Poutama Newsletter

Edition 04/12April 2012

Jennifer Vega shows off her painted feet at Kids Day Out - footsteps celebrated the opening of their new building with a giant ‘Kids Day Out’ including a record attempt for the most children’s footprints on canvas in the whole of New Zealand. Find out if we broke the record on page 2.

footsteps teachers/kaiako from all over the country got involved in National Children’s Day on March 4th all with the same goal - to make the day as much fun as possible for children.Our Waimaunga team were having plenty of fun down at the Historic Village in Tauranga where they created a historic ‘Cup and Ball’ activity to encourage children to think about the value of play and what children would have done in past days when there were no plastic toys available. You can find out how to make this activity on page 5.Down in Porirua, the theme for the day was pirates which our kaiako, Jan and Michele truly embraced - oooargh. At this event, we raffled off a girl and boys bike. One of our lucky winners, 3 year old Mafi can be seen on the right proudly showing off his new set of wheels. footsteps teachers/kaiako also attended events in Greymouth, Timaru, Queenstown and Horowhenua. Thanks to everyone for putting in such a great effort for our tamariki.

National Children’s Day

Contents:Page 2/3 - What’s happening in the footsteps whanau?Page 4/5 - Ara Poutama KetePage 6 - Inspiring a child with healthy praisePage 7 - Ask the Expert and Active MovementPage 8 - Should a child be labelled gifted?

footsteps.co.nz 0800 366 878haporicommunityAkolearn

footsteps world record attempt

Clockwise from top left,

footsteps kaiako Jan

and Michele as pirates in

Porirua, our bike winner

Mafi 3, and footsteps

kaiako Lisa (right) at a

Children’s Day in Timaru

© footsteps education ltd.

To celebrate the Bay of Plenty’s annual Sustainable Backyard Month, footsteps Directors Kevin and Clyde and our Waimaunga team headed down to the community gardens to show our tamariki how to plant, and to encourage caregivers to revisit and make the most of the footsteps garden. We laid on quite a spread including teaching, games, food and a free plant to take home and grow. You can see by the photo how much all our tamariki enjoyed it. A big thank you to Tip Top and Palmers Garden Centre for donating plants, hats, and fun activities to encourage the spirit of ‘let’s get growing’ with the tamariki and caregivers of Tauranga.

footsteps get growing

What’s happening in the footsteps whanau?

Kia ora and Autumn Greetings,What a busy start to the year it has been! With our very own Kid’s Day Out celebration in Tauranga in February, National Children’s Day in March, and Easter festivities in April, our teachers/kaiako have been busy bees! It has also been a busy time for our support staff who have been getting settled in to our new Support Office building in Tauranga. And it’s not just the beginning of the year that is panning out to be full of growth and success for footsteps. The next few months will see the introduction of our new childcare service to offer families not only quality learning, but quality childcare too. More on this new service will be revealed over the coming weeks so watch this space. For this edition of the Poutama Newsletter, we have kept the cooler weather in mind to provide lots of learning resources for you and your children to enjoy as the chill sets in. Just remember, it’s still important to get outside for exercise - just make sure you wrap up warm! Autumn is such a beautiful, colourful season, so get out to enjoy all this magical beauty with your children/tamariki.Ngā mihi nui, Kind regards,The footsteps whanau

From the family...

To mark the occasion of the opening of our new Support Office in Tauranga, we put on a ‘Kids Day Out’ for the community and we are pleased to say it was a HUGE success. In an attempt to break the record for the biggest footprint painting in Tauranga, we ended up with an 18m x 2m canvas, covered in tamariki painted feet. We received over 400 different sets of footprints which is believed to be the biggest painting of its kind in Aotearoa - hooray!As well as face painters, balloon sculptors and a bouncy castle, a large part of the Kid’s Day Out was an interactive area, which involved demonstrating creative learning ideas to parents and caregivers of children aged 0-5. This included how to make paintbrushes from flax and a bagpipe from a rubber glove and a glad wrap roll! This area proved to be very popular with a steady flow of visitors throughout the day. It was also a great way to share with the community what we do and how our service works.

footsteps break record for Kids Day Out

Our giant 18m foot painting from ‘Kids Day Out’

footsteps kaiako Kelly teaches our

tamariki all about growing

2© footsteps education ltd.© footsteps education ltd.

At footsteps, we love any excuse to hold a party for our tamariki and Easter was no exception. Our Auckland team had a fantastic turn out for their event, one caregiver even brought their puppy! There were tons of activities to do on the day from making Easter cards, to decorating craft eggs and making play dough gardens with lots of natural materials. It was reported that there was glitter everywhere, but that’s all part of the fun! Several children helped Tam, our new kaiako make hot cross buns which were then eaten nice and warm from the oven. The morning finished with an Easter egg hunt for the children with mini eggs and rabbits and a marsh- mallow egg for the caregivers to take home.Our Waimaunga team were also joining in the festivities at an Easter Party held in conjunction with FANG (Foster Agency Networking Group) on 29th March. The afternoon was a great success where children celebrated the meaning of Easter. Our very own footsteps Rabbit was present, thanks to Donna our Regional Director who kindly sewed him to perfection! The children were challenged on an Easter hunt, egg decorating competition for spot prizes and a BBQ.

Easter fun at footsteps

footsteps have started writing an ongoing blog for Kiwi Families, the second biggest parenting website in New Zealand. Jacqueline Taylor and Sue Hunter, two of our most experienced footsteps kaiako are writing regularly on all things early childhood. So far, we have written articles on ‘reading in the early years’, and the ‘secret of being a healthy famiily’. To get you hooked, we have included a couple of articles in this month’s edition of Poutama. Be sure to check the latest updates this month at www.footsteps.co.nz/news

footsteps blog for Kiwi Families

haporicommunityAkolearn

footsteps received an excellent write up in the Education Review’s February edition, New Zealand’s leading publication on all things education. The article, which includes an interview with Kevin Christie, our CEO, reflects the quality of our service and how we make a difference to our tamariki that we support. Here is a quote from the article “footsteps’ growth is impressive, boasting a leap from 280 children in 2007 to 800 in 2011. It has received outstanding ERO reviews; an A+ in 2011 with no learning recommendations, which is an industry first. footsteps has also received the stamp of approval from experts at Victoria University who reviewed their learning programme.” You can read the full article at footsteps.co.nz/news.

Growing Strides

Our easter bunny in Tauranga tells families

to hop over to footsteps

Kegan and Maddison get stuck into

making hot cross buns in Auckland

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At footsteps, we have made a conscious decision to start using the natural environment and recycled

materials to create our learning resources. By using the things around you that are easily accessible and of

little cost, it has less of an impact on the environment and is lighter on the purse strings. So check out the

following resource ideas and get creative. We know you will have great fun making them and your tamariki

will love them too. For more ideas, visit our website at www.footsteps.co.nz/learning_resources

Ara Poutama Learning Kete

Kia ora koutou!

In the last edition of Poutama, we looked at some simple

greetings in te reo to teach your tamariki. I hope you

have had an opportunity to use them.

Here are some phrases that you can use to teach your

tamariki the different parts of the face. Firstly point to

your own face saying the word in Māori and then your

child’s. Repeating the word, get them to repeat the word

back to you.

Karu – eyes Ihu - noseWaha - mouth Arero - tongue

Niho - teeth Ngutu - lips

Pāpāringa - cheeks Tukumata - eyebrows

Have a go and have fun doing it by pulling some funny

faces and having a good laugh!!!

Ma te wa – until next time

PS: Here is a link to help you with general pronunciation

http://www.korero.maori.nz/forlearners/basics/

pronunciation.html

Ara Poutama

What you will need:• 1 long cardboard tube (e.g.

from glad wrap or tin foil)• 1 latex disposable glove• cello tape• Decorative materials e.g.

stickers• 1 drinking straw

Instructions:1. Tape the opening of the glove

to the bottom end of the cardboard tube, making sure it is very secure and tightly sealed.

2. Cut a VERY small hole at the tip of one of the rubber glove fingers

3. Place the drinking straw in the small hole and tape securely

4. Decorate with stickers and paint if you would like

5. Play the bagpipe by holding the tube in one hand and straw in the older.

6. Blow into the straw by pulling slightly and holding tight at a 45 degree angle - this might take a few tries but once you’ve got it, you’ll be able to create a bagpipe symphony!

Learning• Creativity• Self-expression• Hand eye coordination / fine

motor development • Stimulates both sides of the

brain.• Kids learn by using their senses

• Encourages problem solving and discussion

• Helps learn timing and rhythm

You can extend by:• Decorating with different

materials, stickers, paint or use a painting to wrap around the tube as decoration

• Create other instruments e.g. rubber band guitar or a formula tin drum, rice or sand filled drink bottle.

• Visit a musical instrument shop or find a pipe band to watch as they play (you may have to get a DVD to do this)

• Look at books together to see other musical instruments: try guessing how they sound

• Listen to CD’s of bagpipes and other instruments.

Glove Bagpipe

4© footsteps education ltd.

If you are looking for some fun ideas

to entertain your little ones, why not

spend an afternoon coming up with

photo ideas to go into our annual

footsteps calendar. As always, this

year’s theme is ‘feet’ so we need 12

top shots of our tamariki that have

some sort of ‘toe-tastic’ element.

In the past we have had new born

feet, feet made from biscuits,

and a snowman’s feet! Use your

imagination and get creative. Please

send any ideas to marion@footsteps.

co.nz.

footsteps Calendar

Competition

footsteps kaiako Chrissy plays the

Glove Bagpip

What you will need:• Paper cup • String • Ping pong ball • Pencil • Coloured pens

Instructions:1. Decorate the cup with shapes and patterns.2. Punch a small hole in the centre of the bottom of the cup with a sharp pencil3. Tie several knots at the end of a 50cm length of string. Thread string through the hole in the cup from the inside so that the knots are held in place at the bottom, outside the cup.4. Punch a small hole in the ping pong ball with the sharp pencil/small screwdriver.5. Tie several knots at the other end of the 50cm length of string. Using the pencil, gently push the knotted end of the string through the hole in the ping pong ball.6. Hold the cup in one hand. Throw the ball up in the air and try to catch it in the cup as

it falls back down

Learning This toy is steeped in history and was a favourite past time toy for children in the old days, who sometimes replaced the ball for a bead. Playing the ‘cup and ball’ game requires skills in hand and eye coordination, the ability to follow instructions and lots of perseverance. You can extend by: The longer the string and the smaller the cup, the more skill needed to get the ball into the cup, so make it more challenging for older children. The Cup and Ball game is fun for all age groups, so make one for everyone in the family and play together.

haporicommunityAkolearn

Cup and Ball

Punch hole in the centre

Punch hole in ping pong ball

Throw ball and catch it in cup

Baking is a great activity to share with your children and

with the arrival of ANZAC day there is no better time to

be in the kitchen with this yummy biscuit recipe!

Anzac Recipe

Ingredients:• 125gm butter 2 Tbs golden syrup

• 1 cup plain flour 1/2 cup sugar

• 3/4 cup coconut 1 cup rolled oats

• 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 Tbs boiling water

Directions:1. Pre-heat oven to 150C.2. Melt butter and golden syrup in a saucepan over low

heat.3. Sift flour, add sugar, coconut and rolled oats. Mix well

in a large bowl and then make a hole in the middle of

the dry ingredients.4. Pour in melted butter and mix. Dissolve the baking

soda in boiling water and add to mix. Combine well.

5. Take a tablespoon of the cookie mixture, roll into a

ball and slightly flatten. Place onto prepared baking tray,

allowing room to spread.6. Bake for 20 minutes (slightly longer if you like your

Anzacs crunchy not chewy). Let stand a few minutes

and then transfer to cooling racks. Store in an airtight

container once cooled.

Five reasons to bake with your children:

1. Baking encourages sensory exploration as children

use their hands and senses to create and explore

the tastes, textures, smells of baking with a range of

ingredients.2. You can strengthen reading and language skills by

encouraging your children to read the recipes with you,

and talk about what is happening.

3. You can explore mathematical concepts by measuring

the ingredients using the language of full, half, quarter,

third, using grams and kilograms. Using scales,

measuring spoons, and measuring cups enables children

to plan and action their response.

4. You may support children to develop a concept of

time by setting a timer and checking the cooking time.

5. We can support children to learn the virtue of

patience as they wait for the baking process to be

completed before the taste test!

When children are included in the planning of a meal

or treat, the shopping for ingredients, the preparation,

cooking and finally eating, they feel a true sense of self

worth and achievement. Always make sure you praise

your child for helping so they may understand a sense of

pride in their achievements!

Baking fun for ANZAC Day

5

It’s our way of saying thank you when you refer a friend to footsteps. We are offering you a $50 shopping voucher when you refer a child/tamariki to our quality learning service Spread the word to family or friends about footsteps and if they enrol a child/tamariki, we will reward you with your voucher after three months- it’s as simple as that!

Refer a friend and receive $50

Inspiring children with healthy praise

“Score a goal and I will give you five dollars” - I recently heard these words shouted out by a parent on the sideline of a five year-olds soccer game. It got me thinking, to inspire our children to do well do they need a reward or incentive? Is this healthy for their emotional development? What are the consequences of bringing up our children to expect rewards for everything they do?

For the child in this soccer game it was no surprise that he didn’t want to pass the ball to any of his team mates. His eye was on the prize and all thoughts of playing for enjoyment or self pride went out the window. Later in the season the same child countered, “How about ten dollars?”, when the familiar bribe was offered . This also sparked a few other children to ask if they could have McDonalds if they too scored a goal.

What happened to the satisfaction of achieving something and having a sense of pride? Isn’t it enough to have a big smile and a compliment from Mum and Dad?

Right from those early years children look for approval, rewards and praise to inspire and encourage them to do well. An infant taking its first steps looks to its family to make sure they are watching and then grins as they clap and cheer. Young toddlers eagerly bring their first drawings for you to see and preschoolers call out “look at me” as they ride a bike for the first time. They are proud of themselves and want to share this with you.

It’s natural and healthy to want approval and recognition, but how do we get the balance right? Too far, and children can want rewards and constant praise to even try the simplest thing. Not enough, and a child can lack the self esteem to try new things.

Children thrive on encouragement rather than bribes. Children need to hear, “keep going”, and, “ I know you can do it”. They also need to hear “thank you for helping me” and “I love you”, every day. But save the really special praise and rewards for their inspiring achievements. Also be genuine - if you clap and jump up and down for them picking up three toys off the floor, what is left when they first swim or write their name? The level of praise should suit the achievement. If they have picked up a few toys you can say “you are a great helper, thank you”. However, if they tie their shoe laces after weeks of trying, or draw their first picture of themselves then this is the time to be their biggest cheerleader. This inspires children to do their best and feel proud when they do. By over-praising we may develop children who won’t try new things or complete a goal without expecting us running behind cheering and offering prizes.

When we do praise it should be meaningful. Look your child in the eye, give them your full attention and tell them how and why you are so proud of them. To inspire children specific praise is needed and it needs to be genuine. Specific praise describes what it is that you are proud of. It is “you are so good at solving puzzles” or “I like how you always say thank you, you have lovely manners”. This compares to the “good boy or good girl” or “well done”. Well done at what?

Remember to praise behaviours and personality traits. Recognition for kindness, empathy or sharing is just as important as praising abilities and achievements. You are giving your child positive attention for behaviours you want to see continue and also giving them a strong message of what you value.

Another tip is to share their success with others. Most children love to hear you sing their praises to Nana or their teacher. Let them hear you tell their Dad about an amazing achievement that made you so proud.

It is also important to encourage and praise the effort not just the outcome. If you can see your child spending a long time to complete a new but challenging puzzle you can praise the effort even if they are not able to complete it yet. “That is a hard puzzle, good on you for working so hard”. “I bet you will learn to do it soon!”.

When things are difficult step back and let your child try. If we jump in and do things for them all the time how will they learn to do it themselves? Imagine their pride when they know they have done it all by themselves. For this to be positive though you need to chose challenging yet achievable activities for your child. Too hard and they will become frustrated and give up, too easy and they don’t learn to persist with difficulty. If you see they might need help, offer and wait to see if they want your help.

Finally, for children to be inspired and have healthy emotional development let them follow their own interests and passions. This is a source of self-motivation as they are learning through what they love to do. If your child loves to draw, look at getting them an easel and art set. If your child loves nature, make time for bush walks and take along a magnifying glass. Let them see what inspires you and what you are passionate about as children learn more from what we do and how we behave than what we say.

Jacqueline Taylor (footsteps Teacher/kaiako, Auckland)

6© footsteps education ltd.

haporicommunityAkolearn

My daughter is 6 months old. What can I do for

stimulation and to ensure her development is on

track?

Thank you for your question, 6 months old is such a

wonderful time. A child’s personality is really starting

to shine through and they are changing and growing so

rapidly. Play is one of the main ways children learn. There

are so many things you can do.

A great start is lots of tummy and floor time. Give your

daughter lots of time to play on the floor both on her

back and her tummy so she can experiment with rolling,

reaching and moving. Have toys within reach and just

out of reach as well to encourage movement. You can

even lay down on the floor with her to talk and encourage

this important physical play. At this age babies are often

sitting with varying reliability. You can set up a box with

pillows or an oval low laundry basket to sit her in with her

favourite toys.

Dance with, sway and rock your baby gently. She will

feel safe and loved being close to you and it nutures the

important parent child bond.

A babies hands are their best tools. Your daughter will

love to feel lots of different textures in her hands and

sensory development is one of the most stimulating ways

to learn for young infants. Watch her closely as she feels

natural items. This could include fluffy pillows, flowers,

shells and beach stones. Just ensure your baby stays

supervised at all times as babies like to mouth objects so

there is a risk of choking if you are not keeping a close

eye. Your daughter will love getting a reaction from toys

that she plays with so look for toys or make your own

that shake, jingle or rattle. Hide toys under blankets or in

boxes for her to discover.

The beginnings of langauge are being formed so you can’t sing or talk enough. Read books, sings songs and talk out loud as you carry out routines such as changing nappies or bathing baby. YOU are your baby’s best ‘toy’. She will be fascinated by you! Sit her on your lap and face her to you and pull funny faces and play

tried and true games like peek a boo. Hold her up to the

mirror, she is learning that baby in the mirror is her! She

will learn all about emotions and feelings from you.

Different experiences are important for your daughters

confidence and social skills. Visit the beach, the library,

the park, the supermarket and talk about what you see.

Take time to stop, look, listen and touch. Go where other

babies are such as play groups or library wriggle and

rhyme sessions.

You know your baby best so watch her cues for what she

enjoys, what makes her laugh and giggle and have fun

together. We hope this gives you a few ideas to think

about. Thank you for your question and please feel free

to ask again.

Just remember, you need to make sure all play is closely

supervised with a particular focus on any choking or

smothering hazards.

Answered by Jacqueline Taylor (footsteps teacher/

kaiako, Auckland). Discover more expert answers to your

questions from our qualified early childhood teachers at

www.footsteps.co.nz/experts

Ask Our Experts

As the days get colder, it is a great time to create new play opportunities that may not be

possible in summer. I like to think that there is no such thing as the wrong weather, just

the wrong clothes. Wrap up and head outdoors to enjoy all that Autumn offers.

Make a Leaf MountainThis is a simple and fun outdoor autumn activity for children of all ages to enjoy.

You will need: Rakes, Brushes, Buckets, Wheelbarrows

Activity:Provide the children with rakes, brushes, buckets and wheelbarrows to help them gather the leaves as

a group. Place as many leaves as possible into a pile, and then let the children jump and play in the leaves. Throw the

leaves into the air and watch them fall or blow away in the wind. Catch the leaves as they fall on your head, on your

hand, on your knee, on your shoulders. Scrunch the leaves in your hands and with your fingers.

Areas of learning covered:• Knowledge and Understanding of the World• Language, Literacy and Communication skills

• Personal and Social development• Physical development

Remember, Children learn the most when they are moving, and using all of their senses.

Kirsty Carling, Early Childhood Advisor, Ph 07 348 4125, www.sportbop.co.nz

7

Active Movement

haporicommunityAkolearn

footsteps.co.nz 0800 366 878

We hope you enjoyed reading Poutama and have discovered some new learning ideas to do with your tamariki. If you have any ideas for the next editiion, comments about our service or would like to ask a question to our early learning experts, get in touch at stacey@footsteps.co.nz.Stacey Blumenthal

Closing Notes

Remember to like ‘our’ Facebook page to build a community of caregivers, teachers/kaiako and parents. Our page encourages members to share learning ideas, experiences

and news. You can join our page by pressing the ‘like’ button at www.facebook.com/footstepsnz

footsteps and facebook

Every parent wants their child to do well at school, so finding out your child is gifted should be a positive and rewarding experience. However, being gifted often brings with it associated challenges for the child. As one child says about her gift, “When I heard gifted I remember thinking primo cos everyone likes gifts. But then I’ve found out it wasn’t really good, like when my friends get jealous”. As an early childhood teacher working with gifted children, I have found that there are often many unexpected challenges for the child, family, and teachers to come to terms with.

What is giftedness?Being gifted means that your child will be exceptional in one or more areas of interest compared to children of a similar age. Children can be exceptional in areas such as music, art, languages, with numbers, science, or even dance. Your child’s gift may be in one area or in several. Special abilities may be inherited but they are also developed by opportunities that are offered. All socio –economic groups, cultures, and ethnicities have children who are gifted. Cultures have a unique set of principles that place different value upon special abilities, such as in the story of Billy Elliot. Billy was gifted within the area of dance but this was not recognised as special because his community did not place value upon boys being able to dance.

Does it matter that we recognise gifted children?There is often debate about whether a child should be labelled gifted or not. Some people feel using the word gifted is elitist and sets the child up for feeling superior to other kids. In my previous experience as a centre-based ECE teacher I found a general feeling among the parents that all children should be treated the same; therefore labelling one child gifted, meant they were treated differently. As a teacher my view was a little different. I found it was important for me to know the abilities of the kids I worked with, in order to plan for their unique needs. I also saw the consequences for children as young as four, not being able to fit in with their friends. Sarah was one such child. She thought deeply about things like wars and what the world would be like if dinosaurs had not died out. Sarah had very little in common with her four year old peers, so she would take herself to a quiet place outside or hide under the table.

Should gifted children have special classes?Whether or not gifted children should have special

classes is another issue which there is little agreement about. In my community I noticed a feeling among parents that money should be targeted at children who were under achieving, rather than those over achieving. Gifted children will achieve what is expected, so why give them more help. I feel that every child has the right to achieve his or her potential, so as a teacher I should plan to meet the needs of gifted kids as I do with all children. Sometimes this does mean having another class or a teacher aid, as gifted children have different learning needs.

What are the characteristics of gifted children?If you feel your child could be gifted these are some characteristics to look out for: Your child may be a good thinker, have sound logic, learn new skills and knowledge quickly, have exceptional memory, and vocabulary greater than their peers. Often gifted children are also very sensitive to others people’s feelings. They may be concerned about what is happening to other children in a war situation, or news stories that show people starving. Gifted children often prefer to socialise with older children because they are more in tune with what they are thinking. A sense of humour and a wide range of interests and knowledge may also be indicators that your child has special abilities.

What should you do if you feel your child is gifted?Talk to your child’s teacher about what you have noticed. Be prepared to take along some specific things you have noticed and maybe some work your child has done at home. It is helpful to talk with parents of gifted children to share experiences. You can contact the New Zealand Association for Gifted Children to see if they have a parent representative in your area. Contact President@giftedchildren.org.nz. You may also like to contact someone local in your area that has expertise in the area of interest for your child, such as an artist or music teacher. The Ministry of Education have an excellent website with information on identification, support, and learning and developmental needs for gifted children and their families at www.gifted.tki.org.nz

Regardless of whether or not your child is gifted they should be given plenty of opportunities to have their abilities recognised, valued, and developed to grow into the person they should be.

Sue Hunter (footsteps Teacher/kaiako, Palmerston North)

Should a child be labelled gifted or not?

© footsteps education ltd.