http://www.ecc.org.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.ecc.org.nz en-us Sun, 16 Aug 2026 15:37:42 +1200 Rocketspark http://www.ecc.org.nz/blog/post/168477/dance-culture-and-spirituality-creating-meaningful-movement-in-ece/ Teachers need to create a space that is inclusive of children’s ways of participating in dance, based on their cultural and spiritual context. Different cultures and spiritual influences have different approaches. For some, dance, drama and song are interwoven.For authenticity, when using songs to dance to, it is important to know the song’s origin and the purpose it was intended for, so it can be used appropriately and respectfully.... Fri, 07 Aug 2026 14:29:46 +1200 http://www.ecc.org.nz/blog/#post168477 http://www.ecc.org.nz/blog/post/167874/indoor-air-quality-in-ece-the-hidden-factor-affecting-health-learning-and-wellbeing/ When Early Childhood Education (ECE) providers think about creating healthy learning environments, attention often focuses on nutrition, hygiene, outdoor play and infection prevention. However, one equally important factor often remains largely invisible: indoor air quality (IAQ).Children in New Zealand spend many hours each day indoors, making the quality of the air they breathe an important consideration for both their health and their ability to learn. Young children are particularly vulnerab... Thu, 23 Jul 2026 13:11:16 +1200 http://www.ecc.org.nz/blog/#post167874 http://www.ecc.org.nz/blog/post/167861/why-mud-might-be-your-most-valuable-outdoor-learning-resource/ There is a well-known phrase in early childhood education: children learn through play. But there is one type of play that still makes some adults hesitate: muddy play.Most kaiako instinctively know it is good for tamariki. The harder part is sometimes articulating why, especially to parents who were not expecting to collect a child covered in mud at pick-up time.Here is some of the research worth having in your back pocket.... Thu, 23 Jul 2026 12:02:49 +1200 http://www.ecc.org.nz/blog/#post167861 http://www.ecc.org.nz/blog/post/167069/australian-childcare-alliance-queensland-conference-report-back/ The Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) Queensland Conference was just held in Brisbane between 26 June and 28 June. It attracted 2,000 delegates and had a massive trade exhibition. I attended alongside two ECC members.My take from the trip is that Queensland has huge advantages over NZ. For one thing, they do not have issues with their regulator systematically shutting down centres. If anything, they have the opposite problem and perhaps there are operators that should be shut down as low quali... Thu, 02 Jul 2026 11:19:13 +1200 http://www.ecc.org.nz/blog/#post167069 http://www.ecc.org.nz/blog/post/166725/the-child-who-wanted-to-reach-the-sun/ If you have ever had a conversation with a child before, you would know that their imagination and creativity are unmatched. As children are still learning the rules of the world around them, they often come to conclusions that an adult mind can’t fathom. Their unique logic and limited information have often made me smile during my years working with these tiny problem solvers.When I was working in the toddler room, I once noticed a few children playing in the block corner. One child in partic... Thu, 25 Jun 2026 13:32:03 +1200 http://www.ecc.org.nz/blog/#post166725 http://www.ecc.org.nz/blog/post/166671/work-to-residence-changes-a-significant-win-for-ece-teachers-and-providers/ The Early Childhood Council says allowing ECE teachers to qualify for residency at their original Median Wage level will help reduce the chance of a future teacher supply crisis for ECE providers, and give overseas teachers already working in New Zealand a valuable reward. After COVID-19, many ECE centres recruited teachers from overseas because there weren’t enough domestic workers available. Now, many of those immigrants have been in New Zealand long enough to start to become eligible t... Wed, 24 Jun 2026 10:08:54 +1200 http://www.ecc.org.nz/blog/#post166671 http://www.ecc.org.nz/blog/post/166566/choosing-culturally-responsive-resources-for-your-early-learning-services/ The resources children encounter in an early learning environment help shape what they understand about themselves and the world around them. Books, images, language materials and digital content can signal whose cultures, families and experiences are recognised and valued.For educators, choosing culturally responsive resources is not simply about adding more variety to the shelf. The strongest resources connect with the children and whānau in a service, support meaningful teaching practice, an... Mon, 22 Jun 2026 09:04:05 +1200 http://www.ecc.org.nz/blog/#post166566 http://www.ecc.org.nz/blog/post/166563/what-happens-when-food-reaches-the-table/ There is a point in every early learning setting where everything we say we value about food becomes visible.It does not sit in the menu, a policy, or a training session. It reveals itself at the table, when the food is placed down and children begin to engage. If you watch closely, this moment tells you almost everything about how the mealtime is working.The children are seated, and the rhythm of the routine, often held as a ritual, is complete. A sharing platter is placed within reach. Some ch... Mon, 22 Jun 2026 08:29:37 +1200 http://www.ecc.org.nz/blog/#post166563 http://www.ecc.org.nz/blog/post/165560/budget-2026-government-makes-good-on-education-promises-with-new-investment-into-ece/ The Early Childhood Council (ECC) has welcomed the Government’s 1.5 percent cost adjustment for early childhood education in Budget 2026 – but has warned tough times remain ahead for the ECE sector.“The ECC campaigned hard on a 5 percent increase in funding for ECE in this year’s Budget. While it’s not near the amount required to keep the sector sustainable, we welcome this year’s cost adjustment,” says ECC CEO, Simon Laube.“Government funding has not kept pace with inflation, dr... Thu, 28 May 2026 14:31:09 +1200 http://www.ecc.org.nz/blog/#post165560 http://www.ecc.org.nz/blog/post/165415/how-work-based-learning-can-support-early-learning-services/ Amid the plate-spinning of running an early learning service, workplace training can be the first thing to drop off the list. For centre owners and managers balancing staffing, compliance, whānau communication and the daily needs of tamariki, professional development needs to be practical.Work-based learning, also known as on-the-job training, can offer a practical option. It allows people to build skills while continuing in their usual role, with learning connected to the tasks and responsibil... Tue, 26 May 2026 09:04:35 +1200 http://www.ecc.org.nz/blog/#post165415