Kaiako develop their own knowledge of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and Māori world views so that they are better able to support children to understand their own mana atuatanga.
te reo Māori; tikanga Māori; mana atuatanga
•Cultural concept — preserved verbatim
Observe whether the child: Kaiako develop their own knowledge of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and Māori world views so that they are better able to support children to understand their own mana atuatanga.
What it looks like
Three ways this behaviour shows up as a child grows. Each level includes everyday moments to watch for.
Emerging
Just starting
The practice appears as a small routine or resource choice. Children need prompting before they can act on its purpose.
What you might see
The resource quiet cushion appears in the space, although the purpose needs repeated adult explanation.
The programme touches on feelings and trusted support, but the adult supplies the solution before children test one.
The adult starts waiting, comfort, conflict, or settling with quiet cushion, then pauses while one child gives a short response before looking back to the adult.
Expected
On track
The adult deliberately sets up waiting, comfort, conflict, or settling and waits for children to act before helping. Guidance protects the intent while leaving real choice.
What you might see
Adult language names the purpose while leaving room for child agency.
Children revisit timer after the first prompt and use it for a real purpose.
Kaiako offer quiet cushion with timer and wait for children to choose a next step.
Exceeding
Going further
The practice carries across people or settings: children revisit it, explain it, or use it with peers while adults protect respect, safety, and inclusion.
What you might see
The adult protects inclusion when the group plan becomes more complex.
The practice continues across a transition without losing respect or safety.
Whānau knowledge, tikanga, or home language changes the way feelings and trusted support is carried out.
Try this at home
Small everyday moments where you can notice this behaviour without setting up anything special.
Prepare waiting, comfort, conflict, or settling with two options: quiet cushion and timer. Notice selection, testing, refusal, repair, or return.
Use a photo afterward and ask what happened; listen for sequence, cause, feeling, place, person, or symbol links.
Where this comes from
The dataset source and any supporting developmental research.
Ministry of Education. (2017). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum.
The bicultural early childhood curriculum of Aotearoa New Zealand. Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga (NZ Ministry of Education), 2017 revision.