One exciting aspect of the 2026 Teaching Standards is the increased emphasis on intentionally supporting children’s learning through meaningful everyday experiences.
As kaiako, we know that literacy and numeracy are not concepts to be taught in isolation. They are skills that develop naturally through play, relationships, communication, and responsive teaching.
Let’s look into this concept in a little more detail and how we can intentionally weave literacy and numeracy throughout our everyday teaching while remaining true to the play-based philosophy that sits at the heart of ECE in Aotearoa.
Literacy and Numeracy Begin Long Before School
When you hear the words “literacy” and “numeracy”, it’s easy to jump to traditional concepts like reading books, writing the alphabet or learning numbers.
But as kaiako, we know these concepts are much broader in ECE.
Literacy is about developing communication, language, listening, storytelling, vocabulary, symbols, and discovering meaning. Numeracy is about recognising patterns, exploring relationships, understanding quantity, measuring, comparing, problem-solving, sequencing, and noticing mathematical ideas in everyday life.
The 2026 Teaching Standards encourage us to intentionally recognise and extend these learning opportunities where they naturally occur.
So, rather than creating a specific time dedicated to literacy or math’s, we should focus on embedding both concepts throughout the day.
Notice – Professional Knowledge
The three domains of the Teaching Standards can assist us with incorporating these key concepts in our practice.
Being able to organically support literacy and numeracy starts with Professional Knowledge. The more we understand how children develop language, communication, and mathematical thinking, the better equipped we are to recognise these learning opportunities as they unfold.
For example, we know that a tamaiti carefully building a tower is about more than just stacking blocks. What they are actually practicing is balance, comparison in size, problem-solving, and even prediction. Recognising and acknowledging that is part of developing your Professional Knowledge.
Likewise, a tamaiti sharing a story with a friend is not just talking. They are developing the key communication skills of oral language, sequencing, vocabulary building, and confidence.
Professional Knowledge allows us to see beyond the activity itself and recognise the rich learning that is taking place in the background.
Bringing Learning To Life – Professional Practice
Tamariki naturally explore literacy and numeracy every day, but they don’t always realise that’s what they are doing. Part of our role as a Kaiako is to notice these opportunities and thoughtfully extend them.
Every activity is an opportunity to learn. Something as simple as collecting leaves can transform into sorting the leaves by size or colour, comparing their shapes, counting how many they have collected, or describing their textures and patterns.
Or, when baking, you don’t just want to follow the recipe word for word. Baking is a great opportunity for extended learning. You could prompt the tamariki by asking questions like:
- “What do you think will happen if we add more flour?”
- “Can you help me count how many cups we need?”
- “Which bowl is bigger?”
- “How many children are baking today?”
These simple questions can kick-start deeper thinking and learning. They naturally bring literacy and numeracy into the activities that the tamariki love and participate in each day. Most of all, you aren’t interrupting play with your questions; you are enriching it.
Supporting Language Through Talking Together | Te Kōrerorero
One resource you will find very valuable as a kaiako is Talking Together | Te Kōrerorero. All about the importance of rich conversations between adults and children, it reminds us that language grows through responsive interactions.
That means moving beyond asking questions that have one correct answer, or that are yes/no questions. Instead, we can encourage deeper thinking by prompting the tamariki with open-ended conversation starters, like:
- “I wonder why you chose that?”
- “Tell me about your idea.”
- “What do you think might happen next?”
- “How could we solve this together?”
These kinds of conversations can strengthen vocabulary, communication, confidence, and critical thinking while supporting meaningful relationships between kaiako and tamariki. Sometimes the most valuable teaching happens when we simply slow down and have a conversation.
Building Mathematical Thinking With Kōwhiti Whakapae
Another excellent resource for ECE kaiako is Kōwhiti Whakapae. It encourages kaiako to recognise and intentionally foster early mathematical thinking in the activities the tamariki undertake each day.
That can be anything from counting the number of steps on a walk and recognising the patterns in nature to comparing the height of block towers and measuring ingredients when cooking. It could also involve discussions about time in your daily routines or exploring position words like over, under, beside and between.
When we take the time to intentionally introduce mathematical language into the everyday, the tamariki subconsciously build strong foundations for future learning in these concepts. And, they don’t even need a formal lesson to do it!
Growing Your Strengths As A Kaiako
It can feel daunting to be responsible for building these essential formative skills in our tamariki. Developing confidence in supporting literacy and numeracy doesn’t happen overnight.
Many kaiako wonder whether they are noticing enough learning, asking the right questions, or extending the tamariki’s thinking effectively. This is where working alongside an experienced ECE mentor can be incredibly valuable.
As your mentor, I can offer an objective perspective, helping you identify the literacy and numeracy learning already occurring within your practice, while exploring new ways to intentionally extend it.
Together, we can reflect on teaching moments, connect your practice to the 2026 Teaching Standards, and build confidence in using resources like Talking Together | Te Kōrerorero and Kōwhiti Whakapae in meaningful ways.
Professional growth is always stronger when it is shared.
Every Conversation Is A Learning Opportunity – Professional Engagement
Supporting literacy and numeracy in ECE is not about introducing more formal teaching. It is about capitalising on the rich learning that already exists within everyday experiences.
Every conversation.
Every story.
Every block tower.
Every game.
Every question.
Each one is an opportunity to develop the tamariki’s communication, curiosity, confidence, and mathematical thinking. Being intentional in your practice will help you create learning environments where literacy and numeracy naturally develop through play, relationships, and exploration.
And with the support of an experienced ECE mentor, you can build confidence and give every tamaiti the strongest possible foundation for lifelong learning. Let’s chat about how we could work together in this purposeful mission!
The great thing about mentorship is that you can layer the support you receive by having both a centre assigned mentor and an external mentor. Learn more about the Kete Ako programme here: Kete Ako programme.
I also have resources that can be added to your toolkit. Click here to read more about the Roadmap. Or click here to purchase the Roadmap to Certification e-book for Provisional Certified Teachers. Alternatively, if you are wanting to learn more about my packages, reach out today.
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