2026 Teaching Standards: 3 – Know the Learner & the Learning Process

Support your team to confidently meet Teaching Standard 3 – Know the Learner and the Learning Process.

This editable Word shows how kaiako can meet teaching standard 3 by knowing their diverse strengths, needs, cultures, languages, and interests and how children learn.

Designed for busy kaiako, it provides clear, real-world examples of how to observe, interpret, and respond to learning, making it easier to reflect on practice and gather meaningful evidence for the Professional Growth Cycle.

What’s included:

A clear breakdown of what Standard 3 looks like in practice
Strong alignment to Te Whāriki and everyday centre practice

 Realistic, usable evidence for PGC conversations

This one-pager supports you to:

• Understand how children learn and how to respond intentionally
• Recognise and extend children’s interests, thinking, and engagement
• Adapt teaching to meet diverse needs, strengths, and identities
• Strengthen inclusive practice and partnership with whānau
• Show how your teaching supports participation, belonging, and learning