Tonight on Close Up ` Bringing pre-school to primary school ` how it can help your kids learn. It's just way more creative. A lot more independent. Heading feet-first into the world of hobbits ` They're actually quite comfy. Yeah, they are. Much like surfing, uh,... Yeah, it's like wearing a pair of booties. And check out hip hop's newest stars. Ah, you said the wrong words. Due to the live nature of Close Up, captions for some items may be incomplete. ONE News captions by Faith Hamblyn and Sam Bradford. Close Up captions by John Ling and Lauren Strain. Playdough, sandpits, dress-ups ` no, we're not talking pre-school. This is all part of an Italian teaching method being trialled at Bromley School in Christchurch. The Reggio Emilia approach is all about letting kids have a say in what they're learning and how they're learning it, and it's attracting nationwide interest. Abby Scott with more. # I love to move up, move up. # Up in the morning and off to school... # Ah! What do you want to play? First impression is that it's calm, it's organised and the children are on task. Initially I did think it would be, um, a lot of play, but I was soon proven wrong. The children are all engaged, which is great. # Ring, ring, ring goes the bell. # We change it around based on what the data is. Obviously, being in a new entrant room, alphabets are always a big thing and words, and so we just try and use different components to teach what they still need to be teaching. We just use things like Play-Doh and the sketching and the drawing and the building to do that instead of a worksheet, which 5-year-olds really struggle with Makes sense, right? One, two? Good for you. But it's a long way from the classrooms of yesteryear. ARCHIVE: Each time new words are introduced, before going into notebooks, they are spoken aloud several times, then written in the air while the letters are spoken. Even today, many primary school students spend large amounts of time listening on the mat or writing at their desks, but not at Bromley, a decile-two school in Christchurch's eastern suburbs. What we can do is we can get some wool and we can get some ribbon and things, and we'll be able to tie it right around our face. It's been a four-year journey for teacher Rebecca Wilson. For about a year, I was really looking at what else could we do here to raise student achievement, shift oral language. Rebecca heard about Reggio Emilia, an Italian education system that was developed after World War II, when traditional teaching resources were tight. And it changed my life, and it changed how I parent. Um, it changed how I teach, and I just came back and just thought, 'I'm not listening to the children. The activities are not engaging and inspiring and motivating, 'and it's probably quite an intimidating place for a 5 year old.' With the support of the principal and board, Rebecca set about transforming the junior school. Hello? Hello. Is Emma there? We are sending each other messages and trying to use, um, speech marks and full stops. Instead of us giving them a speech-mark worksheet, they're sort of having fun hands-on and building their oral language, which is what it's about for us. Over here, we've got construction? Yes, so construction's a really massive thing for our children, especially our boys. Um, sort of, gone are the days where we'd get them to do, like, an alphabet, sort of, sheet. Like, let's make something that starts with C. Let's construct a car. And these are things that they can do without the teacher sort of always being over their shoulder. If children aren't engaging in rich conversations, they're not really going to engage terribly well in reading or writing. It's formed on the principle that children should have a say in what and how they learn, and with group-based activities running all day, the teachers have more time for small lessons. Because the children are so engaged, they're not rushing through activaties. They're not coming up and saying, 'I'm finished. I'm finished.' I guess what parents want to know, though, is does it actually produce results? Well, we strongly believe that it does. We have a lot of data that we've tracked back over the years. We can compare it from, uh, results in years ago up to what we're getting now. Two years ago, just 60% of year-one students were meeting National Standards. Now more than 80% are. The data is impeccable, and it's irrefutable, so it's exciting stuff. So exciting that, in the past two years, more than 350 teachers have come here to see it in action. If you sit down and actually ask them some questions, they can tell you what they're doing. They can tell you what they're trying to achieve. We're learning right now how to, um, summarise our reading. It's got buttons, and it's got, um, a camera hole. Gone are the days I used to have them on the mat for, like, 40 minutes. While alternative schools may offer similar approaches, the unique thing here is this is being done around the NZ curriculum at a mainstream school. Do you think it's something that would work at schools right around the country? Yeah, I totally believe so. Yeah, I know it's how I would like to learn. And it's not just the teachers who are engaged. On any given day, classes can have up to four parents helping out. Now we're asking them to come in and cut the clay and build construction and work alongside the children and capture those conversations and have conversations with the children so they feel a lot more comfortable coming into the classrooms. They're still learning the traditional stuff, just not in the traditional way. He's just way more creative, a lot more independent with the different stations. He's just way more creative, a lot more independent with the different stations. He can choose how his learning's directed, so he loves, obviously, the building things like boys do. And while Play-Doh and sand may not work for older kids, the principles can be applied to all ages. Bromley plans to extend the programme school-wide next year. Not everybody agrees with what we're doing, and that's fine. I'm not saying this is for everybody. But this is definitely one of the most amazing things we've done here at Bromley School. It makes such sense, and it's really easy to make a few simple changes. Bromley School is one of 31 schools in the Cantebury region marked to merge or close. Just what will happen to teaching initiatives like Reggio Emilia is uncertain. But do you think this sort of innovation should have a place in the Government's new education vision? Go to our website or email us at CloseUp@tvnz.co.nz. It's one of your last chances to get involved. Or head to our Facebook page. I was back in Wellington last night for a press screening of The Hobbit and had to sign all sorts of forms forbidding me saying anything about it, but I will say this ` it is really really good, and today I had the whirlwind tour of Weta Workshop for The Hobbit experience, and I mean whirlwind ` we whipped through the various experiences, except, of course, for the interview with Sir Richard Taylor. You see, when you're the boss, no one is going to hurry you. We're at the premiere tomorrow, but tonight, a taste of what went into it. OK, The Hobbit. It's 3 hours long, but we're going to give you the super-fast tour of everything that went into making it, and the most important thing, of course, is the feet. Yes, all right. Well, this is them. We're going to let you have a little play with these today, Mark. Seriously freaky, isn't it? They are. The one that Martin wears as Bilbo are a lot longer. They actually go right up past his knee, so you can't see any join lines, or anything. I shaved mine before coming in. (LAUGHS) Good move. So these are arguably the most important prop in the movie? The feet are what defines a hobbit. They're pretty important. If they don't work, we're in trouble. How many feet have been in there today? Not allowed to disclose that. What I'll do is, I'll try and find your big toe. I'll push that over. Did you ever think you'd be spending your life in feet? No, I didn't. The feet are actually sculpted, and they're based on a real foot. Yeah, it's like wearing a pair of booties. How many of these would you have to make for the movie? Would one set do? We've made a couple. So, thanks very much. For the people here involved in the movie, are they invested in the characters or are they making the hardware? I think we're invested in the characters. Someone that worked here years ago said its not about hardware its about hardware it has to be about that. Equipment at the end of the day is just tools, and its about how you wield those tools and that's dependent on the passion and the tenacity of the people that use it. So you're the gory stuff, is that right? And you're the mass production? How many did you make? 547 weapons. so probably by the end of the third film we would've made more weapons then rings. Which one suits me better? The second one. Ha, ah, so I look smaller. We did a lot of 3D modelling. Have you ever made a mistake? Plenty. (LAUGHS) What's the worst one? Ahh, i don't know if Richard would want me divulging that you. Make up a cock up from time to time, but just don't make the same one twice. The power of computers and what you can do with that technology ` does that take some of the artistry away? The people operating the computers are still artists in their own right. They have to be possessing of incredible artistic skill. The challenge of course is, for the likes of ourselves, is that it starts to take some of the craft away, some of the hand-skilled, physical building, but our hope us that there will always be directors that will be inspired to use both. Now you cant have a Hobbit movie without trolls, and this guy over here,are you the troll king,? I'm one of the troll kings. Hi, Mark. I'm Gino. Daniel here is going to mix up a special silicone goop and we'll get back to you later on about what this is all about. We basically put all the colouration and wrinkles onto the screen from that we have a skin scan so this is another type of silicone that we use very translucent and if you look... Do you get a buzz out of this? I do. I'm a big kid, and I've been making monsters all of my life. Coming up ` what happens when takeaways take over? And watch out, Justin Bieber ` here comes Mixt Frequencies. RAPS: # I got my mates on the left and Close Up on the right. # RAPS: # Watch Mark Sainsbury ` Close Up, 7 tonight. # Think back on the last week ` how often have you had takeaways? If your answer is more than three and you're young and male, well, you're par for the course. 20% of young men eat out three or more times a week ` for women, less than half that. For some, busy lifestyles have seen takeaways overtake home-cooked meals. It may be convenient, but what is it doing to our health? Erin Conroy had the same question. JAUNTY MUSIC You want to set your timer for an hour. I get up at 6.30 in the morning. When it comes to our home-cooking habits,... Then let us first start with the ingredients for David's ravioli. ....things are not as they once were. Job can be very stressful at times. It's always full on. There's something going on. You do have to sacrifice something. Food. Just having the time to be able to cook it properly, you know, is not always there. Are we now culinary cop-outs or just clever consumers? Hi. How you going? How are you? This is home for Nick Lawrie. Can I have a look around? Make yourself at home. Hi, guys. He and six other guys in their 20s flat here. Toasting station. This obviously gets quite a bit of use. Yeah. Spreads at the top. OK. So it's a staple, is it? It's a staple, yeah. Carving out a career is top of the priority list. I'm the CEO of a football academy. We've got a consultant for a marketing agency. A financial adviser. A few bankers. When would you say the last time you sat down here and had, like, proper meals? Knives and forks not made out of plastic? When would it have been? Probably Sunday. And before then? Probably about a week before that. Averaging maybe once a week? Sit down, have a proper meal? Yeah. The cupboards are a bit bare. It's a bit dire. Pretty dire. And the fridge... Da, da! Oh, there's actually quite a bit of food in there. It's not too bad. A few veggies, but there's remnants of the takeouts, I can see. It's not about being unable. It's more about us having the time. But what does that mean ends up on the menu? Thai. I'm a big fan of sushi. The Colonel. A bit of curry sometimes. A good bacon backfire from Burger Fuel. Do you worry about the consequences of what you're eating? Um, no, because of my job. I balance, uh, I'm balanced in what I do. It's on your mind, um, for sure, with these Asian meals, they're quite prone to having a few vegetables in there. I wouldn't say it worries me too much. I can see he rather likes, uh, pork-and-chive dumplings. Well, perhaps they should worry. KFC. We asked the guys to write a food diary ` what they ate for dinner in the last week. I can only see fish and chips once. And food expert Dr Elaine Rush is analysing it. The reality is, particularly in Auckland, that there's lots and lots of food outlets to choose from. It's part of our lives now. Uh, in the 1950s, we'd spend half our time just preparing and cleaning up food. Now we virtually spend none. As a comparison, the boys told us what they would cook at home if they had the time. There's more things you can have control over when you're at home. Uh, particularly salt. Adding that to food ` you can choose how much you add. The other thing is the amount of fat. She estimates the boys' extra salt and fat intake as a result of eating takeout. All right, guys. Well, I've got a little something for you. With the analysis complete, it's time to deliver the news to the boys. A home-cooked meal that I prepared earlier, you might think, but you would be wrong. What I have here is the difference between home-cooked meals and takeaways. And this is your fat and salt difference for a week of dinners. Anthony. Not bad. That's fantastic, actually. Nick, not so good. (CHUCKLES) Jake, seriously. (CHUCKLES) What do you reckon about that, guys? I think somebody lied, to be honest. Did you have any idea takeaway could have such a difference in your fat and salt intake? Uh, you always know it's not great. That's a bit of a... a bit of a reality check. If that was a shock, try the weekly difference for the entire flat. Yeah, that's a fair bit. Yeah, it's not healthy, is it? One of expert's pieces of advice is when you're ordering takeout is to ask for more vegetables in it or get them to hold off on the salt on the fish and chips and you put them on later. Do you think that's something you guys could do? I think so. Um, I was obviously truthful in what I` in what I said I've eaten. Um, it's obviously not great. So, yeah, potentially, that's the way to go down. I mean, seriously guys, what would your mothers say about this? Would they be absolutely mortified? Let's just hope they're not watching. JAZZY MUSIC So will the boys be true to their word and heed the expert's advice? Can I please have one chicken-and-veg curry dish on white rice? Extra vegetables. With, uh, extra vegetables. Won't your mum be proud, eh? She would, actually. Healthy alternative. Just ahead ` they've mixed it up on a tour bus, and with the ladies. But what's the secret to this duo's early success? Two Auckland schoolboys have just got the jump on Justin Bieber. He was 14 before he had his first hit. These two were just 12, and just like Justin, they plan to have millions of fans all over the world. Gill Higgins caught up with Kwest and Marvel, the boys from Mixt Frequencies ` the youngest signed artists in the country. Ladies and gentlemen, make some noise for Mixt Frequencies! HORN BLARES When I saw what these boys had, I was, like, 'Shucks, these guys are definitely talented.' HIP-HOP BEAT PLAYS RAPS: # And we just want you to jump up and down. # Jump up and down. Jump up and down. Yo, what's up, I'm Marvel from Mixt Frequencies. I'm Kwest. I just like rapping. And I'm good with the ladies. (CHUCKLES) Nah. Together, the name Mixt Frequencies seemed to fit. It's cos both of us have some different opinions on some things. They're a real boy band, because... (IMITATES GUNSHOT) Ha. ...they're still just boys. Ah, you said the wrong words. They're a handful, those two. They're good mates. They're kids, you know. They're still 12` and 13-year-olds trying to find themselves. They're still at intermediate, still getting stuck into their books ` at least, some of the time. If we have a gig we're, like, thinking about that, can't wait. They're passionate about it ` genuinely, not cos been told to. A theme picked up with their first single. Waking up in morning, and all they do is think about and all they do is breathe hip hop. BOTH RAP: # Breathe, breathe, breathe. We walked into the studio. I cried. I was just, like, 'Wow. This is just amazing. This is gonna go so far.' # Breathe, breathe, breathe. As a mother, it's amazing to see your child grow and achieve goals in their life. Marvel's mum, a muso herself, is also their manager. 4am, get up to go and do photo shoot. We do hip-hop schooling. We do writing sessions. It's a family business. They all only met two years ago, but Kwest's dad mucks in too. We just try to keep everything positive. We try to bring up situations and talk of life, that we can help out, help other children. So, who's the good lyric writer? I probably have to go with Kwest. He's just doing the meanest raps. He's bringing up big words. # Don't ever let them hold you back. Now there's some other inspiration from my uncle Jack. # When it's time to work, get them to work ` turn TVs off, cell phones, Facebook is really bad. It's great to see their progress from beginning of the year, where we recorded the first demo to now playing on stages where they're performing in front thousands of people. BOTH RAP: # Bounce, bounce, bounce. # These guys are superstars in the making. And how do they take to the screaming fans? They realise, shucks, this is what we wanna do, you know. We wanna pursue this and... < Yeah, funny, that. (LAUGHS) Oh, yeah, that was a lot of fun. Five numbers up on our arms. And nerves? Not for long. Before we were so nervous, but then we just jumped up on stage ` all gone. And we were rapping to heaps of people and, like, 'This is it.' And I go by the name of Kwest. And I go by the name of Marvel. CHEERING He's got really good, like, stage presence. He's really good at interacting with the crowd. Everyone's hands up. Come on, come on, come on. < So, at first it was just gonna be a couple of concerts? Yeah, but we got down on our knees and went, 'Please, 'please, please, please', then 'Yes', and we ran round whole stadium... (CHEERS) That's it right there, right there. The boys were on tour with Titanium. They started in Whangarei, Hamilton, Rotorua. They were buggered. They were losing their voices, but their determination to carry forward was still there. A bit of fun on the bus. Oh, it was so fun on the bus. Took a couple of pictures while all the boys were sleeping. The year didn't stop there ` they still had the Music Awards to get dressed up for. That was amazing experience, to be able to walk the red carpet. So I heard you were trying to get into the after-party? I think we snuck in a little bit. How did that go? < Not to plan. They're, like, 'What are youse doing? Get out of here.' Then we had to go home, and we were, like,... (GROANS) Ready? Ready to rock and roll? RAPS: # It's MF, you know what I'm rapping. # I use positivity as my weapon. # Time to come back down to earth, to give their second single a shot. It's basically about getting out there and chasing your dream and not letting anyone tell you that you can't do something. That was a nice take, bro. It's worked for them. To see them get to where they are, it's just... my dream come true. BOTH RAP: # We wake up in the morning, and we breathe, breathe, breathe. Feedback now, and on the innovative way to teach young primary school pupils, Sue emails,... David emails,... WELLINGTON TOMORROW FOR THE HOBBIT RED CARPET LIVE WITH SIR PETER