Together, these four foundations task kaiako with providing equitable opportunities for all children to learn in individually and culturally responsive learning environments.
In Kōwhiti Whakapae communication is inclusive of all the ways children and kaiako communicate, including, but not limited to:
- Spoken languages including te reo Māori and home languages.
- New Zealand Sign Language and other home signed languages
- Oral and visual means of expression, including vocalisations, gestures, movement, images and alternative and augmentative communication (AAC).
For learning about pattern and relationships, kaiako should:
- Weave te reo Māori and tikanga Māori meaningfully into the everyday curriculum. For example, explore pattern and relationships through weaving, art, maramataka (Māori seasonal calendar), and events such as Matariki.
- Value children’s home languages and cultures and respond to their cultural ways of knowing and being. For example, communicate about pattern using children’s home languages.
- Work with families, whānau and community to identify and dismantle barriers to participation and learning. For example, provide tactile opportunities so that children with low vision can explore pattern and relationships.
- Weave the four principles of Te Whāriki through all curriculum decision making and use them to guide pedagogy and practice. For example, value and build on the knowledge and experiences that children bring with them to the setting when planning ways to support learning about pattern and relationships (Family and community | Whānau tangata).
