Childspace Ngaio Infants and Toddlers Centre

Childspace Ngaio Infants and Toddlers centre is an education and care service administered by Childspace Early Learning Centres.

What is an innovation?

An innovation is a definable difference in the service that a centre offers. It refers to the learning and teaching practices which are different in an identifiable way from typical programmes within the early childhood sector. The nature of innovation is something which takes the best of the knowledge we have and uses that to take practice forward to the leading edge.

What is our innovation?

The primary caregiving and free and active movement components of the RIE/Pikler philosophy are integrated into the Childspace infant and toddler team’s implementation of Te Whāriki in the New Zealand context.

What is action research?

Action research is research that is conducted by practitioner-researchers on their own practice in order to make changes or improvements. It involves critical inquiry into practice by those immersed in the situation. Therefore teachers become teacher-researchers. It aim of action research is to understand something better so that it can be improved; it is not to test hypotheses or compare the impact of different teaching approaches.

What is our research question?

Main research question:

In what ways does the Childspace peaceful-caregiving-as-curriculum approach, based on respectful and responsive relationships with people, places and things, improve learning?

Where can you find out more?

As part of our research responsibilities we are required to keep others informed of our learning journey, through writings, presentations and networking. We have listed some of the places where you might find opportunities to gain further insight into what our team of action-researchers are up to.

Dissemination

• Rainbow in my Head – June 2008, Wellington
• New Zealand Annual Research in Education (NZARE) Conference – November 2008, Palmerston North
• 11th NZ Early Childhood Research Conference – 22-23 January 2009, Wellington
• Yeah Baby – 18 April 2009, Wellington
• The Space magazine – quarterly editions are published by Childspace Early Childhood Institute

COI tenure

Calendar years 2008/2009/2010 (Round four). In Budget 2009 it was announced that the COI programme will end on 30 June 2009.

COI research associates

Carmen Dalli, Victoria University of Wellington Research Trust (Email: Carmen.dalli@vuw.ac.nz) [no spam]

Service location

9 Tarikaka Street, Ngaio, Wellington 6035, New Zealand.

Visitors

You are welcome to make an appointment with us to view our Peaceful Caregiving as Curriculum practices in action. This can be done through emailing or phoning our COI project manager Natasha Kibble tash@childspace.co.nz [no spam], 04 478 5220. We have a visitors’ policy and information on our philosophy in action available for you to read through prior to visiting.

Contact details

Contact people:
Toni Christie, Principal, Childspace Early Learning Centres
Natasha Kibble, Childspace Ngaio Infants and Toddlers Centre
Gemma Rudd, Centre Manager
Kelly Watson, Assistant Manager

Postal address: 45 Helston Road, Johnsonville, Wellington 6037, New Zealand

Telephone: 04 478 5220 (Childspace Early Learning Centres Head Office); 04 479 0320 (Childspace Ngaio Infants and Toddlers Centre)

Fax: 04 478 3986 (Childspace Early Learning Centres Head Office)
Email: tash@childspace.co.nz [no spam] (Childspace Early Learning Centres) and ngaionursery@childspace.co.nz [no spam] (Childspace Ngaio Infants and Toddlers Centre)

The innovation: Peaceful caregiving as curriculum

Childspace Ngaio Infants and Toddlers Centre became a Centre of Innovation in 2008 as part of Round 4 of the Centre of Innovation Action Research Programme.

The innovation at Childspace Ngaio is the use of a Peaceful Caregiving as Curriculum approach to teaching and learning. This approach is based on a stance of utmost respect for the child. Key components of this approach include: (i) the use of a primary caregiving system; (ii) sensitive observation; and (iii) freedom of movement.

Inspired by the work of Emmi Pikler (McBride, 2008; Tardos, 2007) and Magda Gerber (2002), at Childspace Ngaio Infants and Toddlers we have created a peaceful environment which allows children to discover as much as possible on their own. With the comfort of knowing that a familiar adult is close by, fully present and sensitively observing their cues and gestures, the child can look forward to the next care moment when they will be engaged in the another intimate dance of cooperation and togetherness (Kibble, 2007; Trevarthen, 2002). This is a place where relationships are the key to everything else that goes on. This is a place where a child is able to discover the environment and gain knowledge about it on their own terms.

During the 18-month period of this COI project, the Childspace teaching team worked through one action research cycle in which they focused on documenting their use of a primary caregiving system and on deepening their understanding of its impact.

In the article Primary caregiving: a way of being, the teachers talk about their insights about their use of primary caregiving based on this research cycle. A copy is available for download in the right-hand "Related links" column on this page.

If you would like a hard copy of this document you can contact the Early Childhood Education team at ece.info@minedu.govt.nz [no spam].