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Welcome to the Office of Early Childhood Education

The OECE is a national organisation for the ECE sector and public adviser, championing high-quality education and care for every child

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Teacher Member Posts

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iPad technology
Putting Theory into Practice

ICT Digital Technology Use in ECE and Questions

ICT in Early Childhood Education: Questions, Issues and Planning Considerations.

Technology is part of every child’s life and at some point, children are almost certain to want to use and may get hooked on technology – a phone, iPad, or digital camera.

While there are some that would say pre-school years are too early to be introd

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Outside‑the‑Box Play Ideas

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

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boy beating drum as part of story session led by teacher NZ
Behaviour and Social Skills Support

Giving Children Choices – Strategies for the Best Outcomes

Giving young children choices and empowering them to make their own decisions will help prepare them for life. 

The early years are the best time for children to begin to learn about making choices and consequences.

The ability to choose is the essence of being human. 

Consider how many choices you make each year, month, week, da

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Noise levels. Hearing. Speaking Up. Being Heard
Job Guidance

Hearing Loss or Ringing or Buzzing in Your Ears?

Losing my Hearing – Signs of Hearing Loss for Early Childhood Teachers and What You Can Do.

Children are by nature noisy, and working in an early childhood setting can therefore be a noisy working environment -and especially during bad weather when children are stuck indoors all day. Children screaming can damage adult ears.

Employers do h

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Service Provider Member Posts

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child hands puzzle piece to adult
Advertising and Marketing / Promotion

No-Cost Ways to Find Teaching Staff Before Other Employers Do

Finding teaching staff.

Are you having difficulty finding staff who are suitable for your early childhood centre or home-based service?  

Do you have no or very little money to spend on advertising?  

Here are strategies that are simple, take little time, and are often overlooked – but have proven very effective for getting the

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Sun Smart poster display on wall of NZ early childhood centre
Health and Safety Management

Sun Protection Measures and Responsibilities

Management of Sun Protection.

Responsibilities to Staff and Staff Responsibilities to Themselves.

Staff must practise recommended sun protection behaviours for their health and wellbeing too.  Tell staff that they are never too old, and it’s never too late, to begin to protect themselves from the harmful effects of the sun.

Requirem

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ECE Services staff immunisation and vaccination
Advertising and Marketing / Promotion

How to do a Press Release Right

Education Press Release.

If you are planning to invite a local reporter along to your event or send an education press release out to manage what the media reports about something that has happened at your service, it pays to do a bit of planning beforehand to increase your chances of success.

Here are some tips to get you started on the ri

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children's wooden block tower
Advertising and Marketing / Promotion

The Risks of Implicitly Endorsing Third Party Schemes to Parents

Endorsing Third Party Schemes and Products.

What happens when parents see flyers / pamphlets and posters displayed in the entrance way of ECE services or when advertising material is sent home in children’s bags?  

These might be from the Ministry of Education to promote the choices that it wants parents to make, or a new government scheme

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Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles

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Baby dribbles on caregiver shoulder while having a cuddle.
Quality ECE in NZ: Research Papers

Public-Professional Barriers to Breastfeeding

Drawing on lived experience within the ECE sector, this reflection reveals how public‑professional attitudes can undermine breastfeeding despite clear developmental and equity benefits. It’s a must‑read for anyone shaping research, policy, or system‑level change in early childhood education.

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NZIRECE Journal early childhood education research
2005 NZRECE Journal Articles

Index for the NZ Research in ECE Journal, 2005, Vol 8

The titles, authors and abstracts for papers published in the NZ Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, Volume 8, 2005 are shown below.

To view any paper, scroll to the end of this page for copies.

Children as Rights Holders: Considerations for Research

Cindy KiroChildren’s Commissioner, New ZealandNZRECE Journal, V

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early childhood research journal online
NZIRECE Journal: Contents Pages

Contents – NZ International Research in ECE Journal, 2021, Vol 23, No. 2

This special journal issue on Health and Wellbeing in Early Childhood Education Settings examines how health and wellbeing intersect with early childhood education, from wellbeing literacy and Pacific children’s cultural identities to home‑based literacy, puppetry for belonging, outdoor risk‑taking, and healthy feeding practices.

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What We Do

The Office of ECE drives high-quality care, learning and teaching for all infants and young children and high-quality working environments for teachers and service providers.
Teacher supervising infant and young child playing in playground at ECE centre.

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