Kiwi Room Philosophy

Read about Kiwi Room Practices

In the Kiwi Room we believe that children are constantly researching the meaning of life – what it means to be human, what it means to be ‘me’.

The kiwi room is greatly inspired by the teachings of Dr Emmi Pikler and Magda Gerber’s Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE).  The core of this philosophy promotes respectful interactions where the child is an active participant.  We talk with and listen to children in the same way as we would adults, and get to know them as unique individuals with different interests, routines, and ways of investigating.  Children are also encouraged to move freely, discovering how to get from one position to another by themselves.

Our room is a calm peaceful environment and the resources in the Kiwi Room are open-ended, allowing children to explore the endless possibilities within them and challenging their creativity.

We encourage a partnership between parents and ourselves as they are the ones that know their children best. With parental help we can establish similar/familiar routines to those at home.

Teachers want to inform parents about their child’s life at daycare by sharing the amazing discoveries they make every day through verbal communication and written documentation.  Each child has a portfolio in which entries are made and planning is kept.

We plan for individual and group interests which stem from our day to day observations of the children at play.  We are committed to Te Whaariki Early Childhood Curriculum and believe in promoting its principles, strands and goals.  This curriculum fosters social, physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual growth in all children.