Curriculum

Te Whāriki, the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum guides and inspires our work. We are committed to and passionate about ongoing learning, so we enrich our thinking and practice with the approaches of Reggio Emilia, Research In Education (RIE), current theory and Magda Gerber. We believe children’s learning is fostered through a socio-cultural, emergent curriculum and value self-initiated investigations, experimentation, social competence, creative expression, and foundation skills for literacy and numeracy. We are committed to a bicultural approach and the unique place of Māori.

THE LEARNING THAT HAPPENS HERE

VIEW NZ CURRICULUM / TE WHARIKI

SCHOOL READINESS

The Magic Garden Approach to Learning, we believe school readiness is about much more than learning letters and numbers. It’s about children growing into confident, capable learners — children who can think deeply, communicate well, build strong friendships, and take on challenges with courage and joy.

This 3-part blog series shares the learning that happens every day at Magic Garden, and why it matters for success at school and in life.

Ready for School, Prepared for life: Part 1 - Discovery, Investigation & Exploration

At Magic Garden Early Education Centre, children learn through curiosity. They discover ideas, test possibilities, and explore the world through play, materials, and relationships. This learning is purposeful and powerful. It builds the thinking skills children need for school and for life. In Reggio-inspired practice, we see children as capable learners with a strong desire to understand. We protect time for deep play, meaningful exploration, and learning that grows from chi

2 min read

Ready for School, Prepared for Life: Part 2 - Social Competence & Social Justice

At Magic Garden, learning is not only about knowledge — it’s also about relationships, belonging, and becoming part of a community. Social competence and social justice begins early. Children learn how to: care for themselves connect with others manage emotions develop fairness and empathy work through challenges with growing responsibility These are essential skills for school readiness and long-term wellbeing. Why Social Learning Matters Strong social foundations support: c

2 min read

Ready for School, Prepared for Life: Part 3 - Foundation Skill, Literacy & Numeracy

At Magic Garden, literacy and numeracy grow through everyday experiences, meaningful play, and rich conversations. Foundation skills are not about pushing children ahead early. They are about building strong learning structures underneath reading, writing, and maths. These include: vocabulary and memory listening and communication pattern, number and prediction fine motor and gross motor control body-space awareness and coordination storytelling and symbolic representation Wh

2 min read

CURRICULUM

SCHOOL READINESS

Ready for School, Prepared for life: Part 1 - Discovery, Investigation & Exploration

Ready for School, Prepared for Life: Part 2 - Social Competence & Social Justice

Ready for School, Prepared for Life: Part 3 - Foundation Skill, Literacy & Numeracy

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