Kickstart Hui @ Kūaotunu

Kickstart Hui at Kūaotunu – Coromandel 

Sometimes the start of something big doesn’t look big at all. Sometimes it begins with a group of people who are mostly strangers, a weekend ahead full of questions, a shared sense that something exciting is about to unfold and a quiet question sitting in the back of your mind: What have I signed up for?
That’s how the MIT Kickstart Hui began.

The Drive Down 

The build-up to the weekend was a mixture of anticipation and nerves. Picture this: a 3+ hour drive in a van with people you have never met before. Everyone arriving with the same thoughts: a challenge, a possible solution, a deep drive to make a difference. But little did we know that the weekend ahead would turn all of that upside down in the best possible way.

The first few hours were full of small conversations, getting to know names, backgrounds, and the challenges we had each brought with us. Slowly the strangers began to feel less like strangers.
The scenery alone was enough to remind us how fortunate we were. A Special Place to Land. This is home for the next few days. It created the perfect space to pause, think, and step outside the everyday rush of school and work life.

After settling in and enjoying a lovely dinner together - Thank you Jenny for all our nibbles and kai, we gathered to hear the story behind the MIT Innovation Incubator. And this is where the weekend truly began. The Heart of the Project. Dorothy shared the story behind the Innovation Incubator.
Listening to her speak, it was impossible not to feel the depth of passion behind this work. She shared stories about some of the early innovators of the Manaiakalani journey, including Allanah King, and Derek, the founder of Core Education. Hearing how their early work helped shape the success of Manaiakalani was incredibly inspiring.
Hours, months and years of: research, connections, challenges, learning, innovation and belief that education can keep evolving. All woven together to create an opportunity like this.
To finish the evening, we watched a short message full of wisdom from the 2025 MIT cohort - 

Trust the process, Ask questions, Trust your MIT crew and you wont be doing it alone.
We weren’t just attending a program or professional development. We were becoming part of a dream to make a difference—however small that might feel right now.

Day 2 - Design Thinking

Day 2 began with a slower start—no alarms, which was a treat. It was nice knowing a sleep-in was perfectly acceptable, or that you could start the morning with a quiet walk along the beach, soaking in the beauty of the surroundings. 

After a quick breakfast, we jumped into design thinking. It sounds straightforward—empathise, define, ideate, prototype, and test—but in reality the process is far messier. We arrived with challenges we wanted to solve, many of us already thinking we had a pretty good solution… only to realise that those ideas were about to change. At first that was overwhelming, but it quickly became clear that you can’t solve the right problem until you fully understand the real one. 

The first activities to kick-start this thinking was a town hall-style role play where we stepped into the shoes of parents from different backgrounds, each bringing their own perspectives and concerns. My first reaction was definitely a quiet internal “nope” as it pushed me right out of my comfort zone, but it turned out to be incredibly powerful. The activity challenged our assumptions and helped us explore the complex realities behind educational challenges. Watching the conversations unfold was fascinating and pushed us to think more deeply about the people we are designing solutions for. It reinforced an important lesson about the design process—empathising, defining, and researching often happen all at once, ideas appear and disappear, and sometimes they get completely thrown out. But that’s exactly the point. Growth happens in the mess.

Understanding the Real Problem 

The first stage of design thinking is empathy. That means understanding the challenge through the eyes of the user. And this is where I realised my original ideas were… a little unclear.
So we started digging deeper. We acted out classroom scenarios with partners to show what the challenge looked like in real life. 

Then came one of my favourite activities: the Empathy Map.
We had to step fully into our user's shoes and ask:
What do they see?
What do they think?
What do they feel?
What do they do?
 
It pushed us to look beyond surface-level problems and really understand who we want to help.

Narrowing the Challenge

Then came the tricky part: defining the problem. My challenge? It was way too broad. I had to dig deeper and ask: What is the one thing that could make the biggest difference?
Through lots of questioning (thank you Dorothy and Matt!) and plenty of “why” conversations, we began shaping our ideas into clearer problem statements.
Eventually we arrived at the magic words:
How Might We…?
Turning the challenge into a HMW statement helped shift our thinking from problems to possibilities. We went around to each others HMW statements and challenge and with post it notes could give some more ideas of what might work or have you thought of this?? The post it that really made me think was: What does success look like?
My students need to read with fluency and enjoyment to be able to apply their skills in other learning areas.

HMW statement: How might we support and empower learners to become fluent readers and are reading for enjoyment and that they can apply their knowledge in other learning areas.

Crazy 8s 

Eight ideas. Eight(20) minutes. (Thank you Matt for giving us a bit more time). Anything goes.
Big ideas. Wild ideas. (Im)possible ideas.
At first it felt really hard to let go of practical thinking. Afterwards we explained our ideas, walked around, looked at each other’s ideas, and voted for the ones that stood out.
Brains were definitely tired by this point—but we were starting to see the first glimpses of real solutions.

Identifying a network of support

We started by listing the people closest to us who could support the project—family(including our pets of course), friends, colleagues, and those we work with regularly. Then we stretched our thinking and added five more people or groups who could offer different perspectives or expertise. Lastly, we were encouraged to think big and include people we wish we could reach out to—those who might inspire us or really help move the project forward on our journey.

After a day of intense thinking, we were able to explore a bit more and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. It was a nice chance to relax, chat, and let our brains have a break. A walk along the beach and a visit to the local restaurant to check it out before heading back for dinner.
The evening ended with something really special. We walked up the hill together, away from the lights, to explore the night sky. Surrounded by the land and watching the moon rise .It was one of those moments that reminds you why experiences like this matter. Memories were definitely made that night.

More Clear… ? 

Our final morning began with a quick recap of our HMW statements and possible designs.
The honest truth? I wasn’t entirely sure if I was more on track or more confused. Probably both.
But that’s part of the process. Now I have a week to: let the ideas settle, talk to people, interview teachers and students and deepen my understanding.
From there I’ll begin developing:
Potential Features, Prototype sketches, Testing ideas to ultimately get to a solution. 

Final Reflections

This weekend challenged me in ways I didn’t expect. It pushed me out of my comfort zone to be open and vulnerable, to think critically, to question my assumptions.
But the best part?
The people. The collaboration, the shared challenges, the conversations.
And the unexpected highlight of the weekend…A 3 hour drive back to Auckland where we talked the entire way. Who would have thought?
And if the Kickstart Hui is anything to go by, the year ahead is going to be challenging, inspiring, and full of growth.
I can’t wait to see where it takes us. 

Thank you Dorothy, Matt, Jenny and Bill

and I hope to see Mack again soon....

MIT 2026 - Tania's Moonshot Proposal

MIT 2026

It is such a privilege to be part of this amazing opportunity. 

My focus for this year is a "Moonshot" for literacy. The goal isn’t just a small step forward; it’s a bold shift toward true fluency and empowerment. I want to see our students move past just "getting through" a text to a place where they genuinely love reading and can naturally use those skills as a toolkit for every other subject they dive into. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into the design thinking process—taking a hard look at the hurdles our learners face, working through the "why," and eventually building a prototype that actually makes a difference.

To get this proposal off the ground, I’ve been looking closely at the students who are struggling most and gathering the evidence to show exactly where the disconnect is happening. I’ve come up with two different ways we might tackle this—including how we can lean on technology to bridge the gap—rather than just sticking to the status quo.

A real highlight so far was being put through the "5 Whys" challenge with a MIT partner. It’s a tough but great exercise; being asked "why" five times in a row really forces you to stop looking at the surface symptoms and find the actual root of the problem. It kept me from jumping to a quick fix before I truly understood the "who" and the "how."

I can’t wait to officially meet the rest of the MIT2026 team at our weekend hui at Kūaotunu and work together to create better outcomes for both our students and our kaiako.

Qualitative Data - Strengthening ECE–Primary Partnerships & Building Teacher and Student Capability through BSLA

1. Strengthening ECE–Primary Partnerships

Over the past year, we’ve seen a real shift in the way our school and local ECEs work together. What started as a few transition meetings has grown into genuine partnerships built on trust, shared goals, and regular communication. Everyone, from ECE kaiako to new entrant teachers, now feels part of one connected team, working towards smoother and more successful transitions for our tamariki.

The transition checklist has been a game changer. It’s given both sectors a shared understanding of what “school readiness” actually looks like in today’s context. ECE teachers say it’s helped them plan with more purpose,
they now know what primary schools value, what children will be expected to do, and how they can prepare them for that next step. Many kaiako have said things like, “It’s helped us align with the new English and Maths curriculum — we can see how what we do links to what comes next.”

Because of this, teacher practice within the ECE centres has grown significantly. Kaiako now have a clearer sense of the expectations for literacy, oral language, and early maths that children will meet at school. They’ve been able to strengthen their own programmes to reflect these expectations while still keeping play and relationships at the heart of learning. One kaiako commented that “the checklist made us more intentional — we’re teaching with the next step in mind.”

The checklist has also meant that our new entrant teachers get to know children before they even arrive. They have a clear picture of each child’s strengths, learning needs, and any challenges that might need early support. Teachers have commented that “we now know our new students before they walk through the door — their learning, behaviour, and personalities are already familiar to us.”

What’s been really powerful is the difference teachers can now see between children who have been part of the ECE intervention and those who haven’t. The children coming from our partner centres are arriving with stronger oral language, early literacy and numeracy knowledge, and greater confidence in routines. They’re ready to learn, they settle quickly, and they see school as a place where they belong.

This shared work has strengthened relationships between ECE and school teachers too. There’s a growing sense that transition isn’t just a handover — it’s a shared responsibility. We’re learning from each other, visiting each other’s settings, and talking the same language around learning.

Overall, the collaboration has created a real sense of continuity for our children and whānau. They’re moving between settings that understand and value them. For our teachers and kaiako, it’s been about growing together — building capability, connection, and a shared purpose so that every child starts school feeling confident and known.

2. Building Teacher Capability and Student Engagement through BSLA

Our focus on Structured Literacy through BSLA has really changed the way teachers and students think about reading across the junior school. Teachers are feeling much more confident and clear about how literacy develops, and they’re seeing real progress in their classrooms. Lessons are more explicit, systematic, and responsive to where each learner is at — and that consistency is making a big difference.

Through shared professional learning, teachers have built a common understanding of phonological awareness, phonics, and word-level instruction. The flow-on effect has been smoother transitions between year levels and stronger collaboration within teams. Teachers are also starting to see how BSLA connects naturally with the refreshed English curriculum, especially the Phonological and Orthographic Knowledge (PhOM) strand.

There’s a real buzz about teaching the PhOM content. Teachers are excited to bring these ideas into their Term 4 novel studies — particularly in Years 4–8 — using BSLA strategies to explore decoding, morphology, and vocabulary in a deeper, more meaningful way. One teacher summed it up perfectly:

“It finally feels like we have the missing link — BSLA gives us the tools to teach the ‘why’ behind reading, not just the ‘how.’ My students are noticing patterns and making connections that weren’t there before.”

And the students are just as enthusiastic. They’re curious about how words work — where they come from, how they’re built, and why they look the way they do. They’re starting to spot the chunks and roots that make up words and use that knowledge to figure out new ones.

“I like learning about where words come from — it makes tricky words easier to read.”
“We know how to break the words into parts now, like little chunks. It makes reading feel like solving a puzzle.”

Students are proud of their progress. They’re seeing reading not as something to memorise, but as something to explore and understand. Across the school, there’s a shared sense of excitement — teachers are seeing how BSLA fits perfectly with the new curriculum, and students are gaining a deeper understanding of how language works. It’s clear that when teacher practice grows, student engagement and confidence grow right alongside it.

Helping Our Tamariki with b/d Confusion: Strategies That Work

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 mnemonics and consistent language when forming the letters—like always saying “bat before ball” for the letter b, and “doorknob then door” for d.

Why This Matters for My Inquiry

As I’ve been looking into supporting students who are not quite ‘school ready’, letter formation and orientation is one of the areas that keeps popping up. For some children, these reversals are more than just a hiccup—they become a source of frustration and disconnection from early literacy.

If we can address it early with low-pressure, playful strategies, we’re setting them up for success—not just in writing, but in confidence.

How ECE and NE Teachers Can Use This

In Kindy or ECE settings: Start with body-based learning—hand signals, air writing, songs. No pressure to “get it right” but constant exposure to directional concepts helps lay the foundation.

In New Entrant classrooms: Make b/d practice part of your handwriting and phonics routines. Repetition through movement, visuals, and consistent cues is key.

🔗 Read the full article here:

👉 Why Some Kids Struggle with Letter Reversals (and What to Do About It)

Would love to hear if you’ve used any of these in your classroom—or what’s working well for your!

Intervention guidelines

Oral Language, Literacy, and Numeracy Readiness Through ECE Partnerships

As Junior School kaiako, we understand that successful transitions to school aren’t just about knowing letters or numbers—they’re about being able to talk about them, think critically, and engage with confidence. That’s why I've built a strong, ongoing relationship with local early childhood centres and kindergartens to support tamariki turning four between September and December.

Together, we’re working to ensure every child has a strong start in oral language, literacy, and numeracy, laying the foundations for learning success.

Why Does This Matter?

Oral language is now a core focus in the New Zealand Curriculum refresh, and for good reason. The ability to communicate thoughts, ask questions, and use topic-specific vocabulary is directly linked to later achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics.

When tamariki can confidently use words like grapheme, phoneme, most, least, and estimate, they are not just participating—they are thinking, reasoning, and learning deeply.

A shared focus on oral language, early literacy, and numeracy helps us to:

• Prepare tamariki to thrive in structured learning environments
• Bridge the vocabulary and communication gap before school starts
• Ensure equity by giving every learner the language and tools to succeed

What Our Intervention Looks Like

Together with the ECEs and kindergartens, we’ve co-designed a targeted(that fits their space) intervention for our transitioning learners. It includes a readiness checklist that looks closely at development in three key areas:
1. Oral Language

• Engaging in back-and-forth conversations
• Retelling simple events or stories
• Using new and topic-specific vocabulary
• Asking questions and responding to others
• Using positional and comparative language (e.g., beside, fewer, longer)

2. Literacy Readiness

• Recognising and naming letters
• Identifying letter sounds (phonemes)
• Understanding the concept of graphemes and phonemes
• Showing interest in print and books
• Using oral language to describe characters, settings, or predict outcomes

3. Numeracy Readiness

• Counting with 1:1 correspondence
• Using number words in order
• Understanding basic concepts like more, less, most, and least
• Beginning to estimate or compare amounts
• Recognising shapes, patterns, and size differences

Kaiako will use the checklist with their target group of tamariki once a term. Observations are recorded in a way that is natural and embedded in everyday play and learning—not as an assessment task, but as a way of noticing and responding to growth.

Tracking Progress Meaningfully
To track learning, we’ll use:

• Checklist reviews each term to measure growth
• Anecdotal notes and work samples (e.g., drawings, name writing, counting or oral descriptions)
• Vocabulary snapshots—what words are tamariki using correctly in play or kōrero?
• Student voice—"What do you know about that story?" or "How many do you think there are?"
• Collaborative planning hui to reflect and adjust based on data

This information will help us understand how tamariki are progressing, not just if they are ready.

What the Data Will Tell Us
The data we gather will:

• Show individual and group progress in oral language, literacy, and numeracy
• Reveal vocabulary usage trends and gaps
• Inform how to shape new entrant class programmes
• Support early intervention if needed
• Strengthen alignment between what is taught and what tamariki are ready for

It will also help us build a shared language across ECE and school—ensuring tamariki hear, see, and use the same words, ideas, and strategies in both settings.

What’s In It for Our Tamariki?

• Confidence with classroom language. Tamariki will be able to understand and use the words their kaiako are teaching.
• Familiar routines and vocabulary. This reduces anxiety and helps them participate earlier.
• A stronger sense of belonging. When tamariki recognise books, materials, and language from ECE, they settle faster and feel at home.
• Better learning outcomes. Strong oral language is linked to future success in reading, writing, and maths.

Looking Forward

This is about setting our tamariki up for long-term success. By working together and aligning our focus on oral language, literacy, and numeracy, we’re ensuring our learners step into school not just “ready”—but eager, capable, and excited to learn.

As our intervention continues, we’ll refine the checklist, share findings with whānau, and keep building a bridge between ECE and school that’s based on collaboration, care, and a deep commitment to equity.