Class 2 ‘Te Akomanga Tuarua’ 

The Class 2 Child: “I Am – You Are” 

 

He taonga rongonui te aroha ki te tangata. 

Good will towards others is a precious treasure 

 

The children will be turning eight years old this year. Their development is moving towards self-identity and encompasses a growing awareness of other as different identities with their own needs and abilities. The world as it affects them is still the basis of the children’s primary social response. The eight year olds are now in the final stages of imitation; they will still be influenced by others actions however the adults must continue to be worthy role-models and set the standards for all social interactions. The will is still predominant and the healthy eight-year-old will wish to act out all experiences. The children wish to please those they love and to know that the world is a good and beautiful place.  They implicitly trust that adults know what is right and good for them. 

 

The Task 

To deepen awareness of their own needs and abilities and those of others. To integrate the children’s movement between heaven and earth, to allow them opportunities to heighten their understanding of themselves and others and to inspire them to look towards, and to experience a feeling for, their higher purpose. We must also continue to encourage the children’s sense for the beauty of the world, and their reverence for all life. 

 

The first three school years have a similar character due to the nature of the child between the ages of six and nine. The contents of the first school year in Māori studies should be continued and deepened, encouraging the students to find their way into a living relationship with what they are learning. 

 

Approach 

Classes could still be taught in shortened time slots and circle based. A strong element of dualism is necessary during this year (question/answer, yes/no, you/I). The children have a stronger need to communicate directly than in Class 1 .They respond best to authentic situations, such as being involved in pōwhiri, cooking,  saying karakia etc. The teaching should have a strong rhythmical element in both the lesson structure and the nature of the activities, with strong contrasts between quiet activities and lively involvement. There should be a dynamic balance between being loud and quiet, speaking and listening, from experiencing reverence to experiencing humour.  There also needs to be many variations around common themes (e.g. ever increasing possible answers to a given question, such as “Kei to pēhea koe?”) 

 

 

Approach/Content (for the specialist teacher) 

Class Two: 

 

• Extend and reinforce te reo Māori already learnt. 

• Karakia continued, Himene introduced. 

• Objects used in the classroom introduced – puka puka, pene, etc. 

• Asking someone to pass an object – Homai te pene  

• Become familiar with the way an object is described in a sentence – He pene kikorangi = He + object + colour 

• Naming different parts of the classroom kūaha/matapihi/tūru/tēpu/pakitara 

• Naming objects from outside – karaehe/rākau/papa tākaro  

• Extend mihimihi – age – E …… āku tau 

• Where someone lives – No …… ahau 

• Introducing someone, and saying where they are from 

• Days of the week  

• Role playing using te reo Māori in their mihimihi 

• Waiata-a-ringa/Haka 

• Pakiwaitara/Pūrākau - Local stories and legends 

• Ngā kēmu – language games  

• Activities from Class 1 to be continued and enlarged upon (poems, waiata, karakia, objects in the classroom, greetings, commands, finger games, action songs) 

• Rhythmical recitation of cardinal and ordinal numbers. 

• Days of the week rhymes. 

• Vocabulary from the realm of natural features (mountain, river, flower, moon, etc.) 

• Articles of clothing 

• Talking about themselves 

• The forms of “to be” and “to do” in sentence forms (e.g. “Ko Sam ahau” “ Ko Rose ia”) 

 

 

 

Learning Outcomes 

• Know a range of natural features ( maunga, awa, te rā, rākau) 

• Know the cardinal numbers up to 100, ordinal numbers up to 10. 

• Be able to use simple structures (e.g. “Kei hea ?” “ he aha tēnei?”) 

• Be able to participate and follow simple stories. 

• Be able to point out/ name different objects in the class room. 

• Know some waiata by heart.  

• Participate in action songs. 

 

 

Story Themes 

 

• Animal stories 

 

Possible Approach/Content - For Class Teachers: 

 

• Waiata-a-ringa (action songs) 

• Simple karakia before meals  

• Simple kōwhaiwhai patterns and spirals 

• Mirror images of Māori pictorial images. 

• Counting games 1-20 

• Made up stories to enhance main lessons 

• Rhymes and poems incorporating the colours 

• Simple conversation games