The school years: Plot twist, I'm the one learning

Hi, and welcome to the very first edition of Keep Up With The Kids!

I thought I'd kick things off by sharing a little backstory about how this project came about...

Before my kid started school, I thought I had a pretty good handle on what kids learned. Turns out, I didn't.

Are you familiar with what's on the New Zealand School Curriculum?

Until recently, I had no clue.

When teachers asked me things like "Do you have any questions about your child's learning?", I felt like saying, "Um, I don't know – you tell me?!"

It dawned on me that I had no idea what my kid should be learning for her age and stage. All I had to go on was foggy memories of my own school days, and small talk with my teacher friends.

My ignorance didn't bother me at first. I trust and respect teachers. What began to bother me was how disconnected I felt from my daughter's experience at school. I wanted to connect with her about what she was learning and how she was feeling about the topics that were being covered. But I wasn't getting very far...

Me: "Hey, how was school?!"

Kiddo: "Good. What's for afternoon tea?"

Me: "Um, smoothie. So, what did you learn?"

Kiddo: "Nothing."

Me: "Well, that can't be true, surely?! I'd love to hear about your day!"

Kiddo: "Mu-uum, not right now. Do we have any snacks in the car?"

I realised I was only going to get so much from my kid (and that I probably need to work on my interrogation skills, or lack thereof).

I started doing some research. I wanted to understand what was being taught in the average year 2 classroom. Honestly? I expected to stumble across a beautiful, user-friendly checklist. As a millennial, I'm used to being spoon-fed simple, accessible information. But, all I could find was the official New Zealand School Curriculum, which isn't exactly light reading, and is open to a fair bit of interpretation.

So, I set out to build what I was looking for – a website that quickly explains what kids are learning, year by year. And, turns out, that's actually kind of impossible.

The New Zealand School Curriculum is flexible and adaptable by design.

This means that teachers have the freedom to design and tailor learning experiences that are relevant and engaging for their students. While I love the sound of this student-centred approach, I was still in the dark about what my kid was actually learning. I was looking for answers to seemingly simple questions, like "Will my kid learn times tables in year 2?", but that's not how the system works.

I was asking the wrong questions.

The New Zealand School Curriculum is available online and reading it was an eye-opener. It made me realise how much I didn't know – not just about our education system, but about how it compares globally and what our kids are actually learning.

That realisation led me here. I wanted to dive deeper, so I could better advocate for my kids, and keep up with them!

And so, this project was born. I'll share what I'm learning as I go.

My goal with this project is connection.

I'm not here to micromanage my kids' education or make sure they're at the top of the class. I just want to stay connected to their world, to understand what they're learning so we can have better conversations and grow together.

If you've ever felt the same way, welcome – I'd love for you to join me on this journey. 💛

Have you ever felt out of the loop when it comes to your child's education or worried about how to best prepare them for a rapidly changing future? Leave a comment below!