At our marae
The marae is a special place where tamariki can feel they belong. Whānau may need to point out the specialness of the marae to help tamariki connect.
Look at the Whakatipu booklet Te Māhuri 2, pages 10 and 11, with whānau. This is about the learning opportunities for tamariki at a marae.
Place of belonging
Pātai atu ki te whānau:
- Is there somewhere you go to with your family that gives you a sense of belonging?
- Do you think your tamariki know they belong at a particular place?
- Do your tamariki know they belong to a certain group of people?
- What does whānau mean to them?
- What photos have your tamariki seen of their whānau or a wider group of relatives?
There are lots of ways tamariki can feel like they belong. What can influence their sense of belonging most is how comfortable ngā mātua feel and what sense of belonging they have.
Pātai atu ki te whānau:
Tell me about visits to your marae or other special gathering places.
- What makes you feel like you belong or not?
- How can you help your tamaiti strengthen their sense of belonging?
Shared experiences can help. These can be simple things like knowing the same waiata or karakia as the group and learning their pepeha or whakatauākī from their iwi or hapū. Ask:
- What are your family’s favourite waiata?
- How do you help your tamaiti join in?
Looking for the familiar can be a way to help tamariki feel connected to their marae.
Whānau can talk with tamariki about visiting their marae and point out to them examples of marae kawa or tikanga in action. Conversation starters could be a news article about a marae in the paper or on television, a poster in a community space or a photo on a calendar.
How does this relate to Tākai resources
Baby wall frieze – Kōrero mai mō tō tātau whānau – teach me about my family – so that I understand who we are and what makes us special
Six things children need – Te hanga ao tōtika, ao haumaru – structured and secure world
There is order in our world. Our whakapapa provides us with our foundation.
