Story Time Highlights

Learning Objectives

• Language Scope: Te Reo Māori oral comprehension and vocabulary development.
• Curriculum Alignment:
  Aligns with The New Zealand Curriculum in Languages (Level 1, Year 2), focusing on listening to, understanding, and discussing spoken texts in Te Reo Māori.
• Specific Aims:
  • Students will actively listen to a read-aloud Te Reo Māori storybook.
  • Identify main ideas and themes from the story.
  • Engage in a structured discussion to express understanding and make personal connections.

Curriculum References

• The learning aligns with the Languages Learning Area of The New Zealand Curriculum for Year 2 students, specifically:
  • Listening to texts: Students listen to texts and respond to key ideas and details.
  • Responding to texts: Use verbs such as ask questions, make comments, and draw personal connections, supported by scaffolds where needed.
  • Oral language development: Emphasis on comprehension, new vocabulary recognition, and respectful turn-taking in discussions.
• Competencies practiced include:
  • Thinking: Making meaning from a story and identifying main ideas.
  • Using language, symbols, and texts: Listening with purpose and responding appropriately.
  • Relating to others: Respectful discussion and expressing opinions.

Duration & Group Size

• 30 minutes total
• For a class of 15 Year 2 students

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Lesson Breakdown

Time	Activity	Description	NZC Links/Support
0-5 min	Welcome and Set Purpose	- Gather students in a comfortable circle setting. - Introduce the storybook title and discuss briefly what the story might be about using Te Reo Māori key vocabulary prompts.	Developing positive identities in communication
5-15 min	Read-Aloud Session	- Teacher reads a chosen Te Reo Māori picture storybook aloud, modelling fluent reading with expression and intonation. - Pause occasionally to highlight key vocabulary words and invite student predictions.	Model fluent reading and expression, engage vocab building
15-20 min	Guided Comprehension Discussion	- Use questioning scaffolds (e.g., "Who are the characters?", "What happened first?", "Why did that happen?") in Te Reo Māori and English. - Prompt students to use full sentences or sentence stems to answer. - Support students with visuals or story map icons for characters/setting/plot.	Oral language comprehension and reasoning, scaffold using visuals
20-25 min	Personal Connection Sharing	- Invite a few students to share what part they liked or related to personally, encouraging use of Te Reo Māori phrases where possible. - Reinforce respectful listening and turn-taking skills.	Interpersonal communication, using languages as identities
25-30 min	Reflection and Wrap-up	- Recap the main themes and ideas in the story together. - Encourage students to recall some new Te Reo Māori words learned. - Preview the next session or invite students to take home the storybook for revisiting.	Build vocabulary and comprehension; foster a love for stories

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Resources Needed

• Age-appropriate Te Reo Māori picture storybook with rich illustrations (e.g., a simple kaupapa Māori narrative).
• Story map visuals (pictures representing characters, setting, events).
• Vocabulary flashcards with key words from the story.
• Comfortable seating arranged for circle time to support attentive listening.

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Teaching Tips and Considerations

• Use clear pronunciation and expressive tone in reading to maintain student engagement.
• Repetition and pause strategically to check student understanding and introduce new vocabulary.
• Support students who may be new learners of Te Reo Māori with bilingual explanations or gestures.
• Encourage participation by providing sentence stems such as "Ko te mea i pai ki ahau ko…" ("The thing I liked was…") or "I te tīmatanga…" ("At the beginning…").
• Recognise and validate cultural backgrounds by connecting story themes to students’ own experiences or wider Māori perspectives.
• Use non-verbal communication cues and body language to maintain attention and comprehension.

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Assessment

• Informal observation during discussion: note students’ abilities to identify main ideas and use of Te Reo Māori vocabulary.
• Use of sentence stems and participation level during sharing will give insight into oral language development.
• Reflection on student engagement and comprehension through their responses and questions.

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This lesson fosters positive learner identities as communicators and readers of Te Reo Māori, supporting the holistic competencies and guiding principles of The New Zealand Curriculum. It provides manageable yet rich learning steps appropriate for Year 2 learners and includes scaffolds to support diverse learner needs within a culturally responsive framework.

If desired, this lesson can also be supplemented with digital storytelling tools or recording of student retellings to further enhance engagement and reflection on language learning.

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References:
Te Mātaiaho | English in the New Zealand curriculum years 0–6 (October 2024)【4:0-19†Te Mātaiaho English】
The New Zealand Curriculum | Learning Languages Year Levels and Competencies