Children develop numeracy skills when they use mathematical ideas in their everyday situations. They begin to make sense of these situations by asking questions such as: How many? Does it fit? How big is it? Which way will I go? Is it likely to happen? How much is there? Will there be enough?
From nannies to educators
Susan Phua and Jackie Wallis started ONES (Otago Nanny Educare Service) in 1999 with the aim of catering to the early childhood care and education needs of the families in the Otago region.
Back then, the business focussed primarily on providing a top quality nanny service to the Otago region. But over the past decade, home-based education has become the most popular option for the New Zealand families who don’t want their children lost in the crowd at the local kindergarten.
In 2006, Susan and Jackie, recognizing this demand for home-based educators, coupled with the success of ONES outside the Otago region, were prompted to change the name of their business to Wild Things.
Wild Things now run both a dedicated nanny service, and a widespread network of home-based educators throughout the lower South Island.
The Wild Things team have a long standing passion for working with families, nannies and educators and consequently offer the highest quality care for preschool children. But we also recognize early childhood education is not just about firing your child’s imagination and stimulating their thinking. It must also be about fun – and it’s the fun we engender and cherish.