resource with teachers This was the message by Sarah Peck on the Primary teachers page: Kia ora koutou, not sure how many of you use the Syntax Project for a sentence-level writing resource but here is the scope and sequence with NZ Year level equivalents added. All of the slideshow resources that support the scope and sequence can be found at https://ochre.org.au/ac/the-grammar-project/. You will need to register for (free) access. The materials are designed for NZ Year 0 (NE) to Year 7, however I think if you have older struggling learners that still need sentence level writing teaching, learning, review and practice then you'd potentially still get a lot out of what's on offer. The Syntax Project work has been developed by Australian teachers, for teachers, and is underpinned by work from The Writing Revolution, and the Morphology Project references William Van Cleave's work. Here is the link: ...

Impressive Writing Growth with The Syntax Project

I’ve seen remarkable progress in my students’ writing skills since introducing The Syntax Project . This free, accessible platform, grounded in the concept of colourful semantics, has been a game-changer for our young learners. What is Colourful Semantics? Colourful semantics is a method that breaks sentences down into parts, each represented by a different colour. For instance, the "Who" (subject) could be one colour, while "What doing" (the verb) is another. This visual approach makes sentence building more straightforward and fun for children, helping them better understand sentence structure. It’s especially useful for younger students as they get to grips with the basics of grammar and sentence creation. My Approach to Using the Syntax Project I began using the Syntax Project by focusing on oral exercises. Students first talk through sentences, identifying key parts like who is doing what, and where it’s happening. This has laid a strong foundation for understa...

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As part of my ongoing teaching inquiry into how we support early literacy—especially for those tamariki who need a bit more time—I came across this really helpful article from All About Learning Press that offers clear, simple strategies to help children who confuse b and d. Let’s be honest—this is super common and very normal for our 5- and 6-year-olds. But for some, it sticks around longer and can start to impact confidence, writing fluency, and reading accuracy. What’s in the Article? The blog post outlines: Why letter reversals are a developmental stage, not a sign of dyslexia on their own. Fun, hands-on strategies to help children lock in correct b/d formation. Practical tools that both ECE and NE teachers can easily integrate into their day. One of my favourites from the list is the “bed” trick—using both hands to form the shape of a bed (with thumbs up) to remind kids that b comes before d. It's kinaesthetic, memorable, and easy to teach. Another great one is using visual m...

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