Strengthening language, expression and impact#

In Tau 7, mokopuna are continuing to learn to grow their vocabulary, use grammatical structures, express ideas clearly, identify deeper meanings in texts, and create purposeful, engaging, and impactful language across spoken, written, and visual forms.

Kia tika#

In Tau 7, mokopuna can use new words, different sentence structures, and punctuation. They will also know how to use formal language when needed and understand that language can change depending on the subject, situation, or iwi.

Ideas for whānau activities#

Korikori kupu – whānau word movers

Pick familiar words from kura,like kapu | cup, harikoa | happy, kaiako | teacher and take turns acting them out charades-style.

Say the word’s meaning, give a synonym or antonym, and explore how it might be said in your own iwi dialect or by kaumātua.

This supports:

• movement-based learning
• vocabulary growth
• dialect awareness
• oral language
• memory
• word connections.

Kōrero roa ā-whānau – whānau story stretch

Begin with a simple sentence as a whānau, for example “I auau te kurī”, “The dog barked”. Take turns stretching it out, adding who, what, where, when, why.

Add new details, punctuation, and rewrite it using formal language or complex sentence structures.

This supports:

• sentence building
• collaborative storytelling
• punctuation practice
• creativity
• formal reo development.

Ngā kupu whaitake – purposeful words

As a whānau, choose a common word, for example, kai | food, hoe | paddle, rere | fly, and explore its many uses in te reo Māori.

Create new sentences using different tenses, word forms such as passive, adjectival, and formal structures. Present each sentence with clarity and intent.

This supports:

• vocabulary development
• sentence variation
• grammatical accuracy
• purposeful speech
• and creative reo use.

He reo tōkeke – balanced sentences

Choose a topic together, for example, te taiao | the environment, āhuarangi | climate. Write a sentence, then refine it by adding conjunctions, conditionals, or clauses. For example, “Ki te haere koe…” | “If you go…,” “Nā te aha i pēnā ai?” | “Why is it like this?”. Read aloud for clarity and flow.

This supports:

• complex sentence building
• clause use
• clear communication
• grammatical structure
• whānau collaboration.

Kia mārama#

In Tau 7, mokopuna are learning to:

• notice when words are repeated to change the meaning
• use tricky word beginnings
• use clues from the sentence to help them understand words
• create meaningful spoken and written texts.

Ideas for whānau activities#

Ngā tini kōrero – Speaking differently to different people

As a whānau, choose a topic like “Me haere tātou ki hea kai ai?” “Where shall we go to eat?”.

Take turns acting out how you'd say it to different people, like a kaumātua, your pēpi, niece, a kaiako, or your hoa piri tata | good friend. Use the right tone, vocabulary, and level of formality for each person.

Focus on clearly sharing your main idea first, then support it with relevant reasons or examples. Reflect together on how your language and delivery changed depending on who you were talking to.

This supports:

• audience awareness
• communication purpose
• vocabulary use
• sentence structure
• social connection
• speaking confidence
• respectful expression.

Ngā kupu huna – whānau clue-hunting for word meaning

Together as a whānau, go on a scavenger hunt through reo Māori texts, including news articles, social media, blog posts, or pamphlets.

Find unfamiliar or tricky kupu and work as a team to figure out their meanings using context clues such as surrounding words, images, headlines, or the overall meaning of the sentence or paragraph.

Create a glossary of the kupu you discover, including your guesses and final meanings, and illustrate them to help everyone remember.

This supports:

• vocabulary building
• inferencing
• reading strategies
• whānau collaboration
• context awareness
• visual literacy
• language confidence.

Arero rua – double the meaning

Choose a list of kupu that can be reduplicated. For example, haere, rongo, oma.

As a whānau, explore how the meaning changes when the word is repeated. For example, oma vs. omaoma.

Use the new words in different sentences and create a comic strip, short skit, or meme using them in context.

Share and discuss which version has more intensity, repetition, or a different tone.

This supports:

• vocabulary development
• understanding of reduplication
• oral and written storytelling
• visual learning
• humour
• creativity
• text-based context.

Kupu pāhekoheko – prefix builders

Make a chart with prefixes like whaka-, ā-, kau-, or tau-. Create a base word list and see how many new kupu you can build using the prefixes. Define the new kupu, draw them, or act them out. Then, write a short paragraph or poster using at least 3 of your created words.

This supports:

• vocabulary expansion
• prefix understanding
• contextual meaning
• reading fluency
• writing structure
• creativity
• collaboration.

Kia arero taiaha #

By the end of Tau 7, mokopuna will be able to use different ways to communicate clearly and appropriately, depending on who they are talking to and why.

Ideas for whānau activities#

Wānanga whānau – whānau hui time

Choose a fun or thought-provoking discussion topic like “Me kai pūrini tātou i te tuatahi?” “Should we eat dessert first?”.

Take turns sharing your opinion using clear reasoning.

After each speaker, respond with respectful acknowledgements like “Ka pai tō whakaaro”, “Good idea”, or build on their ideas with phrases such as “E whakaae ana au nō te mea…”, “I agree because …” or “He whakaaro anō tōku.”, “I have another idea.”

This supports:

• expressing opinions
• building respectful dialogue
• active listening
• reasoning
• whānau collaboration.

Ngā piropiro – the mood dice game

Create dice with moods like koa | happy, pōuri | sad, riri | angry, hīkaka | excited, ngenge | tired, or rorirori | crazy.

Write simple prompts such as “Me whakapai whare ngā tamariki?”, “Should children tidy up around the house?”.

Roll 1 dice and respond to the prompt in the mood shown, then share your opinion. The listener guesses the mood, then shares their own opinion in a different tone.

This supports:

• emotional awareness
• expressive language
• tone variation
• opinion sharing
• listening skills.

Te wero pakiwaitara – the story list challenge

Create a list of everyday kupu Māori. For example, whare | house, ika | fish, rākau | wood, hōiho | horse, āporo | apple. As a whānau, take turns telling a short, imaginative story using all the words on the list. Encourage the use of tone, facial expression, and gestures to match the mood and purpose of the story.

This supports:

• creative thinking
• purposeful language use
• storytelling structure
• verbal communication skills.

Ngā tohu – purpose match-ups

Write different speaking purposes on cards. For example, tono | requesting, whakamārama | explaining, mihi | greeting, whakahē | disagreeing.

Write matching scenarios on separate cards. For example, asking to go out, explaining a choice, greeting an elder, disagreeing kindly.

Match the purpose to the scenario, then act it out using appropriate language and tone.

This supports:

• language awareness
• situational speaking
• purpose-driven communication
• cultural appropriateness.

Kia auaha #

In Tau 7, mokopuna are learning to play with language, try out different words, and share their ideas in creative ways to make their speaking and writing more interesting and effective.

Ideas for whānau activities#

Ngā kupu waihanga a te whānau – whānau word creations

Create your own words as a whānau. Each day, mokopuna invent a new kupu, give it a meaning, and explore how it might be used in te reo Māori.

Write it on paper with drawings, act it out, or use it in a sentence.

Compare it with real kīwaha or kupu and decide what makes it unique.

This supports:

• word invention
• vocabulary expansion
• sentence creation
• expressive language
• creativity
• understanding of language structure.

He kete kīwaha – the expression basket

Fill a small container with slips of paper featuring kīwaha, whakataukī, or made-up kupu.

Take turns picking 1 and bringing it to life by telling a story, drawing what it reminds you of, or acting it out.

Let mokopuna create their own entries to add to the kete and teach them to others.

This supports:

• cultural knowledge
• creative thinking
• oral storytelling
• visual language
• performance.

Whakaari whakataukī – proverb performers

Choose a whakataukī or kīwaha like “He kai kei aku ringa”, “I am a resourceful person.”

Discuss its meaning together using images or personal stories. Then bring it to life through a skit or comic strip, weaving the kīwaha into the dialogue. For example, “Kei whea mai!” | “Awesome!”.

This supports:

• understanding proverbs
• cultural expression
• language in context
• collaborative performance
• visual literacy.