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Welcome to the Office of Early Childhood Education
The OECE is a national organisation for the ECE sector and public adviser, championing high-quality education and care for every child
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- Provides membership support to ECE services, teachers, researchers, and community partners
- Actively contributes to sector analysis, research, and policy development
- Advances evidence-based best practices that prioritise children’s interests and wellbeing
View the Code of Conduct for ECE Services
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Teacher Member Posts
Teaching Literacy – An Early Childhood Educator’s Guide
Guide to Teaching Literacy. By Dr Sarah Alexander.
From their earliest speech experiences through to contact with written language and technologies, what happens in children’s homes and communities shapes their early literacy learning. How, and whether this early learning is taken up and extended through early childhood educational practic
Nose Bleeds
Nose bleeds in young children are commonly caused by knocks, nose-picking, and objects being inserted into the nose.
If the nose bleed is caused by an injury, always check with a doctor as the child’s nose could be broken.
Quite often though, a nose bleed may just happen for no apparent reason – the blood just starts to d
Making Volcanoes
Making Volcanoes with Children.
Children find volcanoes intriguing.
Here are some key facts and simple information to share with children about volcanoes and geysers, along with a ‘recipe’ for making your very own fun miniature demonstration volcano. Introducing knowledge and understanding of volcanoes is a common part of teaching and
The Learning Story Narrative Approach to Child Assessment
Narrative Approach to Child Assessment.
While our country’s youngest children are not assessed with end of year tests or other formal assessments, the Ministry of Education does require early childhood education (ECE) services to be ”informed by assessment, planning and evaluation (documented and undocumented) that demonstrates an understandi
Service Provider Member Posts
Food Allergy Management
Food Allergy Management.
Sharing a sweet treat on your birthday is great fun, but in an early childhood setting it can be more complicated than simply working out how many pieces you need to cut the cake into.
If your centre or home-based service has children who have food allergies or intolerances, what seems like some harmless baking coul
90-day Trial Period
All employers in New Zealand, no matter their size, are able to use 90-day trial periods. 90-day trials will not affect other aspects of employment relations, such as the requirement to act in good faith. It can be used for any staff – including and not limited to teachers, cleaners, cooks, administrators).
If you wish to put a new staff me
HIV and AIDS Childcare and Confidentiality Guidelines
HIV / AIDS Children and Adults At Early Childhood Services.
In May 2012 a Northland Childcare Centre was publicly slammed when it decided to send home an HIV-positive child. The centre was criticised by the AIDS Foundation and the story made the national news over several days. The centre claimed its exclusion of the child was temporary only w
The ECE Safety Checklist – Daily Hazard and Safety Checklist
The ECE Safety Checklist – A Daily Hazard and Safety Checklist for Every ECE Service. Checklist items include regulation requirements and reflect learnings from tragic incidents that have happened in ECE.
How to Use the Checklist
This checklist is to assist in conducting and recording the daily inspection.
It is more thorough and detaile
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Educator Perceptions of Risk-taking, Safety and Resilience in the Outdoors: A Rural ECE Study
Research on children’s risk-taking, safety and resilience in outdoor play and teacher views and worries. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
Publication Ethics of the NZIRECE Journal
Publication ethics statement. Originality, accuracy and avoidance of harm The journal publishes only work that is original. Authors are asked to declare that their submitted
Should we Consider Rhizomatic Thinking when Educating Young Minds?
Research on how rhizomatic thinking helps teachers understand, respond, and plan for children’s complexity of thought and cognitive development. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
Building a Shared Language of Coping: Dynamics of Communication between Parents and Preschool Children
This paper extends the current literature on social emotional development in the early years by providing an understanding of how young children comprehend and talk about everyday challenging situations and the way they cope with these. The paper also provides examples of how visual images in the form of Early Years Coping Cards may be used by the
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