Te Reo Māori: He taonga mō ā tātou mokopuna (He Taonga)
He Taonga is a teaching and learning resource that was created to support early childhood educators using te reo Māori in their centres.
The college’s Vision to provide practical support to its students engaging with te reo Māori instigated the development of this independently funded resource, which was a comprehensive process spanning several years, during which the book was written, designed and printed all in New Zealand - making it 100% Kiwi!
NZTC launched Te Reo Māori: He taonga mō ā tātou mokopuna in 2016 as part of its commitment to biculturalism and bilingualism, and seeing the Māori language woven throughout teaching and learning in more natural ways.
In 2017 NZTC developed a teaching and learning guide to partner with its He Taonga. The guide draws on teachings in He Taonga and supports teachers to use and implement the resource in their centre.
He Taonga is a 118 page colour resource used to promote and develop te reo Māori skills and understanding of the Māori culture. It features beginner words and pronunciation support, such as the alphabet, and more complex phrases and sentences, such as greetings and introductions.
He Taonga’s basic learnings support te reo Māori skills and offer te reo Māori learners everyday examples of the Māori language, such as numbers, colours, and shapes, which are significant in day-to-day conversations.
Download a flyer HERE.
"It’s not just early childhood practitioners that are ordering the book but parents keen to gain confidence in te reo Māori to share the language with their children.”
– NZTC library support
“It’s a great tool for teachers like me with basic te reo to put simple sentences together in the context of early childhood education.”
– NZTC Associate Teacher
“This resource has given me more confidence to use te reo Māori with the children on a daily basis.”
– NZTC student
“The chapters are written in a way that I understand… learning about the culture, the food, greetings, numbers, colours… these are all very important building blocks.”
– ECE centre
Click 
below to find out about the team effort behind our te reo Māori learning resource made specifically for the early childhood education sector.
In 2016 nearly 5000 He Taonga books were gifted nationwide to support te reo Māori teaching and learning throughout Aotearoa.
He Taonga was proofread by an external reviewer accredited by the Māori Language Commision and endorsed by Dr Te Tuhi Robust (Associate Professor and Director of Operations (Northland) for the Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi) to ensure it aligned with not only the Māori language, but also Māori cultural beliefs and values.