Piranhas don't eat bananas!

This story sparked curiosity and creativity, leading to rich, child-led learning across all curriculum areas.

Following the children’s interest in this book, the focus is a project mindset. We are exploring literacy through story retelling, process art with paper mâché, group investigations into prescience and mathematical thinking.

Through these small group experiences tamariki work together, showing collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. Learning that is led from the interests of our tamariki and intentionally meeting their academic, social and creative goals whilst having fun helps create children who love to learn, setting them up for success at school and beyond. Our teaching reflects our centre philosophy—valuing children as capable and creative.

We provide sensory, messy, and creative play, and encourage whānau voice and aspirations. We see strong relationships as key to learning, empowering every child to feel safe and inspired, working on collaboration and communication with one and other.

Through this project, we honour Te Whāriki by weaving together all strands: children’s well-being (mana atua), belonging (mana whenua), communication (mana reo), contribution (mana tangata), and exploration (mana aotūroa). Our emergent curriculum ensures children’s interests guide our journey and everyone’s voice is heard.