The strands of Te Whāriki: Contribution
Ngā taumata whakahirahira ki Te Whāriki: Mana Tangata
Introduction - He kupu whakataki
How does one maintain standards of accountability – to students, teachers, and parents, to school officials who are responsible for the students’ progress … while at the same time keeping the social contract with students, who are encouraged to view themselves as co-equal participants in a community of sharing? This is a difficult tightrope to walk, and our approach has been to be honest with the children and to allow them to participate in the assessment process as much as possible.1
This book collects together early childhood exemplars that illustrate the assessment of learning that is valued within the curriculum strand of Contribution/Mana Tangata, keeping in mind that:
Exemplars are examples of assessments that make visible learning that is valued so that the learning community (children, families, whānau, teachers, and beyond) can foster ongoing and diverse learning pathways.2
Although these exemplars are viewed through a Contribution/Mana Tangata lens, in many cases the lens of another strand could have been used. The principle of Holistic Development or Kotahitanga set out in Te Whāriki is a reminder that the curriculum “strands” are a construction, and in any episode of a child’s learning, these areas are inextricably intertwined and interconnected.
Learning stories in PDF format
Unfortunately, because of publishing constraints, we are only able to provide the learning stories to you in PDF format.
You should be able to read PDF documents in your web browser. If you have any problems opening a PDF, a number of downloadable PDF readers are listed on Wikipedia or you can email web services for help.
A summary of the exemplars for The Strands of Te Whāriki: Contribution follows:
- Becoming part of the group
- Stevie and the pirate ship
- Whakapai kai
- Osmana's view
- Zachary dancing
- A grandfather's letter
- Teaching others
- Developing friendships
- Mahdia's story
- Blocks and beads
- The three friends
- A business venture
- The artists
- Issy's new role
For more information, or to request a hard copy of this exemplar book, please email the ministry.