Senior Leadership and whakaaro around my inquiry

In my discussion with the principal about my inquiry focus, they were fully on board and acknowledged that this is a critical area of need. They understand the importance of ensuring that new entrants have the foundational skills required to succeed in Phase 1 of the new curriculum and agree that the six-month timeframe isn’t always enough to bridge the gap between ECE and primary school.

As I am now also acting as DP, the principal has woven my Across School Lead (ASL) inquiry into my job list for this role. This integration will allow me to take a broader, more strategic approach to the issue, working not just within my own class but across the school to support structured transitions and early intervention strategies.

This will help me learn more by giving me access to a wider range of data, student learning trends, and opportunities to collaborate with other teachers and leaders. It will also allow me to do more by implementing school-wide strategies, trialing interventions, and working closely with ECEs, whānau, and other key stakeholders to strengthen the transition process. Having this as part of my DP role means I’ll have the influence and scope to make a real impact, ensuring our youngest learners get the best possible start to their school journey.

Creating a sense of belonging through transition - this is a publication. Ormiston Primary School and Edukids Flat Bush Centre (TLIF 5-043) - Creating a sense of belonging through transition

The transition process planned through the project allowed to address issues of social and emotional development in children. It created positive experiences for learners and their families as a whole, thereby helping to address needs within a social context. It also considered the relationships within family and prioritised involvement and partnership between children, parents, whānau, ECE and the school. This helped to create continuity with earlier educational experiences, and had positive effects on student motivation, their relationships with their peers, their interactions within the environment, and their overall sense of belonging, role and identity.

Addressing the readiness of students entering school is a pivotal issue this year, as it directly influences their ability to engage with the new Maths and Literacy curriculums. Ensuring that children possess foundational literacy and numeracy skills before starting school can significantly enhance their learning experiences and outcomes.​

To facilitate a smoother transition from early childhood education (ECE) to primary school, creating a checklist or guidelines for ECE programs is essential. These guidelines should focus on key competencies such as:​

• Basic Literacy Skills: Recognising letters, understanding phonemic awareness, and developing vocabulary.​
• Basic Numeracy Skills: Counting, recognizing numbers, and understanding simple mathematical concepts.​
• Self-Care Abilities: Managing personal hygiene, dressing, and eating independently.​
• Social Skills: Taking turns, following instructions, and interacting positively with peers.​

Collaborating closely with ECE providers to implement these guidelines will help prepare children more effectively for the demands of the school curriculum.​

For further information and resources, consider exploring the following links:

• How early learning educators help children prepare for school
• Get Your Child Ready For School: 7 Essential Skills for School Readiness

These resources offer valuable insights into preparing children for school and the importance of early literacy and numeracy skills.​careforkids.co.nz

Here are some interesting reads from other countries and their findings:

theguardian.com

'If you don't get early years right, children are unlikely to catch up': why South Africa is trying to reboot its school system

theaustralian.com.au

It's a no-brainer: kids rocket under direct instruction(if you have subscription)

theaustralian.com.au

Pearson's explicit plea: roll out direct instruction to all classrooms(if you have subscription)

Addressing the gap in foundational skills among new entrants is crucial because it serves as a catalyst for their future learning. Just as a catalyst in chemistry speeds up reactions by providing an alternative pathway with lower activation energy, equipping children with essential early literacy and numeracy skills accelerates their educational journey, reducing barriers to learning.​

To support this transition, creating a checklist or guidelines for Early Childhood Education (ECE) providers can be instrumental. Here are some key areas to focus on:​

1. Social Skills: Encourage activities that promote sharing, turn-taking, and cooperation. Organising playdates can help children learn to interact positively with peers. ​kiwifamilies.co.nz

2. Communication and Language: Practice basic communication scenarios, such as asking for help or expressing needs, to build confidence in interacting with teachers and classmates. 

3. Listening and Attention: Engage children in games like "Simon Says" to enhance their ability to follow instructions and improve attention span.

4. Understanding Spoken Instructions: Use multi-step directions in daily activities to help children become accustomed to processing and following complex instructions. ​

5. Narrative Skills: Encourage storytelling and sequencing activities to develop their ability to organise thoughts and recount events. 

6. Vocabulary Development: Introduce new words through reading, discussions, and exploratory activities to expand their language comprehension. ​

7. Independence: Teach self-help skills such as dressing, toileting, and managing personal belongings to build confidence and autonomy. ​kiwifamilies.co.nz

8. Exposure to Letters and Numbers: Familiarise children with letters and numbers through play-based activities, setting a foundation for literacy and numeracy. ​kiwifamilies.co.nz

Collaborating closely with ECE providers to implement these guidelines can significantly enhance children's readiness for school, providing that 'lower activation energy' pathway to successful learning experiences.

The challenges in a Year 1 class

The challenge I plan to focus on in this inquiry is that many students starting school are not ready for Phase 1 of the new Maths and Literacy curriculums. The expectation in the curriculum is that within six months, students will acquire the foundational skills needed to achieve the stated outcomes. However, evidence from my own practice and collaboration with ECE teachers indicates that this timeframe is for, some tamariki, often not enough to bridge the gap between early childhood education and primary school.

Many students enter school without the necessary early literacy and numeracy skills, such as phonemic awareness, letter recognition, one-to-one correspondence in counting, and basic oral language structures. This lack of readiness makes it challenging for them to engage with structured literacy and numeracy learning from the outset. Without these foundations, students struggle to progress at the expected rate, which can have long-term impacts on their achievement and confidence.

Through my structured literacy approach, tier 2 interventions, and collaboration with ECE teachers, I have seen the positive impact of targeted early support. However, the current curriculum structure does not always align with the needs of students who require more time and support to develop essential pre-literacy and numeracy skills. This inquiry will focus on identifying effective strategies to better support the transition from ECE to school, ensuring that all students can build a strong foundation for success in Phase 1 of the curriculum.

I’ve chosen to focus on this challenge because I’ve noticed a pattern where many students start school without the key literacy and numeracy skills they need for Phase 1 of the new curriculum. The expectation that they’ll catch up within six months isn’t realistic for a lot of them, as they often come in without basics like letter recognition, phonemic awareness, number sense, and one-to-one counting. This gap makes it hard for them to engage in learning straight away and can knock their confidence and progress.

From working closely with ECE teachers, I’ve seen that early intervention and structured support can make a big difference. But even with this, there’s still a need for a smoother transition so that kids arrive at school with the right foundations for literacy and numeracy. This issue is a big one in Manaiakalani schools too, where data shows many students start with low oral language and literacy skills, which affects how well they engage in the Learn, Create, Share approach, which fits perfectly with the Understand, Know and Do model.

For students who don’t yet have strong foundational skills, they need more direct teaching of the basics to fully benefit from these approaches. Across the cluster, early literacy and numeracy achievement is an ongoing challenge, reinforcing the need to strengthen the transition from ECE to primary.

Through this inquiry, I want to explore ways to better support new entrants so they’re ready for Phase 1 of the curriculum. If we can help bridge that gap early, we’ll set them up for success—not just in their first year, but throughout their learning journey in a Manaiakalani school.