This report describes the New Zealand Early Childhood Centre of Innovation research project at Kidsfirst Kindergartens in Bush Street (Bush Street), Rangiora. Two teachers (Kay Henson and Helen Smith) took on the role of ‘teacher researchers’ from 2006 to 2008. The teachers were supported by research associates: Ali Wegner (2006) from Christchurch College of Education, and Elaine Mayo (2007-8) from the University of Canterbury.
The research project explores an innovation around the use of story. Like many early childhood educators, we use a range of stories in many ways as a core aspect of our teaching practice. Unique to our use of story is the creation of a character that exists for the ten weeks of a term, around which we can focus our story times and which we use to link activities and events that arise in the daily life of a kindergarten. We use the label "central character" to describe the role that this character will take in the life of our kindergarten for a set time.
Purpose
We are writing this report for a mixed audience and trying to write in a way that is both conversational and informed. Throughout the report we include material that practising teachers can call on in their work and we also show how this project has impacted on the learning of the authors. Each of us, Kay, Helen and Elaine, sees this project as personally life-changing because of the ways in which we have been able to work together and explore ideas about teaching and researching.