Key points 

• improving communication using plain-English 
• learning about parent aspirations 

Kaiako at Big River Educare undertook an internal review of how effectively they encourage whānau involvement in the programme. As part of this, they made a point of viewing the 2017 Te Whāriki webinars and discussing them as a team. 

One webinar, Deciding what matters here, highlighted for kaiako that while their relationships with parents and whānau were very good, these seldom extended to in-depth talk about children’s learning. Kaiako identified that their ways of asking parents to express their aspirations prior to a planning meeting often left parents feeling stuck for an answer or going along with what kaiako suggested. 

During the webinar, kaiako learned how another service sought parents' aspirations by asking some very specific, plain-English questions. Inspired by this, Big River Educare kaiako decided to trial their own version of these and placed them in the hallway where parents and whānau pass. Their questions were: 

• What do you value at Big River Educare? 
• What is important for children to know and do? 
• What do you want your children to be and become? 

An analysis of the data suggested that overall, parents and whānau found these questions easier to answer. It highlighted that parents and whānau valued dispositional learning – feedback kaiako had not expected but were pleased to see and support. 

Kaiako have trialled these same “be and become” questions when talking to individual parents/whānau and developing plans for each child’s learning. Using these questions led to more learning conversations with parents and whānau. This made the local curriculum more responsive to children’s life experiences and interests.