School Readiness

School can be a daunting experience for both children and their parents. At Kakapo Creek we have specialist sessions to help prepare your child for their school experience.

Four days a week our four year old children participate in our school readiness, Tuakana, program.
This includes essential skills such as pencil grip, number and letter recognition, recognising and writing their name, using a school lunch box and opening the wrappers along with mat times and other experiences. Our teachers use an internationally recognised phonics based program for literacy and numeracy.

None of this is forced, however. We love that every child is unique and we support their unique developmental readiness and interests. In close dialogue with parents and through careful observation of your child’s needs and interests we introduce them to these learning opportunities.

We love that the New Zealand Ministry of Education recognises that not all children are ready for school on their 5th birthday. In many instances school can damage children’s curiosity and self confidence if they are introduced to a formal school education when they are not developmentally ready.

That’s why, at Kakapo Creek, we welcome children to stay up until their 6th birthday when parents believe their child will benefit from having a little longer to mature and prepare for a formal education in a school setting. Our curriculum and teachers will ensure that your child will not be left behind but will actually thrive as a result.