Ready 4 Learning book
Who we are: Carolynne Masson (Ōmokoroa) has extensive teaching experience focussing on learning through play and developmentally appropriate practice in the early years. Andrea Ford (Pahoia) has a wealth of experience in education as a teacher, principal, presenter, facilitator and coach in both New Zealand and overseas.
Vince Ford (Pahoia) is a New Zealand children’s/teen author. At the NZ Children’s Literature Awards, he has won the junior fiction and best book awards in addition to children’s choice awards in the junior fiction and teen categories. PHOTOS: Supplied.
Andrea Ford and Carolynne Masson met a few years ago when Carolynne was a new entrant’s teacher at Pahoia School. Together, the women embarked on a huge research project based on evidence from overseas and New Zealand to understand children’s differing developmental needs and what it looks like to be “ready for learning”. Based upon this research, Andrea and Carolynne created a framework and assessment for teachers called Ready 4 Learning. This framework is used in schools far and wide across New Zealand from the Remarkables in Queenstown to the top of the North Island. Additionally, the women support schools in the Emirates and Hong Kong.
Ande advised, “We have always been passionate about supporting teachers and educators to view children as individuals and to see the ‘whole child’ as opposed to focussing solely on children’s academic capabilities”. The framework supports teachers to value skills such as core strength, balance, fine motor and building vocabulary, all incredibly important skills which are a foundation to learning success.
“We then realised that it was important to also support parents in understanding what foundation skills children need to be ready for formal learning”, said Carolynne. “There’s a bit of a misconception around what school and curriculum readiness looks like and we decided to create a book as a resource that both parents and teachers could use which was easy to understand.
“Often parents want children to be reading and writing at age five, and for some children this is possible however many children need more time to develop these complex skills and there are many skills which children need to gain mastery of before reading and writing can happen.”
This was where Andrea’s husband Vince’s expertise came to the fore and the three locals have collaborated to produce a colourful, easy to use book aimed at parents of children aged 2-8 as well as educators. The book has been designed and printed in New Zealand and photographed at our local Pahoia Primary school.
They approached Nathan Mikaere Wallis, a well known international neuroscience educator, to read the transcript and they were over the moon when he offered to write the foreword for the book as Nathan is recognised as a leading child development and neuroscience educator.
For more information and to purchase a copy, visit clarityeducation.co.nz You’ll find Ready 4 Learning under ‘Services’. Article supplied.