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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
Art Gallery Visit
Taking Children to an Art Gallery.
Don’t assume that art galleries are too high-brow for young children. They may not be able to tell you the name of the artist but they will still appreciate the work. Early childhood education should include exposing children to contemporary art practice in different forms.
Here are suggestions to help
Using Sign Language in Our Early Childhood Teaching
NZ Sign Language in Early Childhood Education and in our Teaching.
By Rachel Pratt.
NZ Sign Language (NZSL) is one of the three official languages of NZ and all ECE services and teachers need a basic understanding of it. Hearing children can become more understanding of differences and Deaf children can experience an environment where they feel welcome and supported.
Why should I teach it when there are no children with hearing impairments?
Deaf children who require visual communication represent about 0.1 percent of the population of children who are involved in early childhood education. For this reason, early childhood teachers and educators may not encounter many Deaf children and question the importance of using NZSL in their service.
Gifted in Reading
While most children who are turning five years of age may at most recognise their name and perhaps a few other words, a gifted child at the same age may already be capable of reading books at Year 2 primary school level and above.
Identifying a Child Who is Gifted in Reading
A child who is gifted in reading has most or all of the following characteristics:
Giving Children Choices – Strategies for the Best Outcomes
Giving young children choices and empowering them to make their own decisions will help prepare them for life.
The early years are the best time for children to begin to learn about making choices and consequences.
The ability to choose is the essence of being human.
Consider how many choices you make each year, month, week, da
Service Provider Member Posts
A Tree Fell at a Centre and WorkSafe and MoE Heard It
A tree fell on children in an early childhood centre and for the first time ever Worksafe prosecuted an ECE service.
Four children and one adult were injured.
The most fundamental practice change to be made is that every day the service provider and all adults responsible need to assume that something could go wrong. Don’t take a
Employment References
Have you been asked by a colleague, student, or employee for an employment reference?
Here we explain your obligations, what to write, and ways to provide a job reference.
If you are asked by an employer to provide a reference for a person who has not asked you to be a referee, do not provide a reference without first checking and obtaining
A Small Privately-Owned Centre Set-Up
Small Privately-Owned Centre. By Marian Ayres Hill.
Setting up, managing and teaching in a small private preschool has many challenges, however it is very rewarding when you see the enormous benefits that a small owner-operated centre brings to children.
This is my story.
I trained as a kindergarten teacher in the 70s and spent 2
Trusted Woman ECE Centre Teacher Engaged in Sexual Exploitation of Children
Indecent pictures of children, including bathroom pics, were taken by teacher “K” at her early childhood centre, using her mobile phone and shared online.
Parents at the UK early childhood centre she worked at described her as bubbly, friendly, and competent. She was a married woman and mother, and the kind of person you would assume you could trust with your child.
The abuse went unnoticed at the centre and only an accidental discovery by a businessman, whose partner stumbled across the images on a computer, brought the abuse to light resulting in prosecution.
What can we learn from this case of a female teacher sexually abusing children? We learn that:
There is a danger for children of allowing camera phones or technology in centres that could transmit images of them.
It is commonly believed that women do not engage in paedophilia and that only men abuse young children – however there is possible under-reporting of women who abuse young children.
This article looks at issues of centre governance and management that allowed this to happen to identify how governance and management can be improved. It looks also at the importance of staff/teacher supervision and the role of students on teaching practice/placement.
The story as reported by the Plymouth Safeguard Children Board is summarised below highlighting the main concerns about the system and the centre itself including staff relationships, staff and child supervision, policies, and structure.
Keep children safe in your ECE service
1. Make sure your service meets the National Code for Early Childhood Service Conduct
Section 2(d) of the Code states: “No person while providing care and education will have a personal electronic device that can take photos or videos unless the device is authorised for essential purposes (such as for communication at a time of emergency). Only service-issued electronic devices are used when taking images or videos of children. The appropriate use of service-issued electronic devices and storing of images and videos of children is clearly outlined in our policies and procedures.”
2. Have an effective complaints policy and whistle-blowing procedures at your service, for any staff or parent to report their concerns safely (anonymously and without fear)
3. Ensure your service has a robust Child Protection Policy – learn more and review and improve your current policy.
4. Have safe recruitment procedures, including using values-based interviewing techniques and questions when interviewing job applicants.
Keep reading below to learn more about what happened at the centre.
The Centre is called “Z” and the teacher is “K”.
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Supporting Parents to Use Schema Theory to Understand and Manage Challenging Behaviour in the Home
Research on how teachers can share schema theory with parents for managing the challenging behaviour of children with special needs and with disabilities. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
Delineating and Reconciling Perspectives on Quality in NZ Early Childhood Services
Research on differences in perspectives on quality and evaluation held by managers, teachers and parents at early childhood centres. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
Exploring Educator and Parent Perceptions of the Impact of Digital Technologies on Young Children’s Physical Literacies
Full reference: Davis, T. (2025). Exploring educator and parent perceptions of the impact of digital technologies on young children’s physical literacies. NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 27, pp. 31-42.
Login to read the full research paper below. Or order a pdf copy of the article from the main NZIRECE Journal page.
ABSTRACT:
Digital technologies are increasingly present in early childhood settings, raising questions about their effects on young children’s physical literacy development. Physical literacy – encompassing physical competence, confidence, motivation, and understanding to engage in physical activity – is crucially developed in the early years. This article reports on a doctoral research project exploring how educators and parents perceive the impact of digital technology use on the physical literacies of children from birth to five years. A literature review highlights international and Australasian perspectives on digital technology integration in early childhood education and the concept of physical literacy in the early years, revealing a gap in research on stakeholder perceptions at this intersection. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory provide the theoretical framework, situating children’s technology experiences within layered environmental contexts and sociocultural interactions. A qualitative, interpretive case study with a phenomenological lens is proposed, using semi-structured interviews with educators and parents in an Australian kindergarten and a long day care centre. The article argues that understanding adult perceptions can support more intentional, balanced integration of digital technologies.
Key words: Digital technologies; physical literacy; teacher perceptions; parent perceptions.
Contributing to Educational Change as a Teacher-Researcher
Contributing to Educational Change as a Teacher-Researcher. By Loraine Corrie. Published in the NZRECE Journal, Vol. 2, 1999.
Abstract
Recent world wide educational reform has resulted in teachers adapting to different roles and responsibilities. This paper examines a case in Western Australia, and argues that it would be hel
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