Lay the groundwork

Be consistently warm and responsive in interactions with mokopuna, including regular, meaningful and sustained interactions every day.

Ensure all children are supported to develop secure relationships with adults in the setting over time. Remember that it can be easier for a child to build a secure relationship with one adult first and then move on to getting to know the other kaiako.

Observe mokopuna who do not often interact with kaiako, follow their interests and find meaningful ways to engage with them in a shared interest or activity.

Acknowledge and respond to children’s emotional states. Adjust support and expectations to take account of children’s individual temperaments.

Engage with mokopuna about connections between people (both children and adults) within the setting. Talk openly about opportunities for children to make new connections with people in the setting.

Engage with mokopuna about connections they may have with people in their whānau, community, whakapapa and with local geographical features and places. Create opportunities for children to share connections with their local community and places including excursions, welcoming visitors, and build on these.

Develop relationships with whānau and mokopuna to better understand their social cues.

Adapt teaching approaches that value children’s unique preferences and ways of being and interacting in the social world, including being aware of neurodiversity.

Support children’s increasing awareness of their expressions or body language and what that might convey.

Draw attention to social cues such as the expressions or body language of others and discuss with mokopuna what these might convey.

Discuss social expectations in different socio-cultural contexts with mokopuna.

Provide and use resources and materials from a range of cultures that highlight different aspects of being a friend or showing manaakitanga.

Create opportunities for mokopuna to play with and alongside others as well as by themselves. Set up varied spaces and play areas to encourage different kinds of collaboration, focus and creativity. Adapt your level of support and facilitation as appropriate.

Talk with whānau and gain a greater understanding of their cultural values and aspirations for their children’s connected relationships and ways of showing care for others.

Create opportunities for active and noisy play, cooperative play, quiet play, dramatic play, outdoor and indoor play.

Provide an environment with culturally diverse and familiar materials, toys, loose parts, natural materials, and household items, allowing mokopuna to explore diverse identities including culture and gender.

Ensure children have choices and can participate and engage in play in different ways.

Ensure mokopuna have sustained opportunities to deeply engage in learning and play across the day.

Join children in play; be sensitive to social dynamics and participate in ways that enrich play and support and empower all children.

Provide opportunities for whānau to share their aspirations for their children’s relationships in the early learning setting.

Scaffold children’s wellbeing and learning without overhelping, and with awareness of children’s capabilities, experiences and the group dynamics.

Support mokopuna to be engaged with groups in ways that uphold their mana and the mana of others in the group. Be respectful of each child’s way of being while also being flexible to the general expectations.

Support children to learn others’ names.

Ensure mokopuna have choices and can participate and engage in groups in different ways, including choosing to observe.

Think carefully about how the set-up of the environment and materials foster play and collaborative experiences in different sized groups. For example: create quiet and individual spaces; set up a small table with only two chairs for artmaking; create an enclosed space for a small group with dramatic play resources in it; arrange a good number of cooking implements in the sandpit; provide enough sports equipment for a large group.

Using your knowledge of mokopuna select and provide a range of games and activities that are meaningful to them in your setting.

Ensure games are representative of a range of cultures and languages (e.g., clapping games, sasa, tititorea or tī rakau, kite flying, bean bag toss, hide and seek).

Consider how the rules of different games relate to cultural expectations (e.g., whether it is appropriate to touch heads or shoulders in ‘Duck duck goose’).

Create or modify materials and instructions so that games reflect children’s own and other cultures and languages. For example, create a memory game of ngā manu Māori.

Support mokopuna by clearly explaining the expectations and rules for playing selected games and activities.

Differentiate supports for mokopuna to participate, including adjusting expectations or rules of the game for individual children as needed.

While conflict can be a learning opportunity, design routines and learning environments to minimise the potential for social problems. For example: ensure areas are inviting to mokopuna; enable a smooth flow of movement; minimise crowding and prolonged waiting; role model respectful interactions; be emotionally aware and responsive to mokopuna.

As a teaching team, discuss what social problems look like and why they occur in the setting, including children’s peer conflicts. Discuss how conflicts can be framed as a learning and teaching opportunity.

As a teaching team, develop consistent shared approaches to support children to learn social problem-solving strategies.

Maintain ongoing communication with mokopuna and their whānau to better understand and support children’s learning, including in emotionally charged situations such as peer conflicts.

In consultation with whānau and mokopuna develop a consistent team approach ensuring that teaching strategies are flexible, individualised and responsive.

Adjust teaching support and guidance depending on what mokopuna need to ensure that they are safe and empowered to learn. For example, as long as quick intervention is not necessary to keep children safe, do not immediately, or as a default, ‘shut down’ peer conflicts – instead stay calm, take a moment to observe and consider the most appropriate response.

Provide a diverse range of materials and opportunities, including those that reflect children’s home and community experiences.

Be attuned to children’s preferences in play including who they choose to play with and the kinds of games and materials they tend towards.

Gather information through observations and conversations with mokopuna and whānau, focusing on children’s aspirations for their social interactions and play preferences. Notice and acknowledge repeated behaviours or responses that communicate children’s play preferences or aspirations.

Ensure the way we support and encourage children’s participation is free from gender stereotypes, and that mokopuna of all genders are able to access all curriculum activities.

Be respectful of and continue to support mokopuna play aspirations and preferences when extending and enriching children’s play experiences.

Be attuned to neurodiversity and adapt expectations and support according to individual children’s unique needs, boundaries and strengths in play.

As a teaching team and community, discuss what tuakana–teina means within your setting and community, including in conversation with whānau.

Provide opportunities and encouragement for children to care for others and welcome support from others, for example encourage older children to help their younger peers during hand washing routines.

Highlight and discuss the value of helping each other and ways to give and receive help.

Discuss with mokopuna how they might ask for help or could offer help to others.

Create opportunities for mokopuna to share their strengths and interests with others, for example giving mokopuna time at a talanoa to talk to the group about their artwork or to demonstrate a sports skill.

Reflect as a team what kinds of care and teaching are valued in your setting; ask yourselves what biases might be influencing your recognition of particular children in tuakana-teina relationships. Think broadly about the different ways children support and teach each other and ensure that children can see and hear that you value their contributions.