📖 Unit Overview
Unit 11: Te Reo Māori Foundations
This unit introduces tauira to everyday reo Māori through speaking, listening, and tikanga-rich routines. It builds confidence in pronunciation, greetings, pepeha, and common classroom kōrero while connecting language to identity.
Tūāhuatanga Akoranga Pedagogical Foundations
Te reo Māori did not survive because the government included it in a curriculum document. It survived because a group of grandparents in the early 1980s built Kōhanga Reo — language nests — and refused to let the language go. The scholars below understood that, and their work is the intellectual foundation of why teaching te reo in a mainstream school is both possible and urgent.
📋 NZC Curriculum Alignment
This unit supports foundational achievement objectives in Learning Languages and Social Sciences.
Te Reo Māori / Learning Languages
Use basic words, phrases, and simple sentences to communicate in familiar situations.
Recognise that language and culture are interconnected.
Social Sciences / Identity & Belonging
Understand how cultural practices reflect values and identity.
Unit Sequence & Lesson Flow
📅 5-Lesson Sequence
- Lesson 1: He Tīmatanga - pronunciation, greetings, and classroom reo.
- Lesson 2: Ko Wai Au? - pepeha building and identity kōrero.
- Lesson 3: Tikanga in Kōrerorero - manaakitanga, mihi, and respectful speaking.
- Lesson 4: Whānau Connections - relationships, possessives, and asking questions.
- Lesson 5: Kōrerorero o Ia Rā - everyday conversations and reflection.
✅ Aromatawai - Assessment
Authentic Assessment: Students create a short kōrero portfolio that includes a recorded pepeha, a greeting dialogue, and a reflection on their reo journey.
- Formative: Pronunciation check-ins, peer feedback, and kupu wall updates.
- Summative: 2-3 minute conversation or presentation with cues.
- Success Indicators: clear pronunciation, appropriate tikanga, and confidence in basic kōrero.
🙏 Acknowledgements & Inspiration
This unit is inspired by public reo Māori resources and teaching approaches that make language learning welcoming and practical. In particular, it draws on the accessible kōrero style associated with Stacey Morrison and the kaupapa-driven tikanga guidance shared by Te Kākako.
Teachers are encouraged to connect with local iwi, hapū, and kaumātua to ensure local dialects and protocols are respected.
Whakamutunga - Unit Reflection
By the end of this unit, tauira will have a kete of foundational reo and the confidence to use it daily. The goal is not perfection, but a growing commitment to kōrero with respect, curiosity, and pride.
"Ma te iti ka ora ai te kupu" - Small steps keep the words alive.
📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot
Ngā Whāinga Ako — Learning Intentions
Students will develop foundational te reo Māori communication skills through kōrerotia — purposeful speaking practice — grounded in the principle that language is the vessel of whakapapa and identity. This unit builds confidence to use te reo Māori in everyday contexts, valuing the language as a taonga tuku iho and a living expression of Māori cultural sovereignty.
Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria
- ✅ I can use foundational te reo Māori greetings, introductions, and phrases correctly in conversation.
- ✅ I can explain the cultural significance of key te reo Māori expressions beyond their literal translation.
- ✅ I can demonstrate respect for te reo Māori as a taonga through accurate pronunciation and meaningful use.
Differentiation & Inclusion
Scaffold support: Provide pronunciation guides, flashcards, and sentence frames for entry-level learners. Offer extension tasks for students to compose original pepeha or short whaikōrero using structures from the unit.
ELL / ESOL: Te reo Māori may feel more accessible to some ELL students than English. Celebrate multilingualism — many students may bring home languages that share phonological features with Māori. Provide bilingual glossaries and allow students to make connections between languages.
Inclusion: Use oral, visual, and kinaesthetic modalities — karakia, waiata, and movement-based language games support diverse learners. Neurodiverse learners benefit from repetition, patterned structures, and low-stakes oral practice opportunities. Ensure all students feel emotionally safe to attempt new language.
Mātauranga Māori lens: Frame te reo Māori learning through whakapapa — every word carries genealogy. The concept of kōrerotia (speaking practice) connects to the oral tradition where knowledge was transmitted through careful, sustained speech. Explore how te reo revitalisation is an act of tino rangatiratanga and how learners of all backgrounds can be kaitiaki of the language.
Prior knowledge: No specialist prior knowledge required. All learners enter as beginners on equal footing.
Curriculum alignment
- Te Reo Māori — Communication: Students develop oral fluency in te reo Māori, using greetings, introductions, and everyday expressions with confidence and cultural appropriateness.
🔗 Unit Progression & Next Steps
The 5 lessons in this unit, in teaching order: