He Taonga treasured by ECE professionals

Four years after its launch, New Zealand Tertiary College (NZTC)’s teaching and learning resource ‘He Taonga’ continues to support early childhood professionals to weave te reo Māori into children’s learning in natural ways.

“The term ‘taonga’ means ‘treasure’ and the book has definitely proved to be this for me,” shared early childhood teacher Shuchita Jain.

“My confidence in speaking te reo has increased significantly. It has encouraged me to further explore Māori culture with the children, through integrating traditional stories, dances and songs into our centre life.”

Early childhood teacher Telele Peleti Koteka believes it is deeply important that the Māori culture is valued and promoted in early learning environments, to ensure it not only survives but thrives in future generations.

“He Taonga has empowered me in building connections with tamariki and whānau. I greet parents in te reo upon arrival, and during mat time and various activities we practice waiata and learn the Māori words for shapes, colours and numbers with the children. It is important for our tamariki to feel a sense of belonging and to engage with their culture in our learning environment,” said Telele.

Shuchita Jain

“Knowledge of te reo, as well as an understanding and respect for Māori values and beliefs among tamariki is key to ensuring that the culture thrives for future generations. Research has also shown that bilingualism positively affects a child’s cognitive development.”

Drawing inspiration from He Taonga, Shuchita enjoys implementing te reo Māori into her centre in a range of creative ways.

“Recently, I have been designing my own learning resources for tamariki. Using the ngā tae (colours) and te huarere (weather) content featured in He Taonga, I prepared a wall hanging to encourage colour learning and a weather reporting kit for children to interact with.

“Encouraging tamariki to develop an appreciation for te reo widens perceptions of their surroundings and enhances their understanding of a special and treasured culture.”

To purchase a copy of He Taonga visit www.nztertiarycollege.ac.nz/he-taonga