This is an opportunity for us to reflect on what we already know and what we need to find out about our tamariki, whānau, and kaiako.  

• Fostering learning-focused relationships with parents and whānau plays an important part in helping us find out about our tamariki.  
• We can consider what goals and aspirations children have for themselves and how we can find out what these are.  
• Aotearoa New Zealand histories (ANZH) can be a great way to explore the histories of people and place in your setting to deepen connections and enrich your local curriculum. 

We can think about "what matters here" and about what learning we want to prioritise in our setting.

• What have we learnt about our people and place to help shape our local curriculum priorities?  
• Te Whāriki states that all children should have opportunities to learn across all five strands of the curriculum and to pursue their strengths and interests in depth.  
• How do we ensure our local curriculum priorities support all children’s strengths, interests, and learning needs? 

Some things you may like to think about when you are planning your response include: 

• What ways could you or your team support the learning priorities of tamariki, whānau, and kaiako?  
• What intentional practices will you use (including decisions relating to people, materials, time, and space)?  
• What professional learning and conversations need to happen?  
• What changes might you make?  
• Who will be responsible for different aspects of your response? 
• How might you communicate with tamariki, whānau, and kaiako about learning priorities?  
• How will your local curriculum priorities ensure that children have the best possible environment to grow, flourish, and progress in relation to all components of Te Whāriki? 

Here is where we put our thinking and planning from previous steps into action. As we take action, we may revisit steps in the curriculum design process.

Assessment is the process of seeing and gathering evidence, then analysing and using that evidence to increase learning opportunities for children. Assessment makes valued learning visible. Informal assessment occurs in the moment as kaiako listen to, observe, participate with, and respond to children who are engaged in everyday experiences and events. It leads directly to changes in the teaching and learning environment that will help children reach immediate and longer-term goals.  

More formal, documented assessment takes place when kaiako write up observations of children’s engagement with the curriculum. They may also take photographs, make audio or video recordings, and collect examples of children’s work. By analysing such assessment information gathered over time, kaiako are able to track changes in children’s capabilities, consider possible pathways for learning, and plan to support these.

This involves reflecting, reviewing, and evaluating how your planning and responding have supported your curriculum priorities. You may like to consider: 

• What went well, and what didn’t go so well? 
• Did your response go as you planned it would? Why/why not? 
• Did your response support, extend, and deepen learning in your priority areas? 
• Are there changes you might make to your priorities at this time? Why/why not? 
• What will you plan to do next? 

Te Whāriki holds the promise that all children will be empowered to learn with and alongside others by engaging in experiences that have meaning for them. This requires kaiako to actively respond to the strengths, interests, abilities, and needs of each child and, at times, provide them with additional support in relation to learning, behaviour, development, or communication.