Simple ways to bring te reo Māori into family life
Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori | Māori Language Week, which takes place each September, is a great opportunity to bring a little more te reo Māori into your family life. And you don't need to be fluent to give it a go.
Here are some simple ways to get started.
Start with greetings
One of the easiest places to begin is with the greetings you already use every day.
Learn a few simple greetings and farewells as a family and start using them when you get up in the morning, arrive home from school or work, or see friends and family.
You could make it a family goal to use te reo for your morning and evening greetings throughout Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori.
Count together
Counting is an easy way for younger children in particular to get used to hearing and saying te reo Māori.
Learn the numbers together and use them when you're counting toys, setting the table, playing a game, climbing stairs or doing anything else that involves counting.
You could start with the numbers one to five and gradually work your way up.
Learn words for things around the house
Choose a handful of everyday objects and learn their names in te reo Māori.
You might start with things that everyone uses regularly, such as furniture, rooms, clothing or items in the kitchen. Put labels on some of them if that helps, or simply see how many your family can remember.
You could also learn the words for some of the food and drinks you regularly have, or words relating to eating and mealtimes and use them at the dinner table.
Use books, songs and stories
Books, songs and stories are another easy way to bring more te reo into your home.
Look for children's books that include te reo Māori, borrow some from the library or find songs and stories that you can listen to together. You don't have to understand every word for children to become familiar with the sounds and rhythm of the language.
You could also choose one song to learn together as a family.
Let the children teach you
If your children are learning te reo Māori at school or early childhood education, ask them what they've been learning.
They may know words, songs or phrases that you don't. Let them teach you and practise together.
Make a small family challenge
You don't need to set an ambitious goal. Choose something manageable that everyone can stick with.
You could aim to learn five new words during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, use te reo during one meal each day, learn a song together or practise greetings throughout the week.
At the end of the week, choose a few things you've learnt that you'd like to keep using.
If you'd like to learn more, there are plenty of online resources to help you. Try this list of 100 Māori words everyone should know, or the Reo Māori website.
