Ngā Aukume o Te Pū Taka Māori
Te Reo Māori Alphabet Magnets

Alphabet learning in the early years forms a strong foundation for language and literacy development and communication skills. To support te reo Māori teaching and learning in the early childhood sector, New Zealand Tertiary College (NZTC) has launched alphabet magnets featuring the 10 consonants and 5 vowels of Te Pū Taka Māori.

The 15 magnets have been created by the college as part of its commitment to leading early childhood education in New Zealand. Bright and colourful images designed to encourage learning and spark curiosity are a key feature of this educational resource.

As part of a teaching and learning program, this taonga evokes the opportunity to practise and develop the use of te reo Māori within early childhood environments in engaging and meaningful ways.

With intentional use, the alphabet magnets can promote the goals and learning outcomes of Mana Reo in Te Whāriki (Ministry of Education, 2017) by supporting the building blocks of te reo Māori literacy for all tamariki, and ensuring that te reo Māori is a natural part of the daily program.

“Ngā Aukume o Te Pū Taka Māori is an exciting taonga that can support the normalisation of te reo Māori within our ECE centres. Not only will tamariki have the potential to develop a strong foundation in their reo Māori literacy, each magnet can serve as a prompt to further explore the relevance of the language in different settings,” says Krystal Taiapa (NZTC Kaiārahi - Teaching and Learning Support).

NZTC is honoured to gift sets of alphabet magnets to early childhood centres throughout New Zealand in the weeks ahead, supporting its students to be graduates of excellence and sharing the educational opportunities available for ECE professionals and those considering entering the sector.

“We are excited to share these new and authentic resources to support te reo Māori learning journeys of the early childhood sector in natural and everyday ways,” says Chief Executive Selena Fox.

“Our VISION for the magnets is for these to sit alongside their English counterparts that we gifted a few years ago, continuing the college’s commitment to quality educational resources for children, students and teachers.

“NZTC is looking forward to seeing these special magnets in the hands of tamariki and empowering kaiako with ideas of ways to use them in their daily practice.”

A dedicated space on the NZTC website has been created to share an array of resources that will support teachers with ideas on how to utilise the magnets in their practice with children.
www.nztertiarycollege.ac.nz/magnets.