What is phonics#
Phonics is the relationship between letters and sounds.
In te reo Māori, letters and sounds are consistent meaning that the spelling generally reflects the way you say the sounds.
Mokopuna are taught how to:
- recognise the sounds that letters show
- recognise combinations of letters that show one sound (such as “wh”)
- blend these sounds together to make words.
Why it's important#
Phonics is an essential part of learning to read - children use it to work out new words they don’t yet know how to read.
Learning how to blend sounds helps beginner readers to read words accurately, setting them up for future reading success.
Hihira Weteoro#
Hihira Weteoro is the name for the checks to understand how your child is progressing in phonics and word recognition in te reo Māori.
Hihira Weteoro checks will be done after 20 weeks, 40 weeks and again at 55 weeks.
The 20-week check (Te Mōhiohio Oro) involves mokopuna listening to pairings of sounds to determine if the sounds are the same or different.
The 40-week check (Te Mōhiohio Pūriki) involves mokopuna identifying lowercase letters of the Māori alphabet by sound, name or giving a word that starts with the letter. It also confirms the sounds, and their correct use of short and long vowel sounds and consonants.
The 55-week phonics check (Te Mōhiohio Arapū) involves mokopuna assessing both upper and lowercase letters and high frequency words. Te Mōhiohio Oro involves mokopuna listening to words in sentences and writing them down.
Te Mōhiohio Oro video: Hihira Weteoro 20-week check
Kaiako administering the 20 week check with a mokopuna and recording results.
When Hihira Weteoro starts#
This year kura are encouraged to carry out the phonics checks, but they may become a requirement for all kura in the future. If mokopuna started kura recently or will be starting during 2025, ask the kaiako or the tumuaki if they are running phonics checks.
Finding out the results#
The kaiako or the tumuaki will also be best placed to let you know what you can expect in terms of a report on your child’s Hihira Weteoro aromatawai tasks.
We will automatically collect the results to build a picture of how well the education system is working for our beginning readers.
Why we introduced Hihira Weteoro#
In 2024 the Te Reo Matatini wāhanga ako was updated through changes to Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. The curriculum was expanded to include Rangaranga Reo ā-Tā, a component specifically related to learning to read and write in te reo Māori.
This work to raise achievement includes the introduction of Hihira Weteoro aromatawai tasks for those ākonga learning through te reo Māori.
Having a check that all schools and kura complete will help us know how well the education system is working for our youngest learners.
Help your child with their phonics
- Incorporate phonics into daily conversations. For example, when cooking, you can ask your child what sounds the ingredients start with.
- Sound sorting: create a set of pictures or objects that start with different sounds. Have your child sort them into groups based on their beginning sounds.
- Word building: use magnetic letters or letter tiles to build simple words and ask your children to sound them out.
- Play snap with letter cards matching pairs of letters and saying the correct sounds.
You'll find slides to help your mokopuna recognise letters and sounds by looking at pictures and words:
Understanding the phonics check