News And Events

Te Wiki o te Reo Maori

Ake Ake Ake
A FOREVER LANGUAGE

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori is an annual celebration for all New Zealanders to show their support for the Māori language, an official language of this country.

Our early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki, notes: inclusive practices affirm children’s sense of identity, belonging and wellbeing. Some of these practices are learning some basic words and phrases in a child’s home language/s and use them in daily interactions; using music and songs from home languages as a way to build a connection; picture books that represent a child’s home; using local stories to strengthen connection to place.

As we’ll be celebrating Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, our resource for Educators/Nannies is a set of picture-puppets on a stick for children/tamariki to actively engage with the story of “How Kiwi Saved The Forest”.

You can access the full illustrated story and audio file to read along with your family/whānau here:

https://instructionalseries.tki.org.nz/Instructional-Series/Ready-to-Read-Colour-Wheel/How-Kiwi-Saved-the-Forest

Here’s some key words from the story “How Kiwi Saved The Forest” that we can learn together:

Āe (aa-eh) yes

Aotearoa (ah-oh-teh-ah-ro-ah – roll the r slightly): New Zealand

Haere mai (hi-reh my): come here

Kāo (kaa-or): no

Kiwi (kee-wee)

Pūkeko (poo-keh-kor)

Tāne-hokahoka (taa-neh hor-ka-hor-ka): guardian of the birds

Tāne-mahuta (taa-neh mar-hu-tah): guardian of the forest

Tūī (too-ee)