Blog & Free Resources

ECE Transition sheets (FREE download)

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These sheets were developed in conjunction with the amazing teachers at Whitestone CoL!

They’re a great way of ensuring that the needs of your little learners are clearly shown and carried with them on their next big step to Primary. Click the link below to download your free set!

Click here to download your FREE set of transition forms!

Are you looking for other resources to support your learners in the lower primary/new entrant environment? Check out the store tab at the top of the page to get a closer look at the resources shown below and more!

Have you found our FREE ‘first week of school’ student/whānau transition sheets?

They’re perfect for getting to know your new class and their families a little better during the first week of school! Click here to grab your FREE set.:

Te Tau o te Rā – the Number of the Day! FREE RESOURCE

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There’s nothing better than a simple classroom routine that’s engaging, requires minimal set up and provides maximum thinking! Print, laminate, and select some challenges to suit your class (or group) before displaying – you could change the challenges daily (after your learners have gained confidence) or simply change the focus number with a whiteboard marker daily. The eye catching challenge cards use simple words and basic illustrations to give your little learners a prompt as to what’s required. (Māori version also included!)

The images below show one way of presenting this activity in class – the Tau o te Rā (number of the day) in this example, is twelve!

Tips:

I’d suggest modelling and completing these activities as whole class warm-ups before attempting to complete the tasks individually (of course showing lots of thinking aloud, using manipulatives if possible and collecting and exploring different ways to complete the challenges).

Introduce a new challenge every couple of days until your class have built up confidence tackling a larger amount of challenges (if appropriate). You could differentiate the tasks by varying the size of the daily focus number, purposely selecting the challenges and changing the quantity of tasks set.

Have a think about how you’d like them to record their learning…. maybe on whiteboards? At the back of their maths books? Verbally with a buddy? Or maybe as a group on large bits of paper (before taking a photo of their working) etc.

This activity makes a great maths session warm up, or additionally could be included as part of your maths rotation (use for set groups or early finishers) There are activities included to appeal to all your little learners….. from all the maths basics, through to rhyming your number words, making connections to your number, drawing the number and using a variety of fun manipulatives!

Please click here to download your FREE set of ‘Number of the Day’ labels!

Looking for other Kiwi resources to brighten up your classroom or enhance your learning programme? Check out the store tab at the top!

Dear Tooth Fairy {FREE Printable}

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Our household experienced a very significant life event last week – our big boy lost his first tooth! He was fairly certain that everyone else in his class (including his best buddies) had lost their first teeth yeeaaars ago, so this was a long anticipated occasion! I quickly scrambled to whip up a little ‘Dear Tooth Fairy’ sheet for him to leave with his tooth under his pillow (which I’ve since hidden away in his memory box for future reference) He really enjoyed filling in all the parts of the sheet with facts about this momentous event. This resource also includes a little letter in reply from the tooth fairy back to your child – just add their name and leave in place on the tooth…

Click here to download your FREE copy!

Teacher Struggles 2019

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Kua tae te wā – it’s time!

*Time to make some positive changes that will impact the daily goings-ons in every primary classroom in the country. Time to make this a thriving and attractive career option once again. Time to make this a healthy and balanced profession where teachers are treated as professionals and supported to do the best for our tamariki.

Scroll to the bottom of the post to find a FREE printable version of these conversation starters…

Click here to download a FREE printable version of these images. Kua tae to wā – it’s time, so get out there and tell it like it is!

Looking for more images like the ones below from previous ‘Kua tae to wā’ series? Click here!

Gumboot-Up New Zealand!

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It’s totally heart warming the way kiwis have thrown themselves behind @gumbootfriday & @iamhope_nz to raise funds to provide free counselling for any kids who need it!👌🤗 You don’t need to give me an excuse to wear my gumboots – these are the boots we wore on our wedding day over a decade ago!! 💕 (Our ceremony location required a short stroll down through the bush, so we asked our wedding guests to design, make and wear gumboots that reflected some of our passions – the ultimate ice breaker and so much fun!! 🙌😎)

#gumbootfriday #5april2019 #mikekingyourock #getyourbootson #gumbootup

Make sure you snaffle up our *FREE* G=Gumboot activity pack (normally a paid resource that’s part of our Kiwiana Alphabet activity bundle, but now *FREE* in support of this amazing cause)

Click here to grab your FREE set of Gumboot-Up printables!

It’s a great activity for the last week of term and the perfect way to reflect on all the goings-ons of Gumboot Friday. Complete and fold a teeny-tiny gumboot booklet, then add a photo/illustration and writing to the ‘Gumboot-Up NZ’ publishing pages!