Nau mai, kōrero mai

Overview

This five-lesson oral-language sequence supports Year 2 ākonga who know simple greetings but are beginning to use different terms of address in meaningful interactions. Through movement, puppets, games and repeated partner kōrero, students build confidence using greetings for one person, two people and a group, while learning to listen and respond respectfully.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• use greetings with the appropriate term of address
• greet one person, two people and a group
• take turns speaking and listening in short interactions
• use simple classroom language to support communication
• perform a short greeting exchange with a partner or group.

Success criteria

• I can say “Tēnā koe” to one person.
• I can say “Tēnā kōrua” to two people.
• I can say “Tēnā koutou” to three or more people.
• I can listen, take turns and respond using a greeting.
• I can ask for help by saying “Whakamāramahia anō” and recognise “Kei te tika”.

Curriculum links

• Greetings using terms of address: “Tēnā koutou katoa e te whānau”.
• Greetings using terms of address: “Kia ora koutou katoa e hoa mā”.
• Linguistic knowledge: understanding and using a wider variety of classroom language and formulaic expressions.
• Language to support interactions: “Kei te tika” and “Whakamāramahia anō”.
• NZC key competencies: communicating in language, symbols and texts; relating to others; participating and contributing.

Lesson structure (five lessons, 40 minutes each)

Lesson 1: One person — Tēnā koe

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and hook. Open with the welcome and mystery greeting slides and greet each child by name using “Kia ora”. Students respond with a greeting and notice how the teacher’s voice, face and body show welcome.

2. 5–12 min · Introduce the phrase. Model “Tēnā koe” clearly, explaining that it is used when greeting one person. Students echo the phrase with actions: point gently to one person, touch their heart and smile.

3. 12–22 min · Puppet practice. Use two puppets or soft toys to model a short exchange: “Tēnā koe” / “Kia ora”. Students practise in pairs, taking turns being the greeter and responder.

4. 22–34 min · Walk and greet. Students move safely around the room while music plays. When it stops, they greet the nearest partner using “Tēnā koe” and “Kia ora”. Repeat several times, changing partners.

5. 34–40 min · Review. Return to the review and goodbye slides. Each student greets the teacher individually before leaving the learning space.

Lesson 2: Two people — Tēnā kōrua

1. 0–5 min · Retrieval game. Show one, two or three fingers on the number-of-people slides. Students say “Tēnā koe” when shown one finger and respond “Kia ora”.

2. 5–12 min · Teach the new phrase. Model “Tēnā kōrua” for two people. Two students stand together while the class practises greeting them; briefly compare koe and kōrua.

3. 12–22 min · Pair-to-pair practice. Form three pairs. One pair greets another pair using “Tēnā kōrua”; the receiving pair responds “Kia ora kōrua”. Rotate roles, supporting pronunciation without interrupting fluency.

4. 22–34 min · Number corners. Label three areas one, two and group using simple picture cues from the movement-game instructions. Call a number; students move to the correct area and practise the matching greeting with the people there.

5. 34–40 min · Check and celebrate. Invite two volunteers to demonstrate. The class identifies whether the greeting was for one or two people and responds “Kei te tika” when appropriate.

Lesson 3: A group — Tēnā koutou

1. 0–6 min · Greeting recap. Use the quick-recall slides to show one person, two people and a group. Students say the matching phrase together.

2. 6–14 min · Teach the group greeting. Model “Tēnā koutou” when greeting three or more people. Students practise with three classmates, using a sweeping hand gesture to include everyone.

3. 14–24 min · Greeting circle. Students sit in a circle of six. One student stands outside and says “Tēnā koutou”; the circle replies “Kia ora”. Change the speaker several times.

4. 24–34 min · Whānau role-play. Give each student a simple role card or picture prompt from the whānau and classroom role-play slides. Students practise greeting a whānau group, a pair and an individual.

5. 34–40 min · Language support. Model “Whakamāramahia anō” when a student needs the phrase repeated. Students practise saying it once, then finish with a whole-class “Tēnā koutou”.

Lesson 4: Choosing the right greeting

1. 0–5 min · Mystery visitors. Show changing groups of illustrated people on the mystery visitors slides. Students quietly decide whether the greeting is koe, kōrua or koutou.

2. 5–12 min · Rehearse the sequence. Co-construct the oral pattern: look, count the people, greet, listen, respond. Students repeat the pattern with actions.

3. 12–25 min · Rotating stations. At three stations, students practise greeting one person, two people or a group. Partners use encouraging feedback: “Kei te tika” or ask “Whakamāramahia anō”.

4. 25–35 min · Mini-pōwhiri practice. One student welcomes the class or a small group using “Tēnā koutou”. The class responds “Kia ora koutou”. Repeat so every child has a speaking turn.

5. 35–40 min · Reflection. Students show one, two or three fingers to indicate the greeting they feel most confident using, then practise it once with a partner.

Lesson 5: Greeting celebration

1. 0–5 min · Warm-up. Revisit all phrases with the five-lesson recap slides. Students join in with rhythm, clapping once for each word.

2. 5–12 min · Teacher model. Model a complete interaction: approach respectfully, choose the correct greeting, respond, and say goodbye. Students identify what happened in the correct order.

3. 12–27 min · Partner challenge. Pairs draw a picture prompt from the oral greeting practice sheet showing one person, two people or a group. They rehearse and perform the matching greeting exchange, changing roles.

4. 27–35 min · Sharing circle. Each pair performs for the class. The audience listens for the correct term of address and responds naturally with “Kia ora”.

5. 35–40 min · Exit performance. One at a time, students greet the teacher or a chosen group. Finish with “Tēnā koutou katoa e hoa mā” and celebrate participation rather than perfect pronunciation.

Resources

• the five-lesson visual teaching deck
• the oral greeting practice sheet
• Two puppets or soft toys
• Small picture prompts showing one person, two people and groups
• Music and a device or speaker
• Open floor space for movement
• Whiteboard and marker

Assessment

• Listen during partner and circle activities for correct use of “koe”, “kōrua” and “koutou”; record each student’s confidence and accuracy.
• Use questioning and visual cues: show one, two or three people and ask students to select and say the matching greeting.
• During the final performance, assess whether each student greets the intended audience, takes turns, responds appropriately and uses help-seeking language when needed.

Differentiation

• Provide picture cues, actions and a visible phrase bank; allow students to join in chorally before speaking independently.
• Pair a hesitant speaker with a supportive peer and accept pointing, gesture or repetition as an early response.
• Use puppets or a teacher as a low-pressure speaking partner for students with speech, hearing or communication needs.
• Extend confident students by asking them to lead the greeting circle, choose the audience and include “Kia ora koutou katoa e hoa mā”.
• For EAL learners, use consistent modelling, facial expression and gesture, and avoid requiring written translation; the focus is listening and oral participation.