Phonics tools for mokopuna learning through te reo Māori ready for use
4 February, 2025
For the first time all kura and schools teaching pānui and tuhituhi through te reo Māori can access a suite of phonics tools specifically created for te reo Māori learners.
Hihira Weteoro gives kaiako new insights into how well a child is progressing with learning te reo Māori through Years 1 and 2 and is a fundamental component of the newly established Rangaranga Reo ā-Tā. The checks that make up Hihira Weteoro are done at 20, 40 and 55 weeks.
We know that mokopuna in their first year of school are excited to learn and want to do well in everything they experience. Hihira Weteoro provides opportunities to celebrate their progress and achievement while identifying any accelerative learning supports that may be required to help children progress and achieve as expected.
At a national level Hihira Weteoro will, for the first time, provide a picture for how mokopuna are settling in at kura helping all of us to understand how our education system is serving our young ākonga.
Successful trial of Hihira Weteoro
Hihira Weteoro was trialled with 274 mokopuna across 25 schools and kura during Terms 3 and 4 2024.
The trial data indicated the checks are robust across diverse kura contexts, with evidence the items that make up the checks are reliable, and the results provide meaningful insights. Key findings include:
- The 20- and 40-week checks are effective in tracking developmental growth between the two checks and are effective tools for tracking and supporting ākonga literacy growth over time
- While longer immersion generally supports improved outcomes, its influence is limited. Factors such as attendance appear to play a more critical role in driving performance.
What’s in Hihira Weteoro?
A number of aromatawai make up Hihira Weteoro, aligned to the learning outcomes described in the refreshed Te Reo Rangatira wāhanga ako:
- At 20 weeks of schooling, Te Mōhiohio Oro assesses the ability to hear and distinguish correct sounds.
- At 40 weeks, Te Mōhiohio Pūriki ks is focused on identifying lower-case letters.
- At 55 weeks, an additional suite of aromatawai includes:
- Te Mōhiohio Arapū, focused on identifying upper- and lower-case letters
- Te Mōhiohio Kupu, focused on recognising words by sight
- Te Mōhiohio Tuhi Oro, focused on segmenting and writing words
- Te Mōhiohio ki te Pānui Rerenga Kōrero focused on reading sentences
How you can use Hihira Weteoro
Hihira Weteoro is designed to be easy to use and to slot into the practises already being used by kaiako in the classroom. To make it as easy as possible to use, the checks can be done digitally or on paper.
For the 40 week check, this can be done digitally or on paper. When done digitally, kaiako get an instant total mark.
Additional support for reporting will occur throughout the year and we’ll be in touch with more information.
What support is there?
A pack of materials, known as Te Kete Aromatawai Rangaranga Reo ā-Tā, has been developed to support your use and understanding of Hihira Weteoro.
This includes detailed guidance to administer the assessments, score the results and use those results to determine next steps for each mokopuna including acceleration where progress is not tracking as expected.
All the material you need to do the check, either digitally or on paper, is available on Tāhūrangi. There’s guidance to support the 20- and 40-week checks as well as information about PLD:
Hihira Weteoro – guidance for kaiako (Tāhūrangi)
You can also contact your local Ministry office, for in-person support from regional Curriculum Advisors and to help answer any further questions.
Future rounds of Rangaranga Reo ā-Tā PLD will be updated to include the checks as they are finalised. The pool of facilitators currently delivering Rangaranga Reo ā-Tā will be trained to deliver the PLD required as part of Rangaranga Reo ā-Tā provision.
English phonics checks
Phonics checks for those learning through the English language have also been developed and can be found here: