Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa

A paper written by Kaimahi and Kairangahau for the Ministry’s web pages. This paper provides background information on the establishment of Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa and reflects on their learning journey working on Ngā Mahi Auaha (the Centres of Innovation [COI] project) in the first few months of their involvement in the programme.

Introduction
Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūau Te Moananui a Kiwa derives its name from Pūau Te Moananui-ā-Kiwa Kopua, a person who worked tirelessly in the Pt England and Glen Innes areas as a Māori Health Officer and Life Member of Ruapōtaka Māori Women's Welfare League. It was her fervent desire to establish a kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa Māori for the people of the Eastern suburbs of Tamaki Makaurau. After a long-term illness Pūau passed away on the 15th March 1990.

The physical establishment of the kōhanga reo was brought about through the mahi and aroha of Kia Tutuki Trust administered by Maurice Taimana, past principal of Bairds Intermediate School, supported by his Whaea Ma Taimana and his whānau. Sadly, Maurice passed away on 19 February 1992, leaving the kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa as a legacy from his whānau and as a memorial to Pūau Te Moananui-a-Kiwa Kopua.

The kōhanga reo started in 1991 at the old Tamaki Girls' College, and shifted to a permanent site at the Glen Innes Intermediate School in 1993. It operates within two buildings with three licences for a maximum of 100 mokopuna, 75 over-twos and 25 under two-year-olds.

The mahi of Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa, as for all kōhanga reo, is guided by Te Korowai, the Charter of the kōhanga reo movement. Decisions are driven by Te Whānau o Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa; and a key goal is the retention of te reo Māori through restoration of its use in day-to-day interactions. The title of the COI (Ngā Mahi Auaha) project based at Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa is 'Te Ohonga Ake o te Reo'. The innovation of the kōhanga reo movement which Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa is a member, is the foresight kaumatua had in initiating kōhanga reo to ensure the retention of te reo me ōna tikanga. All tamariki, parents and kaimahi are considered whānau operating within a Māori paradigm. Teaching and learning (Ngā Taumata Whakahirahira cited in Te Korowai, 1995, p. 18) contributes to the Tino Rangatiratanga of all tamariki and whānau.

By becoming part of Ngā ahi Auaha (the COI Programme) it has enabled us to further focus our attention more intently upon the aims and objectives we had already mapped out, for improved teaching and learning practices, within our kōhanga reo.

The whānau of Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa were nominated by the Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust, the only kōhanga reo to represent Māori early childhood services in Round one of the COI strategy. Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa has accepted the responsibility of illustrating Te Korowai (Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust, 1995) in action, using teaching approaches grounded in tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori.

Mātauranga Māori
Mātauranga Māori identifies five stages of creation. The first stage is Te Pō, the night, the darkness, the unknown, followed by Te Kōhu, the mists of time bringing with it a shadowy knowledge, which is grasped fleetingly. Ranginui and Papatuānuku are the third stage of development that epitomises substance, knowledge that is held onto. The fourth stage relates to Tāne, the creative aspect of Ranginui and Papatuānuku, as he implants all those things upon Papatuānuku for the benefit of mankind, creating understanding. The fifth and final stage is the manifestation of Te Ao Hurihuri, the ever-changing world, which portrays that true understanding is only obtained when knowledge is given out. (Mana Atua, the context - Te Whāriki)

Mātauranga Māori is acknowledged by kaimahi at Te Kōhanga Reo O Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa as being essential for the well-being of mokopuna.

All kōhanga reo carry a unique responsibility, as tangata whenua, in relation to Mātauranga Māori. Mātauranga Māori can be interpreted by many meanings. Within the learning context of Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa, it was agreed that Mātauranga Māori understandings would be derived from Te Korowai and Te Whāriki (Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust Board) with the principles of Matauranga Māori determined and agreed upon. For example, Te Korowai (1995) states:

"Te kōhanga reo will be managed by the whānau and decisions will be made by the whānau within the guidelines set down by Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust Board" (p. 3).

Thus, a key guiding principle at Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa is that whānau experiences and knowledge will be accepted as valid, and utilised positively. Generally, the whānau unit today has been fashioned by an ongoing legacy of colonisation, decades of urbanisation, an evolving Māori culture and the influences of other cultures that make up Aotearoa society. All have created a diverse Māori population, living diverse realities. Māori are culturally, socially and economically diverse and there is varying access and exposure to things Māori.

Whakawhanaungatanga (development of respectful relationships) is integral to the foundations from which Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa works. The whānau believe that the most significant determinant of good outcomes for children is the nature of the relationships, not just within the kōhanga reo, but also at iwi, hapu and whānau levels. (Ngā Taumata Whakahirahira cited in Te Korowai, 1995, p. 18)

Curriculum development
Mason Durie has voiced the educational aspirations of Māori people at Hui Taumata Mātauranga in Taupo, March 2001:

• To live as Māori
• To actively participate as citizens of the world
• To enjoy good health and a high standard of living.

These aspirations have been adopted by the whānau of Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa.

"Ko Te Whāriki te puku me te kaupapa o to mātou mahi i roto o mātou kōhanga reo".

"Kei runga i tēnei tauira te tauira whāriki, ka tuhia ēnei whakahaere mo ngā kōhanga. Ko te tikanga ina ka oti te raranga i te whāriki nei kua oti te whakatākoto i ngā huarahi mō ngā taonga ka tukua ki ngā mokopuna, a mo ngā tāonga hoki kua tukua ki a ratou i ngā tekau tau kua pahure ake nei. Ma tēnei tauira e kawe ngā awhina mo ngā mahi kei ngā kōhanga". (Te Korowai, 1995:83)

One way kaiako at Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa work to fulfil their responsibilities and achieve their aspirations is to develop a Mahere a Tau in consultation with kaumātua and whānau. It is commonly referred to as their Maramataka annual plan. The modules within a year are often based around seasons and events, usually of cultural importance such as Waitangi Day, Matariki, and the Māori New Year.

This curriculum framework at Te Kōhanga Reo O Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa indicates a focus on the development of Māori identity in mokopuna. The curriculum shares unique Māori knowledge, whakapapa and understanding of Māori as a people.

Another aspect is their Mātauranga Māori-based pedagogy. At Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa, they were able to use a variety of Māori pedagogical approaches:

• Tuakana, Teina
• Inter-generational learning
• Gradual learning, by building on the familiar
• Mixed methods.

(Hemara, 1998. p. 5)

All implementation is in te reo Māori - to help the renaissance of the language and to use the language to secure identity and open up future pathways for Māori children.

"Ko te reo te mauri o te Mana Māori."

(Sir Hemi Henare, Kaumatua Wananga 1979).

But there were barriers to realising their aspirations and working from a Mātauranga Māori base. The most difficult one was the shortage of kaimahi fluent in te reo Māori. That meant that heavy responsibilities lay on the shoulders of the few kaiako who could converse in te reo Māori, and led to lots of instruction by the kaiako in big-group situations. One-to-one interactions were too few.

The kaiako discussed the research literature that showed that bilingual language develops best in young children "when it is learned in a variety of contexts and when content is varied ... Play, games, make-believe, story-telling and songs ... allows children to participate at their own level." (Foster-Cohen, 2002) They were aware that the best conditions for (second) language learning are when important conditions are in place; see the left column:

• Meaningful input in  > Te Ao Māori
• Meaningful contexts with > Te Ao Pākehā
• Meaningful people > Kōhanga reo
• Over a sufficient length of time > Kaimahi and whānau.

(Spolsky, 1989; and Whitehead, 2002)

They added the right-hand column to indicate how it can occur in kōhanga reo.

Some of the kaimahi had been fortunate to attend a week-long wananga in the 90s with Hine Potaka and Lex Grey where a very effective example of this approach to Māori immersion early education had been demonstrated. She spent the first day or two at the wananga on her vineyard showing them how to grow grapes. The point of this was to emphasise that the beginning of everything has to be done right, whether it be plant life or human life. And it was made memorable by their hands-on experiences with the vines.

Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa knew the importance of experiential learning, but found it hard to provide enough of it. The dilemma was that English language prevailed when non-instructional pedagogical approaches were used, where children were given more freedom. So, structured approaches had come to dominate.

The turning point
In 2003, a learning journey for Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa focusing on research began after joining the Ngā Mahi Auaha (COI) programme. It entailed many challenges, many wananga and many professional development hui. The kaimahi describe what was involved and the outcomes to date:

"A necessity to be flexible in one's thinking, to engage in open debates, hold amiable consultation and reach cordial agreements has provided enlightened explanations, many headaches (from trying to understand concepts and principles of research) and much fun and laughter. The outcomes have benefited our kōhanga reo whānau through better teaching and learning practices."

By late 2003, when Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa kaimahi were stronger in their research knowledge and understanding, they and the whānau agreed that a teaching module on Tikanga Pōwhiri would be researched. Nanny Henrietta Maxwell, a kuia from the Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust, came to support the dual processes of teaching and action research, anchoring the processes in Mātauranga Māori. The kuia possessed a knowledge base that is not prevalent in kōhanga, and access to such taonga (treasure) was seen as a great privilege.

The aim was to teach the mokopuna Tikanga Pōwhiri, or welcome, that is accorded every new visitor onto our kōhanga reo. Nanny Henrietta described the underlying philosophy as, 'We are not training the mokopuna for school; we are preparing them for life.' The whare (centre) was set up as a taumata and one group became the tangata whenua (home people) and the other group the manuhiri (visitors).

The objectives of Tikanga Pōwhiri were to give mokopuna experiences in, and therefore understanding of:

• The karanga (call) from the tangata whenua
• The karanga from the manuhiri
• Whaikōrero (speech making)
• The harirū (formal handshake and hongi).

(Mana Reo; Mana Tangata)

Engaging in these experiences enabled mokopuna to learn about the different roles (Mana Tangata) that people play in Tikanga Pōwhiri such as:

1. Te Karanga Pōwhiri (ngā kotiro anake). The first welcome from the home people, which is performed by a woman who belongs to the home people.

2. Te Karanga Whakautu (ngā kotiro anake). The return welcome from the visitors, which is performed by a woman who comes on with the visiting group.

3. Te Whaikōrero (ngā tama anake). The speech making that is the role of the males on either side.

The speech making was symbolised by tama jumping from side to side as they circled the tangata whenua whilst a waiata was sung. The reason for this variation from tradition was to enable more mokopuna to have an active and enjoyable learning experience alongside orderly and disciplinary preparation. (Formal speechmaking is something that the mokopuna can aspire to, when they are ready).

The planning and teaching processes in the Tikanga Pōwhiri module included:

1. Linking the planning of the Tikanga Pōwhiri module to the Māhere/ Maramataka.

2. Identifying the mātauranga Māori aspects integral to Tikanga Pōwhiri that the tamariki would learn: pōwhiri processes and concepts; the protocol for meeting whānau and entering marae; and roles, obligations and responsibilities, such as whanaungatanga.

3. Discussing what mātauranga Māori learning styles might be addressed: whakārongo/titiro; modelling; teina/tuakana (Royal-Tangaere, 1997)¹; and practice (repetition).

4. Identifying key vocabulary associated with Tikanga Pōwhiri concepts: karanga, hariru, hongi, kaikōrero, waiata, tangata whenua, and manuhiri.

5. Discussing how to teach the concepts from a mātauranga Māori perspective:

• Who would be involved? (Kaiako, tamariki, whānau, others)
• Who should tautōko (support)? (Kaumātua)
• What mātauranga Māori teaching styles might be used? (Using waiata, role-play, traditional dress, and changing the physical environment to reflect pōwhiri contexts.)

A multitude of data were collected, the most powerful being video-tapes of the teaching sessions (practices) and of the final Tikanga Pōwhiri. In the months that followed, lots of viewings of the video-tapes stimulated reflection and debate. Those involved in the discussions, analyses and proposals for change have primarily been the whānau o Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa, Whaea Henrietta and ngā kairangahau (researchers).

The findings from the research and the actions that ensued will be shared in other publications. What are relevant for this publication are the changes to learning and teaching.

First, during that same time period as the Tikanga Pōwhiri module, the kaimahi talked about making some practical changes that would increase conversational reo. Tamariki were given a choice about whether to have morning and afternoon tea or to continue with their current activity. If they came, they could choose a drink, food or both. This was explained to them before the change was made, making it clear that hand-washing was still a requirement. Once the numbers at morning and afternoon tea dropped, and the adult control of language by asking lots of questions in te reo Māori declined, it became apparent that tamariki talked more English than Māori at kai time. So the adults had to discuss and implement new tactics to support conversations in te reo Māori.

Consequently, other changes to morning and afternoon tea arrangements have been explored, such as children taking more responsibility for preparing kai and setting the tables. An increase in using te reo - in this instance, around food preparation and presentation, and in the development of more meaningful relationships with whānau in the kitchen - extended the implementation in Te Kōhanga Reo O Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa of the research findings about second language learning:

• Meaningful input
• Meaningful activities
• Meaningful people

Second, following the viewing and discussions of the Tikanga Pōwhiri videos, working with groups became a popular topic for discussion and experiments. The question that was continually explored was: Is it the size of the group or its shape that has the most impact on involvement in learning by all mokopuna and on the development of their ahua?

Third, subsequent teaching modules have included the aims of preparing mokopuna for life, sharing meaningful experiences and discussing them in te reo Māori. Relationships have been emphasised more and content less. They draw on Te Korowai more, which is about tikanga Māori, about cultural principles such as whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, awhi, ahuatanga and aroha.

"The more I work on the COI research, the more I realise [effective engagement] is about interacting; it is about how we respond to mokopuna and how we interpret what they are trying to do. It is not about how to teach them something [content], it is about how we can respond to them. For the under-fives, their learning is part of this process called interacting. If we focus too much on teaching [content], it can take away a lot of the pleasure of being with each other."

Fourth, there has been an increase in documentation of practice - layers and layers of it. As well as the videos, it includes photographs, written records of the kaiako reflecting on the video, records of kaiako, kaiawhina and whānau reflecting on the video, records of the kairangahau analysis of both of the above sets of reflections, portfolios of tamariki learning, and journals. The documentation serves to address the profoundly important question often asked at Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūau te Moananui a Kiwa:

How do we achieve the delivery of Te Korowai within the context of today's realities?

Conclusion
Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūau reflect on their learning journey working on Ngā Mahi Auaha (the COI project) in the first few months with these words:

"Like our ancestors who crossed Te Moananui a Kiwa, we would encourage others to set out on this journey and discover new ideas, new experiences, and new challenges. Thereby enabling you to critique your own experiences and so develop better teaching and learning practices for your mokopuna."

The kairangahau add their thoughts:

"Dialogue on Mātauranga Māori is a crucial companion to Kaupapa Māori research. These [dialogues] then invite Mōhiotanga Māori (Māori knowledge) to participate in the building of whānau ways of knowing and understanding. Exploring Māori knowledge in this way will open possibilities for enhancing learning opportunities for all levels of the kōhanga reo. Discussing terms such as 'huia te whakaaro', (collectively sharing thoughts/ideas) 'huia te take', (debating the issue) and 'huia te kōrero' (active and open dialogue) are examples of kaupapa for future hui.

"Involving kaimahi and whānau is an integral component of ... Te Korowai, the guiding philosophy of kōhanga reo. By involving whānau at all levels of the research increases capacity but ultimately empowers whānau and supports their 'tino rangatiratanga'."

Within a Māori paradigm kōhanga reo would not be considered unique. It was established out of need by Māori for Māori due to the decline of te reo Māori. From a Māori perspective, "Kōhanga reo aims to reaffirm Māori culture through whānau development, restoring Māori rangatiratanga ... through the organisation of local kōhanga reo on a whānau model." (The Review of Kōhanga Reo, 1988, p.20)

Being involved in the COI programme provides an opportunity for Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūau Te Moananui a Kiwa to reflect, review and analyse the impact of the realities and demands of Government, the Ministry of Education, the Early Childhood Education (ECE) sector, Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust, whānau, and kaimahi have on the teaching and learning of tamariki under the kaupapa of Te Korowai and Te Whāriki.

Footnote
1 Royal Tangaere, A. (1997). Learning Māori Together: Kōhanga Reo and Home. Wellington: NZCER.