© ChildForum

If early childhood services learnt one thing when the Government reduced funding to services with more than 80% qualified teachers and changed eligibility criteria for access to support for provisionally registered teachers amongst other things, it was that a government is free to make changes to funding as it pleases according to its priorities or goals.    

These are times when it pays to be strategic!

Below are four top tips for what your early childhood service could be doing now or be planning toward doing.  

 

1. Building Educational Capacity in the Community as an ECE Service

A large proportion of children leave school unable to read or write at a good level. These children grow up to be parents, who in turn find it difficult to provide a home-learning environment that fosters early literacy. Without parents on board, early childhood services can make only a tiny difference to children’s early literacy development.

Perhaps your service could meet this need in the community?  Think of ways you could do this.

Here’s one idea:  The "Early Reading Together” Kit of Workshop Resources for ECE educators and families.  Note that the “Reading Together” programme at primary level has received strong endorsement from government and is being implemented and scaled up by the Ministry of Education across decile 1-3 schools, beginning this term (read more about reading workshop resources by clicking here).

To keep reading, login with your ECE Service's member username and password.  If you don't know what your service's login is ask your manager or team leader