Te Kōhanga Reo o Ngā Whare Maha

1 Te Horopaki

E tū ana Te Kōhanga Reo o Ngā Whare Maha ki te taha o Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Raki Paewhenua, ki te whanga o Mairangi, ki Tāmaki-makau-rau. E hāpai ana te tū ki te taha o te kura i ngā wawata o te whānau kia rumakina te mātauranga o ā rātou tamariki i te reo Māori. He tokomaha ngā whānau hou me ngā kaimahi hou e kōkiri ana i ngā mahi whakapaipai o ngā whakahaeretanga o te kōhanga reo.

2 Ngā Whakaaturanga o te Aromātai

He pēhea rawa te kite i te harikoa o ngā tamariki hei ākonga?

Kei te harikoa, kei te mauritau hoki ngā tamariki hei ākonga.

Ngā Taumata Whakahirahira

Ka rongo, ka tūhura hoki ngā tamariki i te reo Māori ki te whānuitanga o ngā tūmomo horopaki me ngā tūmomo kaupapa. E whakarato ana ngā kaimahi i te whānuitanga o ngā whai wāhitanga mō ngā tamariki ki te whakapuaki i ō rātou māramatanga ki te reo Māori. He pārekareka ki a rātou te wāhanga o te āta, ā, e arahina ana e ētahi o ngā tamariki ngā karakia, ngā mihimihi, ngā waiata, me ngā pepeha. Ka hāpai ngā kaimahi i ngā tamariki i aua wā. Ka whakamahi ētahi o ngā kaimahi i ngā rautaki e whai hua ana ki te hāpai i te whakawhanaketanga reo o ngā tamariki. Ko ētahi o aua rautaki, ko te whāngai kupu, te patapatai, ngā kēmu, ngā tohu ā-ringa, me ngā waiata. Kei te tīmata ngā tamariki ki te mārama haere i te reo Māori me te whakawhiti kōrero mā te reo.

Kua āta tūhonohono ngā tamariki i ngā hononga pakari, hononga tautoko hoki. Ka whakapuaki ngā kaimahi i te aroha, te awhi, me te manaaki i a rātou e taunekeneke ana ki te taha o ngā tamariki. Kei te harikoa ngā tamariki, ā, e karapotia ana rātou ki te katakata i ngā wā katoa. Ka whakaatu rātou i tō rātou harikoa mā te katakata, te pakipaki, me ngā awhi. Ka kitea ki ngā pēpi me ngā tamariki kōhungahunga ō rātou tino hononga ki ō rātou kaimahi. Ka manaakitia, ka aro nuitia hoki ngā tamariki me te whānau e te kuia. E arotahi ana ngā kaimahi ki te poipoi i ngā hononga e mau ana i te harikoa me te manaakitanga. E tupu ana te mōhiotanga o ngā kaimahi hou ki ngā hiahia ako ake o ia tamaiti, me ngā huarahi e tika ana ki te āta poipoi i a rātou. Kei te harikoa, kei te mauritau hoki ngā tamariki.

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka Whai Ake

Kāhore ngā tamariki e whiwhi ana i ngā taunekeneke e arotahi ana ki te reo, hei whakawero anō hoki i ō rātou whakaaro. E mōhio ana ngā kaimahi, ka whai pānga nui aua wā whakahirahira ki te whakawhanaketanga reo o ngā tamariki. Kua tae ki te wā kia whai whakaaro te whānau ki ngā huarahi e hāpai ai i te whakawhānuitanga ake o ngā kaimahi i ō rātou āheinga reo, kia whai hua ake ai ā rātou mahi ki te taha o ngā tamariki. He mea nui anō hoki, kia whai huarahi te whānau kia reo Māori anake te reo e kōrerohia ana ki te kōhanga reo. Kāhore te whakawhanaketanga o te reo Māori o ngā tamariki e āta hāpaitia ana kia whai hua ai.

Ko te taiao ako tētahi āhuatanga hei tirohanga ake. He mea nui kia whakaaweawetia te ako a ngā tamariki mā te muramura me te āhua whakaongaonga o te taiao. Ahakoa kua aro nui te titiro ki te whakatakotoranga o ngā whakaritenga matua e pā ana ki te hauora me te haumaru o ngā tamariki, he mea nui anō hoki kia tika ngā rauemi me te whakatakotoranga o te kōhanga reo mō tā rātou ako. Me whai whakaaro te whānau me pēhea te āta whakatakoto haere, te āta whakamahi anō hoki i te taiao ako hei whakatairanga i te tūhura me te taha auaha o ngā tamariki.

Te Whakamahere me te Aromātai

Ko te ako me te atawhai o ngā tamariki kei te pūtake o ngā mahi whakahaere a te whānau. Tū ai ngā hui i ia te wā, ā, he pai anō hoki te tuhi haere i aua huihuinga. Ko te whai wāhi atu a te whānau ki te whakahaeretanga o te kōhanga reo tētahi aronga matua i ia te wā. He nahanaha tā rātou aroturuki i ā rātou whakahaeretanga ā- wiki ki ngā hui o ia marama. Kua arotakengia te tūtohinga, ngā kaupapa here, me ngā tukanga. He pūnaha arohaehae tā ngā kaimahi e āta whakatinanahia ana mā ngā kaimahi katoa. Ka whakamahi te whānau i aua mōhiohio hei aroturuki, hei whakamahere anō hoki i ia te wā i te tautoko ngaio o ngā kaimahi.

He nui ngā mahi i whakatutukihia ai e ngā kaimahi katoa, hei whakawhanake i te māramatanga ngātahi ki te āhua o ngā mahi whai hua i roto i te whakamahere. E arahina ana te hōtaka akoranga ki ngā mahere e tāutu ana i te kiko, ngā rautaki, me ngā rauemi e tika ana mā ngā tamariki tuākana. Ka āta whakamaheretia, ka āta whakahaerehia hoki te ako a ngā tamariki.

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka Whai Ake

Me whakapakari ake i ngā mahere hōtaka ā ngā pēpi. He mea nui kia poipoi te hōtaka i te rerekē haere o ō rātou ngākau nuitanga me ō rātou hiahia. E mōhio ana ngā kaimahi, ko tētahi whakaritenga matua ka whai ake i roto i tō rātou huarahi mahi, ko te whakatakoto i ngā taumahi e āta whakamaheretia ana, e āta whai kiko ana, e āta tuhia ana hoki hei whakatutuki i ngā matea ā-whatumanawa, ā-tinana hoki o ngā pēpi.

Ko ngā mahi ki te aromatawai i ngā tamariki tētahi āhuatanga hei whakapai ake. E mōhio ana ngā kaimahi, e tika ana te whakapai ake i ngā mōhiohio aromatawai. He mea nui kia hāpai te whānau i ngā kaimahi ki te whakatakoto i tētahi tukanga aromatawai e tāutu mārika ana i tēnā e ākona ana e ngā tamariki, ā, i te āhua o tā rātou ahu whakamua hoki i roto i te roanga o te wā.

Kāhore e āta tuhia ana ngā mahere rautaki mō te paetawhiti o te kōhanga reo. Me whai whakaaro te whānau ki ā rātou kaupapa matua mō te paetawhiti o te kōhanga reo, ā, me whakatakoto ā-tuhi nei hoki i ngā huarahi ka whāia e rātou kia tutukihia ai aua tūāhuatanga.

3 Te Whakatau a te Whānau ki ngā Wāhanga Tautukunga

I te wā o te aromātai, i whakamātauhia e Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga ngā pūnaha o te kōhanga reo ki te whakahaere i ngā āhuatanga i raro iho nei e whai pānga nui ana ki te waiora o ngā tamariki:

• te haumaru whatumanawa (tāpiri atu ko te ārahi mauritau, ko te ārai tamariki)
• te haumaru ā-tinana (tāpiri atu ko te mātakitaki tamariki; ko ngā whakaritenga whakamoe; ko ngā aituā; ko te whāngai rongoā; ko ngā whakaritenga akuaku; ko ngā kaupapa here me ngā tikanga haerenga whakawaho)
• te tū tika o ngā kaimahi (tae atu ki ngā taumata tohu mātauranga; te arowhai a ngā pirihimana; ngā rēhitatanga kaiako; me te tatauranga ki waenga i te kaiako me te tamaiti)
• ngā whakaritenga, tikanga hōneatanga e pā ana ki te ahi me te rū whenua.

Ko te tikanga, ka whakatairanga ngā kōhanga reo katoa i te hauora me te haumaru o ngā tamariki, me te arotake anō hoki i ia te wā i tā rātou whakatutukitanga i ngā herenga ā-ture.

4 Ngā Taunakitanga

I whakawhanakehia e Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga me te whānau o te kōhanga reo ngā taunakitanga e whai ake nei, arā, kia:

• whakapakari i te āheinga reo Māori o ngā kaimahi
• arotake i te whakaritenga me te whakatakotoranga o te taiao ako
• whakamahere i tētahi hōtaka akoranga e poipoi ana i ngā pēpi
• whakapakari i ngā mahi e aromatawai ana i ngā tamariki
• whakarite i tētahi mahere rautaki mō te paetawhiti o te kōhanga reo.

Hei ā hea Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga aromātai anō ai i te kōhanga reo?

Ka aromātai anō Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i Te Kōhanga Reo o Ngā Whare Maha i roto i te toru o ngā tau.

Charles Rolleston Toka ā-nuku

12 Hakihea, 2018

Ngā kōrero e pā ana ki te kōhanga reo

1 Context

Te Kōhanga Reo o Ngā Whare Maha is located next to Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Raki Pae Whenua in Mairangi Bay, Auckland. This location supports whānau aspirations for Māori immersion education for their children. There are a number of new whānau and kaimahi who are progressing well with improvements to the operations of the kōhanga reo.

2 The Evaluation Findings

How well do children show they are happy learners?

Children are happy and comfortable learners.

Ngā Taumata Whakahirahira

Children hear and explore te reo Māori in a variety of settings and situations. Kaimahi provide a range of opportunities where children can share their understanding of te reo Māori. They enjoy the morning session where some individual children are able to lead karakia, mihimihi, waiata and pepeha. Kaimahi support children during these sessions. Some kaimahi use some effective strategies to support children’s language development. These include prompts, questions, games, hand signs and waiata. Children are in the early stages of understanding and communicating in te reo Māori.

Children have formed strong and supportive relationships. Kaimahi show aroha, awhi and manaaki when interacting with children. Children are happy and constantly surrounded by laughter. They exhibit happiness through laughter, clapping and hugs. Babies and toddlers show strong connections with their kaimahi. The kuia provides care and attention with children and whānau. Kaimahi are focused on fostering happy and caring relationships. There is growing awareness amongst new kaimahi about the learning preferences of individual children and how best to provide for them. Children are happy and settled.

Key Next Steps

Children do not receive focused language interactions to challenge their thinking. Kaimahi recognise that these are valuable moments for children’s language development. It is time for whānau to consider ways to support kaimahi to extend their language capabilities in order to work effectively with the children. It is also important that whānau find ways to ensure the kōhanga reo is maintained as a domain where only te reo Māori is spoken. Children’s te reo Māori development is not effectively supported.

The learning environment needs some attention. It is important that children’s learning is also inspired by an environment that is bright and stimulating. While attention has largely been on establishing key health and safety practices for the children, it is important that the resources and the way the kōhanga reo is set up is appropriate for their learning. The whānau and kaimahi should consider how best to setup and use the learning environment to promote exploration and creativity for children.

Planning and Evaluation

Children’s learning and their care is at the heart of whānau management. Regular hui are held and well documented. Whānau involvement in the management of the kōhanga reo is an ongoing focus. They strategically monitor their weekly operations in monthly hui. The charter, policies and procedures have been reviewed. The kaimahi have an appraisal system in place that is well implemented for all employees. Whānau use this information to regularly monitor and plan professional support for kaimahi.

Significant work has been done by all kaimahi to develop a shared understanding about good planning practice. The learning programme is guided by planning that identifies content, strategies and required resources for the older children. Children’s learning is well planned and managed.

Key Next Steps

Programme planning for babies requires strengthening. It is important that the programme caters to their changing interests and preferences. Kaimahi recognise that a key next step in their journey is to establish well-planned, detailed and documented activities that meets the emotional and physical needs of babies.

Children’s assessment practices are an area for improvement. Kaimahi are aware of the need to improve assessment information. It is important that the whānau support kaimahi to establish an assessment process that best identifies what children are learning and their progress over time.

Strategic planning for the future of the kōhanga reo is not clearly documented. The whānau must consider their long-term priorities for the kōhanga reo and document how they will achieve those.

3 Whānau Management Assurance on Compliance Areas

During the evaluation, ERO looked at the kōhanga reo systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:

• emotional safety (including positive guidance and child protection)
• physical safety (including supervision; sleep procedures; accidents; medication; hygiene; excursion policies and procedures)
• suitable staffing (including qualification levels; police vetting; teacher registration; ratios)
• evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

All kōhanga reo are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

4 Recommendations

ERO and the Kōhanga Reo whānau developed the following recommendations:

• Strengthen te reo Māori capability of kaimahi

• Review the setup and layout of the learning environment

• Plan a learning programme that caters for babies

• Strengthen children’s assessments

• Establish a strategic plan for the future of the kōhanga reo.

When is ERO likely to evaluate the kōhanga reo again?

The next ERO evaluation of Te Kōhanga Reo o Ngā Whare Maha will be in three years.

Charles Rolleston Toka ā-nuku

12 December 2018

Information about the Kōhanga Reo