Glossary

An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun, e.g. tokorua, two, whero, red, iti, big funny, slow.  

An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, e.g. boldly, very, again, also, never, often, soon, today, too, very.

Alliteration is a feature of language, often used in poetry, that involves repetition of the same consonant sound in nearby words, e.g. “Noke neke nuku, niki naki nū”, “slow slimy snail”.

Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) refers to methods of communicating without speech, including gestures and facial expressions, writing and drawing, pointing to letters to spell out words, or pointing to photos, pictures or written words. AAC systems refer to the tools that a person uses to communicate. These can be low-tech such as core boards, or high-tech such as tablets or computers that allow mokopuna to select from an increasingly complex range of communication symbols or choices.

Assonance is a feature of language, often used in poetry, where the same vowel sounds are repeated, e.g. “we see the leaves”.

An attribute is a feature or characteristic of something. In maths, objects or quantities with the same attribute can be grouped together.

Being attuned means being able to sensitively read others’ cues to understand their wants, needs and emotions. Cues can include movement, gestures, vocalisations and subtle changes in any of these.

Biases are judgments based on pre-conceived beliefs and assumptions. Biases are usually unfair, because generalised assumptions and judgement are made without full understanding, knowledge or experience. For example, having expectations based on age.

The terms children and mokopuna are used interchangeably within Kōwhiti Whakapae, in recognition of their use in Te Whāriki.

In maths, classifying is used to identify a group (people or things) according to shared characteristics. For example, a group of assorted buttons can be classified according to colour, where colour is the shared characteristic. Classifying can also involve physically arranging objects into the different groups.

In maths, comparing involves noticing and recognising similarity or difference between two or more things. Recognising ‘sameness’ and ‘difference’ is part of a mathematical process related to change and variation. Examples of comparing include recognising that two patterns are the same; comparing the length of two objects and noticing whether they are the same or different in length; recognising one chant has two claps and the next one has three claps. 

Connecting is the mathematical process of noticing a link (connection) between objects or quantities. For example, “these blocks connect together”, or “our red sheep and red dogs go together”. It could also be a ‘thinking’ connection when mokopuna recognise that something they have used or constructed before can be used in a new situation for a different purpose.

Counting refers to one way of finding out how many there are in a group of objects using the sequence of numbers. For example, counting forwards from one (1) or counting backwards. One principle of counting is known as ‘one-to-one’ counting where each object is counted without leaving any object not counted. A child might point to or touch each object or gather each object to them while saying the number name. This shows a systematic process that accounts for each object. Another counting principle is that the last number counted tells us how many objects there are altogether – e.g. “1, 2, 3 – there are 3 chairs”. 

Counting sequence refers to the order of numbers in our counting system. A forward counting sequence is one, two, three, four, five and so on. A backward number sequence can start at any number and count backwards.

All texts and media consciously and unconsciously represent particular ideas, perspectives, and world views. Critical literacies encourage children to become aware of, explore, question, and reflect on the diverse perspectives they encounter in texts. This in turn supports them to develop metacognitive and metalinguistic skills that help them to make meaning, and ask questions of different texts and media, fostering a habit of critical thinking.

In Kōwhiti Whakapae, cultural literacy forms and functions encompass literacy forms that connect with culturally bound meanings specific to particular cultures or cultural groups.

Discrimination means unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, commonly on the basis of ethnicity, age, gender, or disability.

An item of equipment is something that has been made or produced for a specific purpose, as opposed to found or everyday objects. 

Estimate is a term used in maths for making an approximate guess or judgement about the number of objects or amount of a quantity. Sometimes known as a ‘thinking guess’, it is a response to questions such as “How many?” or “How much?” An estimate is useful when there is no need for an accurate number or measurement – it can be approximate. In a maths sense, estimating builds on prior experience.

Expected limits and boundaries refers to expectations about how to behave and interact in a particular place. Agreed expectations should align with the shared philosophy of the setting. These are sometimes referred to or discussed as rules.

Expressive language refers to language production including the use of words, sentences, gestures, and writing to convey meaning and messages to others.

Funds of knowledge’ is a concept that takes a positive view of the diverse bodies of knowledge and experiences found in families. In early childhood education, this term is commonly used to refer to the rich knowledge, understandings and practices that children and families bring from their home lives. 

This term refers to the spectrum of possible genders, and the diversity of genders and is sometimes used to describe a person or people whose gender presentation falls outside the male-female binary.

A person’s gender identity is the gender they feel and express. Gender is not necessarily aligned with biological sex, or the gender assigned at birth, and is separate from sexuality and attraction.

Grammar refers to the set of rules for how a language is structured. This includes how different types of words (such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc) change their form and combine with other words to make meaningful sentences.

Grouping is a maths term for arranging an assortment of things into groups such as groups of the same objects. A collection or assortment of things can be arranged into specific groups according to shared characteristics (see ‘classifying’). If specific groupings are stable (not changing) then you can use a classifying process to decide which group to place an object in, e.g. adding a red block to a group of red objects. 

An inclusive environment is one where all members feel a sense of belonging and that they can make a meaningful contribution. Inclusion involves identifying and removing barriers that may limit participation based on gender, ethnicity, ability, learning needs, family structure, values, socio-economic status and religion etc.

Internal or inner speech is the use of language in thinking without audible or visible speaking. For example, you might ‘hear’ yourself talk in your head when reading a book or thinking about what to say before you say it.

Intonation in speech includes using variations in pitch (rise and fall) to convey meaning. For example, in English, a rise in pitch at the end of a sentence can indicate a question.

In maths, location refers to a place or an area such as a local park, or the book area in an early learning setting. People or things (including objects and natural features) can be in a location, and the process of locating involves identifying something and describing its position, or a related connection to a position within an area/location (see ‘Position’).

Measuring is the process of using a measuring tool to find out the size or magnitude of a quantity, e.g. length, weight, volume etc. A measuring tool can be informal, such as using footsteps to measure (step out) the length of a racetrack, where a footstep is a repeated unit, and counting each footstep will give a total number that represents the length/distance. More formal measuring tools usually have a ‘scale’ which can be ‘read’ such as a ruler or a measuring cup.  

Metacognitive language refers to words, phrases and ideas associated with metacognition which is the process of thinking about one's own thinking and learning. Kaiako can support children’s metacognitive thinking with questions like ‘How did you create that?' ‘Why do you think that worked?’.

Metalinguistics relates to the awareness and ability to reflect on and evaluate language and language features.

Multimodal is a term used to mean different ways or modes of expression, communication, and representation. Modes include oral, aural, visual, gestural, textural, and spatial. Examples of different modes of expression include speaking, listening, drawing, photographs, painting, drama, songs, dance, music, and video, as well as touching and gesturing. Often modes are used in combinations and are therefore multimodal, such as a video that includes images, movement, speaking and music. 

In maths, a model has a number of meanings. A model could be a physical model constructed using materials (e.g. a tower of blocks ‘models’ a tower in a story). Constructions are therefore models of ideas. Similarly, a braid made of different strands of wool is a model of a pattern. A drawing or painting can also be called a model because it represents (or models) something else – i.e. it is a drawing of something that exists or can be seen.

Modelling is the process of making a model or adapting or changing an existing model. In maths, modelling is important both for constructing things and for purposeful maths thinking. Examples of modeling in early learning include constructing a cardboard ‘nest’ made of boxes for soft toys, moving furniture to make a hut inside on a wet day. The process of modelling involves both ‘big picture’ design thinking as well as strategic decisions about materials, experimenting with, and testing out properties of materials, and adapting materials to suit the purpose. Modelling can be a sustained process over time focussed on a long-term interest, or brief and transitory such as modelling parts of a storybook with materials and actions.

The terms mokopuna and children are used interchangeably within Kōwhiti Whakapae, in recognition of their use in Te Whāriki.

Multiple representations in maths refers to different ways to represent (re-present) an object or an idea. For example, a child might represent their idea of a ‘farm’ in different ways – such as constructing a ‘farm’ model with blocks and other materials, drawing or painting a picture of a farm, or describing a farm in words.

Narrative refers to the organisation of events or ideas into a logical or coherent structure. Narrative structures in stories vary across cultures and may include elements such as a logical sequence of events, key characters, a problem, rising and falling action, plot twists, repeated elements, underlying messages, and resolutions.

Neurodiversity refers to the diverse ways people experience and respond to the world around them. The term neurodiverse or neurodivergent in this resource refers to children with neurological variability including Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia and autism. Not all neurodivergent children will have a diagnosis.

Some people have a gender identity that is neither male nor female, often called non-binary. This can include identifying as neither male nor female, as male or female at different times, as both male and female at the same time, or rejecting the idea of two genders.

Notation is a system of symbols or a set of marks, signs, figures or characters. For example, in maths, the system of symbols used for numbers has meaning due to the arrangement of the number symbols. In this system, 12 is a unique arrangement of the digits and different to 21.

The term, ‘number’ is used in different ways in maths. 'A number’ can mean how many objects there are “We have three chairs in our game”, or represent a measurement (“I’m four” years old). A ‘number’ can mean the number symbol “There’s a number two (2) on our letterbox” and ‘number symbols’ are often used as labels e.g. size 7 eggs. Number symbols used as labels can be confusing because an egg carton labelled 7 does not have 7 eggs. Note that some mathematicians prefer the word ‘numeral’ to mean the number symbol but this word is not now used in the early years. 

see Counting sequence.

In maths, the term object means one of something (people, places and things) and has a constant shape and size, sometimes known as ‘discrete’ (can be counted). This is different to ‘quantity’ (see ‘quantity’ below).

A maths pattern has regularity and ‘repeatedness’. Visual patterns can be found in cultural artefacts such as repeated woven x’s in tukutuku panels, and repeated shapes in mosaics, tiling and quilting. These patterns are visual representations of regular and repeated patterns. Some visual patterns are where pieces do not overlap, such as puzzle shapes that fit together exactly usually flat surface. But some patterns can be overlapping, for example flowers, where petals overlap. Like a flower, patterns are often found in a 3D form. Patterns can also be found in movement, e.g. in dance or sports, speech, e.g. in poetry and sound, e.g. in music. 

Kōwhiti Whakapae uses the term ‘phases’ to describe children’s capabilities as typical characteristics along a continuum of learning. The expression of these capabilities will vary for each child, shaped by language, identity, and culture. Capabilities across phases are cumulative and overlapping.

A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound in a spoken word, e.g. /s/ /p/ /o/ /t/, /ch/ /a/ /t/.

Phonemic awareness is part of phonological awareness and is fundamental to success in reading and writing. Phonemic awareness is the ability to recognise and manipulate the individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. This includes blending individual phonemes to form words (/c/ /a/ /t/ = ‘cat’), segmenting words into individual phonemes (‘cat’ = /c/ /a/ /t/) and deleting and substituting the sounds in spoken words (e.g. cat - hat, rat, cut, cot, can, cap).

Phonological awareness is the ability to recognise and manipulate spoken language. It includes being able to hear individual words within sentences, rhyme, alliteration, assonance, syllables, and eventually identifying, blending and segmenting individual phonemes (see Phonemic awareness and Phoneme).

Position refers to the specific point where an object or person is placed within a location. Position is often described in relation to other things - for example, the tree is “next to the sandpit” (in the location of the outdoor area of a setting) or “a long way from us”.

Possibility thinking refers to a style of communication that focuses on possibilities, options, and opportunities that could come from something, rather than on limitations or constraints. Possibility thinking supports wonder and speculation about things that may not seem readily possible.

Pragmatics is an aspect of grammar that focusses on how the meaning of words and sentences are affected by the situation. It focusses on implied rather than literal meaning. Examples of pragmatics include sarcasm, irony, euphemisms, metaphors, jokes, and the use of silence. 

Predict means to guess or make a statement about what might happen next. 

Prejudice refers to judgements of others based on unsupported, stereotyped beliefs and assumptions. Prejudice views are harmful and may focus on a person or groups’ characteristics such as ethnicity, race, age, weight, disability, sexual orientation, or religious affiliation.

A preposition is a word that, in English, is used before a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to show position – including direction, time, place, location, and special relationships. Examples of prepositions include: in, at, on, of, to, inside, towards, below, opposite, since, during. 

Professional Learning and Development (PLD) is also known as professional learning or professional development. PLD describes the ongoing learning and development, both formal and informal, that teachers engage in to continuously upskill and grow their professional knowledge and practice.

Progress refers to the way children’s learning changes in complexity and range of capabilities overtime and is shaped by identity, language and culture. While individual progress will vary in direction and pace at times, there are typical characteristics and patterns that are observable over time.

A pronoun is a word that is used instead of a noun or noun phrase. Examples in English are - I, you, she, he, they, we, us, you; and in te reo Māori -ahau/au, koe, ia, tāua, māua, kōrua, rāua, tātou, mātou, koutou, rātou.

Quantity is something that can be measured such as distance, volume or weight. The quantity of a substance is seen to be ‘continuous’ if it can be stretched or molded into different shapes, e.g. water, sand.

‘Rainbow families’ are families with queer and/or gender-diverse parents, for example lesbian, gay or trans parents. Children of rainbow families benefit from seeing a wide range of family structures represented and openly valued in the early childhood setting. All children benefit from developing appreciation for rainbow families as they live and grow up in a diverse world.

Recasting is a method for extending language by re-phrasing words in a more complex or grammatically complete way. For example, pointing at a car, a child says “tar”, the kaiako responds “Yes, it is a car. It’s a blue car”, or a child says “him runned away”, the kaiako responds, “Yes, he ran away.”

Receptive language refers to the ability to understand and comprehend language that you hear or read. In general, children’s receptive understanding of language (such as words and phrases) will come before they express or speak it.

In maths, a relationship refers to a regular connection where the relationship enables predictions. Relationships in maths are linked to patterns because a consistent and reliable relationship between elements in a pattern means we can predict the next step. For example, the number sequence is a ‘relationship’ because consistent sequence allows us to predict what number will follow next. A relationship can be a connection between concepts or ideas such as “the faster I run, the hotter I get”. This is an example of a relationship that connects two things that ‘grow’ or increase (usually) together. Other examples of a relationship include: containers that stack, starting with biggest to smallest; and the relationship between how much sand or water each container will hold (from largest to smallest).

Mathematicians use representation to ‘re-present’ the world in simpler ways to make thinking easier. Drawing a picture or a map are examples of representations. Representations are useful for modelling the world and as new creations or artefacts that we can think and work with to solve problems. Symbols are a form of visual representation, such as a number symbol which can ‘represent’ a number (e.g. 4 means a group of four objects). Informal symbols, such as tally marks and other markings, can also be used as visual presentations that contain information that we can notice, recognise and use. For example, the dots on a dice convey information or a representation about number. 

Semantics is an aspect of grammar that focusses on how word combinations impact on meaning. For example, the word ‘break’ can be a physical break (“It might break”) or a pause (“Let’s take a break”) depending on the way it is used in a sentence. Semantics also include idioms, where a meaning is connected to particular combinations of words (e.g., “green with envy”).

In maths, a sequence is an ordered set of numbers, shapes or other objects arranged according to a rule, e.g. from smallest to biggest, from youngest to oldest.

Serve and return refers to responsive back-and-forth interactions with mokopuna that play a significant role in building and strengthening neural connections and positive relationships. Serve and return interactions include noticing and tuning in to a child’s focus, responding to this focus using non-spoken and spoken language (e.g. pointing and commenting), pausing for the child’s spoken or non-spoken response, and repeating this back-and-forth interaction until the child signals they are done.

Shared values’ refer to an agreed set of concepts that guide how members of a group engage with and support each other and themselves. These concepts are often reflected in a setting’s philosophy statement and should be informed by the beliefs and aspirations of community members - including children, parents and whānau and kaiako.

A simile is a language expression that compares one thing with another thing, e.g. “as cool as a cucumber”, “as busy as a bee”.

Skip count is a term used in maths to count forwards or backwards in multiples or intervals of a given number (e.g. 2, 4, 6, 8 …, 10, 20, 30, …).

Social cues refer to the use of body language and facial expressions that provide information in social interactions about what is expected. Social expectations include the implicit (implied or hinted at) and explicit (very clear) norms and customs for different situations that will vary by culture and context.

In Kōwhiti Whakapae, social literacy forms and functions refers to the range of literacy forms that most people use to communicate and participate in society, e.g. traffic signs, videos, emails, advertising, product packaging, paper and online forms, social media, news etc.

In maths, space is a three-dimensional concept to describe our physical world. Space has three dimensions that are often named as length, width and height.

Stereotypes are generalised beliefs about a particular group of people. Stereotypes are based on assumptions and conventional ideas, often involving negative bias and oversimplified images of certain groups.

Structure is a term used in maths to mean an arrangement that has order and connection, and therefore provides a reliable tool for making predictions. For example, a pattern in maths has a regular structure that allows you to predict the next step in the pattern. 

Subitising refers to recognising the pattern of dots or objects to mean a number, without needing to count each object. For example, you can recognise the pattern of 4 dots on a dice or dominoes as 4 without having to count each dot. Experience with games that use dice patterns help children to recognise these patterns and subitise (Note: keep the numbers small).

Surface is a term used in maths to refer to a flat area that is two dimensional. A surface can be horizontal, vertical or any angle. 

Sustained shared thinking describes an effective pedagogical interaction, usually between a teacher and a child, where two or more people engage in prolonged communication to progress a shared idea. Sustained shared thinking interactions can involve solving problems, clarifying ideas, evaluating or assessing experiences, or extending a narrative.

A syllable is a part of a word that contains a single vowel sound with or without a consonant, and that is pronounced as a unit. Words may have one or more syllables e.g. ‘cat’, ‘whe-ro’, ‘ba-na-na’, ‘wha-ka-tau-kī’.

A symbol is a character or written marking that represents an idea, concept, or object. There are symbols that have an accepted cultural meaning, such as number symbols, or alphabet letters. Mokopuna can invent their own symbols to use in a consistent way for a purpose.

Symmetry is when two sides of the whole are exactly like one another.

Syntax is a part of grammar and refers to the way words and phrases are arranged to make meaningful sentences (e.g. “she ran fast” rather than “ran she fast”). A key indicator that children are learning language rules is when they begin combining words into telegraphic phrases, e.g. “Mummy go”.

Systemic inequities occur when systems have in-built biases that disadvantage some groups and advantage others. Systemic inequities are often not noticed by people who are advantaged by the system. Systemic inequities can be found in organisations, policies, laws, government and other systems that we live, work and learn in.

Takatāpui is a Māori word encompassing diverse genders and sexualities and can be loosely compared to the English term LGBTQI+. ‘Takatāpui’ historically referred to any intimate relationship between people of the same gender, but in recent times it has been reclaimed as a uniquely Māori queer identity with broad meaning.

Te taiao is a Māori term for the natural world; the environment that surrounds and contains us. Te taiao infers a Māori worldview of the interdependent relationship between people and all elements of the natural world.

Telegraphic phrases are simplified, two or three-word sentences that make sense but are grammatically incomplete e.g. “More milk”, “I drive truck”. Children’s early sentences are often telegraphic phrases. 

In relation to literacy, text refers to anything that conveys meanings that can be interpreted (or ‘read’) by others. A text can be presented in any mode (oral, aural, visual, gestural, textural, and spatial) or combination of modes (multi-modal texts). Examples of texts include whaikōrero, story books, waiata, instruction manuals, haka, kōwhaiwhai, advertising, movies, and web pages. 

‘Theory of Mind’ refers to understanding of our own and others' mental states including thoughts, beliefs, feelings, wants, and motives, and the ability to comprehend that these may differ among people in the same situation.

Translanguaging is when children draw on all their cultural and language resources (including home and additional languages) to make meaning of their world and communicate in ways that make most sense to them. Csillik and Golubeva (2019, p. 17) define translanguaging as “the act of using different languages interchangeably, in order to overcome language constraints, to deliver verbal utterances or written statements effectively; and, to ultimately achieve successful communication”. 

Tuakana-teina is a concept from te ao Māori which focuses on relationships and describes roles and responsibilities of care, support and respect within the whānau that is valued in many cultures. Within many education settings, the term tuakana-teina is often used to describe the ways children help each other. While traditionally tuakana–teina refers to a relationship in which an older or more experienced tuakana (brother, sister or cousin) helps and guides a younger or less experienced teina (a younger sibling or cousin) the teina can become the one who supports or leads depending on context.

Vocabulary knowledge refers to a child’s growing knowledge of words as well as the meaning of the words. In Kōwhiti Whakapae, vocabulary is inclusive of all the languages mokopuna use. This may include te reo Māori, English, New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL), home languages, and the use of symbols on Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) systems.