Resources (Rauemi Ipurangi)
In this section you can find printable word lists, rotarota (rhyming verses), games for your whānau, and some ideas about other places where you can find good material to support you speaking Māori at home.
Word Lists (Tauira Reo)
Here are some phrases for you to use in your home. We suggest you print these examples and place them in prominent spots around your home.
The sentences listed here correspond to the modules in our online language programme. Regularly practising these sentences will help you to remember and use them as part of your everyday language. You may also want to print off the entire list and/or write up phrases on post-it notes and place them around your home.
We've broken the word lists down to the types of language that you'll need for different ages. We suggest though that you read the lot, as you'll probably find them all useful at some stage. Let us know if you have any other good examples, too.
Rhymes and Ditties (He Rotarota)
Children love playing games with others. Rotarota are especially fun – even the nonsensical ones bring an element of magic when speaking with your pēpi. We have a few rotarota for you to try out with pēpi. We are looking for more! If you have any that you’d like to share, please let us know.
As you are trying out these ones, try making up your own words - play with the language. And encourage your child to play with language too - it's how they learn. Children love playing games with others. Rotarota are especially fun – even the nonsensical ones bring an element of magic when speaking with your pēpi. Find the rotarota here.
Children learn everything at an astounding rate. Learning a language is no different. Sometimes it can be really tricky to keep your language developing fast enough to keep up!
Games for the Whānau (He Kēmu Tākaro)
A lot of traditional games in English can also be played easily in Māori. We've described some games that help you to nurture the language of your tamaiti. You'll also find some phrases in Māori to help you play. Also, visit the Reostore for other Māori language games and resources.
Within the Home (Kei Roto i te Whare)
Kei Roto i te Whare is an information booklet published by Te Puni Kōkiri. The book talks about language planning and at the back, lists phrases that are useful when going about your daily tasks at home. Here are a list of words that complement those given in ‘Kei Roto i te Whare'. You may like to write these down on Post-Its and place them in obvious places around the house.
- Te Oho i te Ata (Waking Up in the Morning)
- Te Whāngai i tō Tamaiti/Pēpi (Feeding Your Child/Baby)
- Te Whakamau Kope Mā/Hou (Putting on a Clean/Fresh Nappy)
- Te Horoi i tō Tamaiti/Pēpi (Washing Your Baby)
- Te Haere i Runga Motokā (Travelling in the Car)
- Te Tiaki Tamariki Māuiui (Looking After Sick Children)
- Te Tohutohu (Instructions)
- Te Mihi, Te Kohete (Praising and Scolding)
- Te Haere/Hoki ki te Moe (Bedtime)
- Maranga/E Ara (Get Up!)
- Te Kōrerorero ki tō Tamaiti (Having a Conversation With Your Child)
It is important to find material that can help to keep the language lively, fun, and with enough interesting words to explain the complex world that your baby is a part of. To help you with targeting material to suit the language milestones of your tamaiti, read about children's language milestones.
Resources for Teaching Poi (Rauemi Whakaako Poi)
The information here is intended for use with complete beginners. We've used the material to run workshops in Playcentres and Schools, and it works very well. Find the instructions here.
Other Resources (Ētahi Atu Rauemi)
Here you'll find some ideas and places to visit to help you continue to speak Māori with your tamariki. Remember, too, that making your own resources with your whānau can be a fun way of learning together. View some other resources here.