“Iti rearea, teitei kahikatea, ka taea.”
"Even the small rearea bird can reach the top of the kahikatea tree".
Te Puāwaitanga o te Reo – Foundations of te reo Māori lays the groundwork for confident, culturally grounded communication in Aotearoa’s first language. Designed for beginners, this kaupapa immerses ākonga in the sounds, rhythms, and values of te reo Māori, nurturing both skill and spirit.
Through karakia, pepeha, and everyday kōrero, ākonga build essential language patterns for greetings, introductions, locations, and polite exchanges while exploring the deeper meanings of whakapapa, whanaungatanga, and manaakitanga.
Interactive games, creative projects, and digital storytelling bring learning to life, helping ākonga express who they are and where they come from.
This unit empowers learners to speak with pride, connect with others authentically, and understand te reo Māori as a living taonga that strengthens identity, belonging, and bicultural understanding.
Achievement Objectives
Whāinga Paetae
At Level 1 of the New Zealand Curriculum, ākonga develop a foundation in te reo Māori through simple, meaningful language used in familiar contexts. Ākonga learn to understand and use basic words, phrases, and sentence structures to communicate about themselves, their whānau, and everyday experiences. These Achievement Objectives guide the learning experiences in this unit and outline the core communicative expectations for ākonga at these levels.
🌱 LEVEL 1
1.1 Greet, farewell, and acknowledge people and respond to greetings and acknowledgments
1.2 Introduce themselves and others and respond to introductions
1.3 Communicate about number, using days of the week, months, and dates
1.4 Communicate about personal information
1.5 Communicate about location
1.6 Understand and use simple politeness conventions
1.7 Use and respond to simple classroom language
learning outcomes
Putanga Ako
The learning outcomes describe what ākonga will be able to demonstrate by the end of the unit. They focus on communicative competence, cultural participation, confidence, and relational growth, ensuring learning extends beyond language recall to meaningful application.
By the end of this unit, ākonga will be able to demonstrate the following skills at a beginner's level:
Build confidence to use te reo Māori in everyday classroom and social situations.
Participate actively in supported kōrero, responding to others with respect and care.
Strengthen pronunciation, rhythm, and clear reo through regular practice and repetition.
Communicate simple ideas about themselves, their world, and what is happening around them.
Develop comfort using te reo Māori beyond memorised lines, taking small risks to try new language.
Show growing awareness of cultural conventions that support respectful communication.
Contribute positively to a collective learning environment through collaboration and manaakitanga.
Recognise personal progress in te reo Māori and use simple strategies to keep improving over time.
aromatawai
Assessments
This unit features short, scaffolded assessments designed to build confidence across the different language modes — listening, speaking, reading, and writing — while tracking student progress over time. At junior level, the focus is on growth and developing confidence rather than measuring fixed or high-stakes achievement. Tasks progress from oral responses to written application and an identity-based kōrero, supporting meaningful communication in authentic contexts. Aligned with NZC Level 1 and the Pou Reo framework — Te Tika, Te Rere, Te Māori, and Te Ora o te Reo — the emphasis is on clarity, confidence, and cultural integrity.
TASK 1 – MIHIA TE REO | FOUNDATIONS OF LANGUAGE
A short oral assessment focused on listening and speaking skills.
Ākonga respond immediately to familiar spoken prompts using greetings, introductions, and simple sentence patterns.
This low-pressure task prioritises comprehension, clarity, and confidence, supporting early oral fluency and encouraging students to take risks in spoken reo.
what's included
Ngā Hua o Roto
Within this unit you will have everything you need to confidently deliver a high-quality, engaging te reo Māori unit - thoughtfully designed to reduce planning time while strengthening learning outcomes.
Each component is structured, practical, and aligned to curriculum expectations, ensuring clarity for kaiako and meaningful progression for ākonga.
📋 MĀHERE AKO - FULL UNIT PLAN
A complete unit plan for your department, including curriculum links, unit rationale, learning intentions, and teaching approaches aligned to the appropriate learning level and quality assurance requirements.
📚 LESSON SLIDES AND SEQUENCING
Structured lesson sequencing with ready-to-use slides and clear facilitation guidance for kaiako. Includes Ākonga instructions and content explanations aligned to the unit’s objectives and learning progression.
🎯 INTEGRATED LANGUAGE MODES
A range of interactive games and activities with kaiako and Ākonga instructions that reinforce learning across the ara reo. Includes guidance for adapting or creating additional activities using Poutawa platforms.
📝 ĀKONGA EVALUATION & FEEDBACK
Formative feedback tools to track Ākonga engagement and learning throughout the unit, alongside summative evaluation templates that support reporting and inform future teaching and learning decisions.