Tēnā koutou katoa
Welcome to the Office of Early Childhood Education
National and public adviser on ECE, the OECE is a sector body representing teachers and all types of licensed services driving safer, higher‑quality education for every child
View our positions
- Provides membership support to ECE services, teachers, researchers, and community partners
- Actively contributes to sector analysis, research, and policy development
- Advances evidence-based best practices that prioritise children’s interests and wellbeing
View the Code of Conduct for ECE Services
Get Unrestricted Access to NZ’s Specialist ECE NEWSROOM
National and local stories, expert analysis, commentary, and more.
Education Bulletin and Sector Notices
Free to sign-up and receive
Membership Services and Support for:
Teacher Member Posts
School Starting Age – Evidence and Arguments
The Best Age to Start School. By Dr Sarah Alexander.
In New Zealand nearly all children have their first full day at primary school on or very close to their 5th birthday. This is a social custom as it is not a legal requirement for families to enrol their child until 6 years of age. Parents have a choice to continue their child in early ch
Teaching Overseas or Coming to NZ? Don’t be Disadvantaged
Returning to Teaching in NZ or Going Overseas to Teach.
This article covers key things to be aware of, plan for, do, and get evidence of, to reduce the possibility of disadvantage upon your return to NZ.
Working in an early childhood overseas can be an enriching experience and a good way for teachers to continue their
Teaching How to Ride a Bike (a pedal bike)
Every child will learn things in their own time but learning how to ride a bike and using pedals before 5 years of age is a reasonable aspiration for parents and early childhood teachers to have for children.
It is a significant event in life that most of us can remember so it is worth making it a rewarding experience for a child.
The
Playdough Recipes and Play Variations
Here we’ve got an all-time favourite recipe of early childhood teachers for cooked playdough.
We also include recipes for:
– uncooked playdough
– special playdough suitable for shaping into Christmas tree ornaments and gifts to be painted later when hardened.
Playdough is great fun but when the novelty wears off children can become bored and their creativity declines. So we give you some ideas to keep the playdough fun alive, and invite you to contribute your favourite recipes and ideas too.
First, you may wish to consider cultural concerns on the use of food ingredients and how you may mitigate these concerns.
Service Provider Member Posts
Domestic Violence Leave
Domestic violence leave guidelines.
Asking for proof and how to treat an employee who is, or is suspected to be, affected by domestic violence
As an employer you can accept any type of proof that an employee is affected by domestic violence. Proof may, for example, take the form of: a letter or email about what’s going on and how it
CCTV and Security Camera Policy
The Office of ECE provides this CCTV policy template and guidance to help services using indoor or outdoor security cameras meet their legal obligations under the Privacy Act, the Children’s Act, and other key legislation.
With camera use under increasing scrutiny, every service that operates CCTV in areas where children or staff may be present needs clear, transparent procedures to ensure lawful, ethical, and defensible practice. Gaps in your policy can put your service and the trust of families, at risk.
Log in with your member details to access the full guidance and template. If your service’s membership has lapsed or you’d like to join, get in touch and we’ll help you get set up quickly.
Home‑based providers may also use this template to develop a policy for educators who have security cameras operating in their family homes.
Caring for Yourself When Managing or Leading an ECE Service/s
Caring for yourself when managing a service or in the role of a leader. And, the responsibilities that owners and governance committees must meet in regard to supporting the manager and leaders.
Introduction
There seems to be the perception and expectation that managers and leaders should be able to face difficulty in their role and
Overtime – Paying Staff for Work Outside Normal Hours
Employers’ obligations and rights on paying staff overtime and when they work outside of normal hours. This article covers what constitutes work outside of normal work hours that an employee must be paid for. NZ employment law that cannot be negotiated out of with an employee. Legal requirements for waged and salaried staff. It also tells you
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Index for the NZ Research in ECE Journal, 2008, Vol 11
The titles, authors and abstracts for papers published in the NZ Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, Volume 11, 2008 are shown below. To view
Contents – NZ Research in ECE Journal, 2014, Vol 17
This issue brings together international perspectives on early childhood policy, from country‑specific analyses in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland to research on disaster‑risk‑reduction curriculum, parental childcare choices, trust and quality in ECE, leadership expectations, early intervention, Indigenous family participation, and bilingual children’s school‑entry outcomes.
Exploring Educator and Parent Perceptions of the Impact of Digital Technologies on Young Children’s Physical Literacies
FULL REFERENCE: Davis, T. (2025). Exploring educator and parent perceptions of the impact of digital technologies on young children’s physical literacies. NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 27, pp. 31-42.
ABSTRACT: Digital technologies are increasingly present in early childhood settings, raising questions about their effects on young children’s physical literacy development. Physical literacy – encompassing physical competence, confidence, motivation, and understanding to engage in physical activity – is crucially developed in the early years. This article reports on a doctoral research project exploring how educators and parents perceive the impact of digital technology use on the physical literacies of children from birth to five years. A literature review highlights international and Australasian perspectives on digital technology integration in early childhood education and the concept of physical literacy in the early years, revealing a gap in research on stakeholder perceptions at this intersection. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory provide the theoretical framework, situating children’s technology experiences within layered environmental contexts and sociocultural interactions. A qualitative, interpretive case study with a phenomenological lens is proposed, using semi-structured interviews with educators and parents in an Australian kindergarten and a long day care centre. The article argues that understanding adult perceptions can support more intentional, balanced integration of digital technologies.
KEY WORDS: Digital technologies; physical literacy; teacher perceptions; parent perceptions.
Log-in to read the full research paper below. Or order a pdf copy of the article from the main NZIRECE Journal page.
INTRODUCTION
In today’s early childhood environments, digital technologies such as tablets, smartphones, and smart toys are widely used, even by infants and toddlers (Chu et al., 2024). As screen time becomes a regular part of young children’s routines, concerns have been expressed about its impact on development—particularly physical literacy, which refers to the motivation, confidence, physical competence, and knowledge needed for lifelong engagement in physical activity (Whitehead, 2010). In early childhood education and care (ECEC), physical literacy and regular daily movement are linked to healthier body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness, as well as emerging cognitive benefits such as better executive function and self-regulation (World Health Organisation [WHO], 2019). ECEC is a vital time for developing motor skills and positive attitudes toward movement, laying foundations for lifelong physical activity (Robinson et al., 2015; WHO, 2019;). However, it is also when habits of screen use and sedentary behaviour can begin to form. Balancing digital engagement with physical play has therefore become a key issue in ECEC. In this paper, screen time refers to sedentary viewing, whereas interactive screen time denotes hands-on use of interactive digital play; where relevant, the researcher specifies movement-linked screen time for experiences that prompt gross-motor activity (American Academy of Paediatrics [AAP] Council on Communications and Media, 2016; WHO, 2019;).
Index for the NZ Research in ECE Journal, 2009, Vol 12
The titles, authors and abstracts for papers published in the NZ Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, Volume 12, 2009 are shown below. To view
What We Do
Resources
