Indian early childhood educator embraces te reo and te ao Māori

Krystal Taiapa, Kaiārahi –
Teaching and Learning Support

New Zealand Tertiary College (NZTC) supports the use of te reo Māori in early childhood teaching practice, focusing on weaving the language into children’s learning in natural ways.

With a commitment to biculturalism and bilingualism, the college helps students to learn te reo Māori and aspects of te ao Māori that they can take into early childhood centres around the country.

“The perspective we come from is for te reo Māori to not be an addition to the curriculum, but a natural part of what tamariki (children) and kaiako (teachers) are exposed to and are engaging with,” says Krystal Taiapa, NZTC’s Kaiārahi – Teaching and Learning Support.

For Taiapa, the key lies in planting that seed in early childhood centres, and letting it grow as tamariki move through their education.

“For our Māori whānau (family), and whānau who may not have Māori whakapapa, te reo Māori fosters a sense of belonging. For our tamariki, it becomes a natural part of their life, so when they go out into society it’s normal for them to hear and speak te reo.”

Taiapa’s role with the college is to provide support regarding te reo Māori and tikanga.

She supports the delivery of specific Tiriti-focused courses, which encourage students to focus on how they can develop Māori values and language in their practice.

“In addition to their Field Practice, students also have voluntary hours in an ECE centre, so as they’re learning about those values theoretically, they start to figure out how that knowledge applies practically in their centre or professional practice,” she explains.

Students are also supported with an NZTC-created te reo resource, He Taonga, to take with them into their Field Practice. The resource is referenced in multiple courses offered by the college, a constant reminder to learn from it and share their knowledge with their peers and tamariki.

“With the reo Māori competency assessments I do, I gauge where a student’s knowledge is at when the course starts, and again at the end, to evaluate their progression. A lot of the kōrero coming through is about learning on the job, and how helpful He Taonga has been, particularly for vocabulary.”

Kelly Avaiki

Kelly Avaiki, the Bicultural Leader at Eden Early Learning Centre in Auckland and an Associate Teacher with the college, agrees with the value that the resource provides.

“The student teachers I’ve supported are very willing to learn more, and try to pick up kupu hou (new words and phrases). I encourage students to use He Taonga because it equips them with new words to add to their kete of knowledge,” she says.

“After teaching student teachers how to use more te reo Māori in a respectful and authentic way, I noticed them grow in their knowledge and confidence. They were using more te reo when greeting others, learnt our centre’s karakia, and were learning new waiata to enhance their bicultural practice.”

Avaiki finds small ways to weave te reo into interactions with the tamariki and student teachers in her centre and normalise both languages, such as singing songs in both te reo and English.

“Doing this has helped them learn both languages and memorize waiata,” she says about the practice.

“Because we gather in a group to sing, it also gives tamariki and kaiako a sense of whanaungatanga (belonging) and the warmth that Māori culture and values can cultivate in an early childhood setting.”

Like Taiapa, Avaiki’s passion to incorporate te reo Māori and Te Ao Māori into her teaching stems from a desire to provide everyone with a sense of belonging, no matter whether they have Māori roots or are part of New Zealand’s rich multicultural community.

“My whānau are Māori and we were born here, so I feel a strong sense of turangawaewae (having a place to stand and call home). All tamariki and whānau should feel this too, because we’re all connected through our connection to Aotearoa.

“I feel a huge responsibility to teach tamariki te reo Māori, to keep our language alive and pass it down to the next generation.”