Musical Welcome

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🧠 Curriculum Overview

Curriculum Area: The Arts — Music
Te Marautanga o Aotearoa / NZC Level: Level 1
Age Group: Preschool (Ages 3–5)
Unit Title: Musical Manaakitanga Moments
Lesson: 1 of 30
Length: 30 minutes
Class Size: 40 students

Big Idea (from NZ Music Matrix):
Music connects us to each other, to stories, and to place.

Key Learning Outcome:
Young learners will begin to understand the meaning of Manaakitanga through musical exploration — using kind sounds, singing, and movement that celebrate care, hospitality, and togetherness.

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🎯 Learning Intentions

By the end of this session, preschool ākonga will:

• Understand “Manaakitanga” as being kind and welcoming to others.
• Participate in singing and moving to a waiata connected to care and connection.
• Create sounds and movements that show manaakitanga to their peers.

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🌼 Mana-Enhancing Pedagogy

This lesson honours āko where teachers and tamariki learn together. It draws from whanaungatanga — relational learning that centres the child. The activities are designed to be joyful, inclusive, and responsive to each child’s way of learning and being.

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⏱️ Session Breakdown – 30 Minutes

Time	Activity	Description
5 min	Karakia & Pōwhiri Circle	Begin seated in a welcoming circle. Teacher leads a short karakia, then welcomes each child by singing their name melodically. Invite children to wave or say “kia ora” in return. Introduce the word “Manaakitanga” slowly: “When we are kind and caring — that is manaakitanga.”
8 min	Waiata: “He Honore” (With Actions)	Sing a short waiata that reinforces kindness themes, such as “He Honore” or another gentle melody with simple gestures. Encourage tamariki to place hands on heart (aroha), gesture to each other (manaaki), and to the sky (taiao). Model and repeat.
5 min	Sound Gardens: Create Kind Noises	Lay out soft instruments (shakers, bells, harakeke rattles). Prompt: “Let’s make the sounds of manaakitanga – what does kindness sound like?” Let tamariki explore in small groups, focusing on gentle volume and polite sharing. Praise cooperative choices.
4 min	Manaakitanga Movement	Use poi or light scarves to guide tamariki in a movement activity. The teacher begins slow, encouraging smooth, flowing movements. Prompt actions that offer “invisible hugs,” waves, or ways to say “you’re welcome.”
5 min	Te Rākau Mīharo: Kindness Stick	Introduce a special decorated rākau/stick. Raw materials can include feathers or shells representing tangata whenua. Gently pass the rākau around the circle; whoever holds it shares or sings a “kind sound” (hum, say “kia ora,” etc.) Teacher models first.
3 min	Wrap-up Reflection: Sunshine Hands	Ask: “How did we show manaakitanga today?” Children are invited to hold up their hands and wiggle their fingers like sunshine. “These are our sunshine hands — they bring kindness wherever they go!” Close by gently singing a goodbye melody.

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🎶 Key Vocabulary

• Manaakitanga – kindness, caring, hospitality
• Waiata – song
• Poi – Māori performance object used in movement
• Aroha – love, compassion
• Karakia – incantation/prayer
• Te Rākau Mīharo – the marvellous/kindness stick

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🎵 Resources & Preparation

• Gentle percussion instruments (shakers, ngā hue, small drums)
• Poi or chiffon scarves
• Kindness Stick: decorated stick/sceptre with local natural materials
• Printed visuals showing actions for waiata
• Soft floor mat or sitting cushions for circle time
• Music player (if needed) for support vocals or gentle instrumental background

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🧩 Differentiation & Inclusion

• Encourage non-verbal participation: gestures, hums, claps.
• Students who are shy or neurodiverse can participate through movement or by observing, which is a valid form of engagement.
• Use te reo Māori consistently alongside English to support dual language development.
• Support ākonga who need help with grasping instruments or movements with aides or buddies.

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✨ Extension Ideas

• Invite whānau to share a waiata from their own culture about love or kindness.
• Have tamariki create their own handheld “kindness instruments” in the next visual arts session.
• Video moments of harmony and replay them as encouragement during upcoming sessions.

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📌 Teacher Reflection Prompt

After the lesson:

• Did the tamariki express ideas of kindness in their sound or movement?
• Were all learners engaged in ways appropriate to their needs?
• What strategies helped reinforce the concept of manaakitanga through music?

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📚 Linking Across Curriculum

• Tikanga and Reo Māori: Building respectful practices and vocabulary.
• Health & PE: Demonstrating care, empathy, and social cooperation.
• The Arts (Dance): Use of movement to express a concept.
• Communication & Oral Language (ECCE): Expressing identity and feeling through sound and gesture.

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🌿 Final Thoughts

This lesson isn’t just about learning a song or sound — it is about feeling belonging, expressing care, and building community from the earliest musical moment. Through playful, intentional sound and rhythm, tamariki begin to tune into the spirit of manaakitanga that will resonate throughout their learning journey.