Chapter Graphic : Stories in Mäori
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  Level: Year 4 and year 8
Approach: One to one
Focus: Accuracy of oral reading in Mäori.
5.1MB
Resources: 3 story books in Mäori.

Questions / instructions:
In this activity we have some stories that are written in Mäori. Some children can read a little bit in Mäori, and others can read a lot. Here are three very short stories that are written in Mäori.I would like you to have a go at reading this first little story. It doesn't matter if you can't read all of it, but have a go.

(select the book icons below to view the individual stories)

     
% responses
y4
y8
First book: Ngä Manu i Runga i te Räkau Let's begin with the first story, which is about birds. As you read out loud, think what the story is about. If you come to words you can't read, just give them a go, and carry on with the story. When you've finished reading, I'll ask you to tell me what the story was about.
Student reads independently of help from the teacher, but with encouragement.
1. Have you read this story before?
2. Tell me what the story was about.
3. How many birds were there altogether?
4. What happened at the end of the story?
full attempt to read
81
94
had read story before
7
3
0 – 10% errors
5
14
Comprehension
more and more birds landed on branch
56
75
eventually 10 birds
64
80
branch broke
41
57
birds flew away
30
38
Overall success
4
12
Show the story titled Poaka Kunekune and ask the student if they think they might be able to read it. If they say yes, carry on. If not, discontinue the task.
Poaka Kunekune is a little story about a pig. Read it out loud to me, then I'll ask you what it's about.
5. Have you read this story before?
6. Tell me what the story is about.
7. What did the food taste like?
8. What happened to the pig at the end of the story?
full attempt to read
23
58
had read story before
3
2
0 – 10% errors
4
8
Comprehension
about a pig
22
56
 
pig ate fruit and vegetables
12
28
pig found food delicious, sweet
11
22
mentioned all apple, peach, pumpkin, kumara
0
2
pig tried to eat lemon
2
8
pig upset — lemon sour
2
10
Overall success
0
4
Show the story titled Karengo and ask the student if they think they might be able to read it. If they say yes, carry on. If not, discontinue the task.
The family in the story are gathering karengo to eat. Read the story to the end of page 7, then I'll ask you what it's about.
9. Have you read the story before?
10. Tell me what the story is about.
11. Why does it say that it's good to wash karengo?
12. Why does the author say you have to take care when you are cooking karengo?
full attempt to read
6
22
had read story before
0
1
0 – 10% errors
2
15
Comprehension
seaweed on rocky coast
1
2
picking seaweed
4
15
washing seaweed
0
2
washing to remove sand/shells
2
2
carry home in bag
0
1
put seaweed in dish
0
1
cook seaweed
2
12
stop it burning
1
4
Overall success
0
4
Total score:
3
0
1
2
1
4
1
3
8
0
96
87
Commentary:
A major reason for including this task was to assess the capability of Mäori students, in general education and in Mäori immersion programmes, to read in Mäori. These results will be reported separately. However, it is pleasing that 81 percent of year 4 students and 94 percent of year 8 students tried to read at least one of the stories. For many of these students most of the Mäori words will have meant little, but knowledge of Mäori pronunciation and picture clues in the book could be used to attempt the task. Success on each book was judged by a combination of error rate and comprehension. Four percent of year 4 students and thirteen percent of year 8 students read at least one book successfully.
 
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