Tania's Professional Learning Blog

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 wo...

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 confide...