kia whakahihiri
Te Reo Māori Resources
At Poutawa, we support confident te reo Māori learners at every stage of their journey. Our resources build capability, confidence, and genuine connection to te reo Māori, from foundational junior programmes to senior NCEA-aligned units and targeted grammar support. Each resource is designed to make language learning meaningful, usable, and enjoyable.
Grounded in a task-based and culturally rich approach, our units strengthen accuracy, fluency, and understanding through purposeful, interactive learning. Whether building foundations, preparing for NCEA, or supporting independent learners, our resources provide clear pathways that grow both competence and pride in te reo Māori.
Mā Ngā Tēina
Junior Reo Māori Resources
Catering to Levels 1–4 of the New Zealand Curriculum, these units feature interactive tasks and engaging activities that grow confident future reo Māori learners.
Designed to enhance enjoyment, retention and practical language use, they support rangatahi to develop relevant, usable reo in meaningful contexts.
🌱 Years 6-9
Iho Pūmanawa
Extraordinary People
Reimagine identity learning through a creative and reflective approach to “Ko wai au?”. This unit supports students to express who they are in te reo Māori with confidence, depth, and personal connection.
🌱 Years 6-9
He Toa Aihikirīmi
The Ice Cream Store
Engage students through a fun and playful ice cream-themed unit where they create flavours, describe products, and interact using te reo Māori. This unit builds confidence in descriptive and conversational language.
🌱 Years 6-9
Te Whare Māminga
Digital Escape Room
Reimagine learning into an exciting digital escape room where students solve clues and complete challenges using te reo Māori. This unit promotes critical thinking, collaboration, and active language use.
🌱 Years 6-9
Ki Uta! Ki Tai!
Amazing Race Aotearoa
Transform learning into an Amazing Race-style journey where students navigate challenges using te reo Māori. This unit strengthens communication skills through teamwork, problem-solving, and exploration.
🌱 Years 9-10
Paki Pāpāho
On Air in Te Reo Māori
Step into the world of podcasting as students learn pūrākau and retell them in their own words in te reo Māori. This unit develops oral language skills while encouraging creativity and authentic expression.
🌱 Years 9-10
Ringa Wera, Ringa Toa
Māori Master Chef
Turn your classroom into a Māori MasterChef kitchen where students learn through cooking, creating, and sharing kai. This hands-on unit builds language through practical, collaborative experiences.
🌱 Years 9-10
Waka Ō Te Rourou Iti
Māori Food Truck
Inspire creativity and entrepreneurship as students design, create, and promote their own products using te reo Māori. This unit develops language skills alongside innovation, teamwork, and problem-solving.
🌱 Years 9-10
Kua Puta a Pito!
Kai Central
Blend learning with a fast-paced takeaway hub where students use te reo Māori to order and describe kai, and compare favourites. This unit strengthens conversational reo through fun, interactive role-play.
🌱 Years 9-10
Nau mai e te Kōihi!
Bring on the Adventure!
Bring adventure and excitement into your classroom as students explore language through interactive challenges and creative tasks to talk about the places that thrill them using te reo Māori.
Mā Ngā tūākana
Senior NCEA Reo Māori Resources
Aligned to senior secondary and NCEA expectations, these resources deepen language accuracy, fluency and critical thinking. Learners engage with rich kaupapa and advanced structures that strengthen both academic achievement and cultural understanding.
Our Senior Te Reo Māori units are carefully aligned to Te Arawhata Reo Māori and NCEA achievement standards. They revisit and strengthen foundational sentence structures while extending grammar, accuracy and fluency through thematically rich and relevant kaupapa.
🌱 NCEA Level 1
Tōku Āhuru Mōwai
A Place to Connect
Explore identity, belonging, and personal wellbeing through the concept of āhuru mōwai. This unit supports students to express their sense of self and connection to people, places, and values using te reo Māori.
🌱 NCEA Level 1
Kia Hihiri Te Reo
Language In Motion
Build confidence in conversational te reo Māori through engaging and relevant contexts. This unit focuses on fluency, interaction, and using language naturally in everyday situations.
🌱 NCEA Level 1
Taku Whare Wānanga
Where Knowledge Lives
Explore learning, knowledge, and the pursuit of understanding within a Māori context. This unit develops the language of inquiry, reflection, and academic expression.
🌱 NCEA Level 2
He Kākano Ahau
Taku Tūrangawaewae
Explore identity, whakapapa, and personal narratives as students reflect on who they are and where they come from. This unit strengthens expressive language through storytelling, perspective, and cultural connection.
🌱 NCEA Level 2
Te Pae Tawhiti
A Look to the Future
Look to the future as students explore aspirations, pathways, and long-term goals. This unit builds language for planning, goal setting, and expressing future-focused thinking.
🌱 NCEA Level 2
Taku Manutaki
Māori Leadership
Examine leadership through a Māori lens as students explore the qualities of effective leaders and their own potential. This unit builds confidence in expressing ideas, values, and aspirations in te reo Māori.
🌱 NCEA Level 2
E Pao, Torea!
Māori Innovation and Business
Explore Māori business, innovation, and enterprise through authentic and future-focused contexts. This unit develops language for problem solving, collaboration, and entrepreneurial thinking.
🌱 NCEA Level 2
He Kōteo Mau Kupenga
Youth Wellbeing & Advocacy
Explore issues, advocacy, and the power of language to influence change. This unit develops persuasive communication and critical awareness of contemporary kaupapa.
🌱 NCEA Level 3
Taku Patu, Taku Mana Māori Motuhake
Māori and Politics
🌱 NCEA Level 3
T ōku Māpihi Maurea
Our Living Language
Celebrate language as a source of identity and pride through rich expression and personal voice. This unit strengthens confidence in using te reo Māori as a living reflection of who you are.
🌱 NCEA Level 3
Pāpāhotia te Reo
Māori and Media
Step into the world of media as students create and share content using te reo Māori across digital platforms. This unit develops communication skills through authentic, creative, and audience-focused tasks.
🌱 NCEA Level 3
Te Ao Hurihuri
Social Issues & Sustainability
Explore the changing world through a Māori lens as students examine contemporary issues, perspectives, and societal shifts. This unit develops critical thinking and language skills while connecting te reo Māori to real-world contexts.
🌱 NCEA Level 1
Te Pūtake o Te Reo
Level 1 Grammar Progression
Āheinga Reo
Grammar Reo Māori Resources
Clear, practical grammar units that break down key sentence types and language patterns in te reo Māori. Designed to strengthen accuracy and fluency, these resources support both kaiako and learners to use the reo with confidence.
Through scaffolded explanations, guided practice and applied tasks, learners move beyond surface understanding to confidently construct and use language in meaningful contexts.
Whakakāhore
Negations
Learn how to form negative sentences across different sentence types in te reo Māori. This unit is key for developing accuracy and flexibility, allowing students to clearly express what is not happening or does not apply.
Reretūoti
Stative Sentences
Explore stative sentences used to describe states, feelings, and conditions. This unit supports students to express experiences and internal states with greater depth and authenticity.
Karakia & Mihimihi
Reo Ōkawa
Learn the structure and purpose of karakia and mihimihi within te ao Māori. This unit builds confidence in delivering these with understanding, ensuring language use is both accurate and culturally grounded.
Kupu Whakarite
Figurative Language
Explore descriptive language through kupu whakarite to compare, describe, and add depth to ideas. This unit strengthens students’ ability to create more expressive and engaging reo, moving beyond basic sentences into richer communication.
Rerewāhi
Location Sentences
Learn how to describe location and position using place-based sentence structures. This unit supports students to communicate clearly about where people and things are, a key skill for real-life interaction and understanding.
Rerehāngū
Passive Sentences
Explore passive sentence structures and how to shift focus from the actor to the action. This unit expands students’ language capability, allowing for more advanced expression and variation in how ideas are communicated.
Rerekaimahi
Actor-Emphatics
Learn how to construct sentences that emphasise the actor using rerekaimahi structures. This unit deepens understanding of sentence focus, allowing students to communicate who is responsible for actions with clarity and precision.
Rerewā
Time Phrases
Explore time-based sentence structures to describe when actions happen. This unit enables students to communicate across past, present, and ongoing contexts, strengthening clarity and control of meaning.
Reremahi
Verbal Sentences
Focus on verbal sentences as students learn to describe actions using correct sentence structure and verb placement. This unit provides a critical foundation for communication, enabling students to confidently express what is happening in a range of contexts.
I & Ki
Core Particles
Focus on using i and ki to describe actions, direction, and relationships in te reo Māori. This unit builds essential accuracy in sentence construction, enabling students to clearly express movement, intent, and connections in everyday communication.
A & O Categories
Possessives
Understand the difference between a and o categories and how they shape meaning in te reo Māori. This unit is essential for accurate expression of relationships and possession, helping students avoid common errors and build confidence.
Rereāhua
Descriptive Sentences
Focus on descriptive sentences using adjectives and descriptive phrases. This unit enhances students’ ability to add detail, emotion, and quality to their language, making communication more vivid and precise.
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'Kei hea taku manapou, taku manatawa?
Where are the seeds of my language?
The name Poutawa is drawn from this whakataukī, which speaks to the origins and future of te reo Māori. Just as the kākā once carried seeds across Aotearoa to take root and flourish, so too must the seeds of our language be sown, nurtured, and protected. At the heart of this kōrero are two seeds:
ngā hononga
our networks
We are privileged to work alongside a diverse range of organisations, professional bodies, community groups, and iwi. Each relationship is carefully nurtured, with the values of Poutawa at the forefront, to ensure meaningful engagement and impactful outcomes.
Poutawa is dedicated to fostering deep connection with te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori. We believe that language is the heartbeat of culture, and through accessible, high-quality educational resources and development opportunities, we empower both Māori and non-Māori to engage authentically with te ao Māori.
Our commitment is to strengthen cultural identity, build confident communicators, and support communities in their journey towards cultural competency and linguistic excellence. We honor the past, nurture the present, and sow seeds for future generations.