First digital book for deaf Maori students launched

Education Minister Hekia Parata has announced new reo resources for deaf students, including a trilingual digital book.

Rotorua principals say a new te reo Maori learning resource for deaf students would be a great tool for the classroom.

Education Minister Hekia Parata has announced the release of three new resources to support te reo Maori in the classroom as part of Te Wiki o te Reo Maori (Maori Language Week).

The new resources include a trilingual digital book designed by Kiwa Digital and Core Education for deaf Maori students, but is accessible to all deaf students.

Ms Parata said The Story of Ruaumoko is the first digital book for deaf students.

"It tells the story of Ruaumoko, the god of earthquakes and volcanoes, narrated by students from Kelston Deaf Education Centre in te reo Maori, New Zealand Sign Language and English."

Owhata School principal Bob Stiles said there were four deaf students at his school and he thought the digital book would be "neat".

He said the school had resources for deaf students that were bilingual and in English, but not so much in te reo Maori.

Westbrook Primary School principal Colin Watkins said the digital book would be helpful and "really great", particularly if it targeted Maori deaf students in kura kaupapa schools.

Also being released is Paekupu, a website that will house all Maori medium dictionaries, created by He Kupenga Hao i te Reo.

Mr Watkins said there was a "truck load" of Maori-language resources available for teachers on the internet.

"You just have to spend a bit of time searching."

There is also Hou Mai, a video series featuring whanau talking about their journey learning te reo Maori and committing to their children participating in Maori medium education, which is created by Blue Bach Productions.

The video series would benefit families but he was not sure how much of a benefit it would be for teachers, Mr Watkins said.

Meanwhile, Ms Parata said these new resources would support and encourage more students, teachers and parents to "give te reo Maori a go", which was the theme of this year's Te Wiki o te Reo Maori.

"Maori language and culture are becoming more and more visible in classrooms and homes across the country," she said.

Between 2010 and 2015, the number of children and young people learning te reo at school grew from about 133,000 to almost 155,000.

"I encourage all Kiwis to take part in Te Wiki o te Reo Maori and use the language every day in their homes, schools, workplaces and communities."