How to Build a Simple Plan for Raising Bilingual Tamariki.
So, you want to learn te Reo Māori—but between school runs, snack requests, and the never-ending pile of laundry, it’s feeling a bit overwhelming? Fair. And when you do get time, it’s way too easy to go down a rabbit hole of learning the names of every animal in the jungle or all the planets in the solar system… but how often are you actually using those in daily convos? Like, when was the last time you actually needed to say ‘Jupiter’ in English, let alone in te reo Māori?
That’s why having a plan can make all the difference! It keeps things simple, focused, and actually useful for you and your tamariki.
If you’re learning the words you say all the time—like kai (because kids are always hungry), moenga (because bedtime is always a battle), and hōmai (because little hands are always reaching for something)—then te reo will start flowing naturally, without feeling like extra work.
So, let’s make a plan! It doesn’t have to be super fancy, just start with something easy and fun, that fits into your life. Keen? Then lesssssgo!
Ppsstt, quick heads up! Some of the links we’ve mentioned here might be affiliate links.
This just means that if you decide to buy something, we might make a commission. Tēnā koe!
Why We Made a Whole Te Reo Māori Learning Plan:
I love a good plan. If something needs to be organised, broken into a checklist, or requires a trip to the stationary store – I’m all in! But for the longest time, our reo Māori journey was a bit of a mess. I’d have bursts of motivation, looking up kupu and telling myself, ‘This is the week!’ But then life happened, and I’d end up Googling ‘slide’ at the playground while stopping Mr 4 from launching himself off one.
We were floundering—picking up random words here and there but not making real progress. So, I did what I always do when things feel chaotic: I planned our reo Māori journey to within an inch of its life. And guess what? It’s working! We suddenly had a roadmap, structure, and a guide to kōrero more in our everyday life.
If you’re feeling all over the place with your learning too, don’t worry—we’ve got you! Here’s how we turned our messy, inconsistent attempts into a simple, structured plan that’s actually working.
Steps to Build a Māori Language Learning Plan:
Let’s set you up with a plan to help you go from “Ugh, I should speak more reo Māori” to actually making it happen! And not just any plan, but one that works for your whānau, your lifestyle, and your tamariki’s learning preference.
Here’s exactly how we got started:
1. Set Better Goals
You know how saying “I really should exercise more” doesn’t magically turn you into someone who enjoys running? Yeah, learning te reo Māori works the same way.
If your goal is just “I want to be fluent in te reo Māori”, I am sorry but – it’s too vague.
Instead, set clear, actionable goals that make it easy to track progress. Something like:
✅ We’ll kōrero in te reo for 10 minutes every morning before kura.
✅ We’ll translate our grocery list each week to learn new kai kupu.
✅ We’ll practice a new waiata each month and sing it for the whānau.
Need more ideas? We’ve already brainstormed some ‘moa’ reo Māori goals that you can steal or tweak to fit your whānau. Check out this Instagram post below!
The clearer your goals, the easier they are to work toward—and the more satisfying it feels to achieve them. Remember, it’s about progress, not perfection. Small, consistent wins add up faster than you think.
2. Break Goals into Monthly Themes
Some wise person once said:
“If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough”
or something like that, and BIG goals are great – but if you don’t break them down, they can definitely feel overwhelming! That’s where monthly themes come in—they keep learning fun, focused, and manageable.
When choosing themes, think about:
1️⃣ Your tamariki’s interests – If they love cars and trucks, make a theme around vehicles (waka, tereina, taraka) and road safety. Kids learn faster when they’re excited about the topic!
2️⃣ Yearly events & seasons – Use exciting holidays like Kirihimete (Christmas) to introduce new kupu or tie learning to the seasons (Winter, Summer) as the environment changes outside.
3️⃣ Your long-term goals – If you want to kōrero more at mealtimes, set a month to focus on kai-related kupu. Want an easy way to bring te reo Māori to the dinner table? Our Kai Time Placemat includes key kupu for meals plus a singable karakia mō te kai—perfect for reinforcing te reo at the tēpu. Download it here 👉 Te Reo Māori Kai Time Placemat.
Having clear themes also makes it so much easier for YOU to plan activities, prep resources, and have what you need ready to go ahead of time.
Need more inspiration? See the Pin below for a bunch of monthly theme ideas to get you started. As always – Feel free to steal or tweak them to suit your whānau’s interests and goals!
3. Create a Weekly Schedule
Alright, you’ve got your monthly themes sorted—now let’s figure out how to fit te reo Māori learning into your week. If it’s not scheduled somewhere, let’s be honest, it’s probably not happening.
The goal here isn’t hours of study (ain’t nobody got time for that!) Instead, create a simple rhythm that works for your whānau without adding stress. Here’s how you can make it happen:
1️⃣ Start with what you’ve already got
Look at your week. What’s already in your routine that you can layer te reo onto? For example:
- On kura days, we focus on short, casual kōrero in the morning and evening.
- On home days, we schedule a short lesson (10-15 mins is plenty at pre-school age) in the morning and a fun activity in the afternoon.
- Weekends are for whānau time, resetting the whare, and practising kupu during chores or outings.
By finding out where you can fit learning into your existing routine, it doesn’t end up feeling like another thing on your to-do list and you won’t have to make time for it.
Next, we’ll add focus days to keep things manageable…
4. Establish a Daily Routine
With your weekly rhythm in place, it’s time to zoom in on your day-to-day. Start by writing out your current daily routine—morning, afternoon, and evening. Think about what your days look like when tamariki are at kura versus when they’re home. Writing it down can help you see where you can incorporate te reo Māori.
On kura days, you’ll likely only have mornings and evenings with your tamariki, so that’s where your reo focus can go. On home days, you’ll have more time to include a short lesson or play-based activity in your routine, like:
🌞 Doing Karakia mō te kai at breakfast.
🎲 Playing a quick kupu learning game before lunch.
🎶 Practising a waiata while we watch the lyrics on YouTube.
By mapping out your routine, you can see exactly where you already have time to weave te reo Māori into your day. The key is to keep it realistic—focus on small, manageable moments that fit naturally into what you’re already doing.
What This Could Look Like:
We mapped out monthly themes, a weekly schedule, and a daily routine to make te reo Māori a natural part of our lives.
But of course, I couldn’t help myself—I’ve taken it a little (okay, a lot) further! Alongside our monthly themes, I’ve added ongoing subjects like numbers, music, and technology. We’ve also included excursions (museums, libraries, or parks) and introduced Pay Day & Show-and-Tell Fridays, where little man earns his pocket pūtea and practises speaking in te reo Māori.
If this sounds like a lot, don’t stress—you don’t have to go this far! I just wanted to show how you can make a plan that suits your whānau.
👇 Check out our plan below
Over the next month, we’ll keep refining, creating resources, and testing what works, so don’t worry—I’ll do the mahi and share it all with you so you don’t have to be as extra as me!
Well – There you have it e te Whānau!
So now, you’ve got a rough outline for your own learning plan coming together—so what’s next?
For us, it’s time to gather the resources we’ll need to put our plan into action. Having a plan is one thing, but now we need a few things to help make the magic happen!
I’m sourcing or creating kupu lists, worksheets, activities, relevant pukapuka, excursion ideas, waiata lyrics, and lesson plans to make sure we have everything we need. And now that we’ve started using our plan, I can already see what’s working, what needs tweaking, and how it can evolve even moa!
If you’re creating your own learning plan, remember—it doesn’t have to be perfect from day one. Start simple, build as you go, and let your routine grow naturally and if you want to see how our plan takes shape (and get some of these resources for yourself), stay tuned!
Kia kaha e hoa mā—let’s make te reo Māori part of our everyday lives, one step at a time!
