Te Reo Māori Location Words Activities | Tūwāhi Posters, Games & Worksheets

You want children to use te reo Māori naturally—not simply memorise a list of words and forget them a week later.

Location words are useful in classroom instructions, conversations, literacy activities and everyday routines. However, words such as roto, waho, runga and raro can remain abstract unless children can see, hear, say and physically apply them.

This Te Reo Māori Location Words Activity Pack gives children repeated, visual and interactive practice with six commonly used positional words. Students match pictures and sentences, practise speaking, play an oral-language game and apply their knowledge through written follow-up activities.

The clear visuals and structured teaching sequence make it easier to build meaningful te reo Māori learning into your classroom—even when you are still growing your own confidence with the language.

Move Beyond Vocabulary Lists

Children are more likely to remember new language when they experience it in several different ways.

Rather than asking students to copy translations or complete one isolated worksheet, this resource allows them to:

• see each word represented visually;
• hear the vocabulary used in context;
• say simple location phrases aloud;
• match pictures with written sentences;
• apply the words through games and movement; and
• consolidate their learning independently.

This repeated exposure helps the vocabulary become more familiar, useful and connected to real communication.

Six Location Words Included

Children will learn and practise:

• waho – outside
• roto – inside
• runga – on or above
• raro – under or below
• mua – in front
• muri – behind

Focusing on a manageable group of useful words allows children to revisit the language frequently and begin using it with confidence.

What Is Included?

This 27-page printable PDF includes:

• Teacher notes and comprehensive instructions
• Relevant achievement-objective links
• A suggested teaching sequence
• Visual posters introducing the six location words
• Three picture-and-sentence matching activities
• An interactive oral-language game
• Three written follow-up worksheets
• Activities for individual, partner or small-group work

The activities move from supported vocabulary introduction towards recognition, speaking, matching and independent application.

A Practical Teaching Sequence

You might introduce the resource in the following way:

1. Introduce the posters. Look at each image, model the word and invite children to repeat it.
2. Demonstrate with real objects. Place an object inside, outside, under or behind another familiar classroom object.
3. Practise orally. Use the included game or give children simple instructions using the target vocabulary.
4. Complete matching work. Children connect the picture, sentence and location word.
5. Use the worksheets. Students apply their understanding with less adult support.
6. Revisit the words naturally. Incorporate them into classroom routines and future language lessons.

You do not need to complete every activity in one session. Spread the work across several lessons and return to the vocabulary regularly.

Bring the Language Into Everyday Classroom Life

The greatest value comes when the words move beyond the printable pages.

After introducing the vocabulary, try placing familiar items around the room and asking questions such as:

• Where is the pencil?
• Which object is inside the basket?
• What is underneath the chair?
• Who is standing behind the table?

Children can also take turns positioning objects and describing where they are. This creates a meaningful reason to speak, listen and respond.

Ways to Use This Resource

Use the activities for:

• a focused te reo Māori lesson;
• daily oral-language practice;
• small-group literacy work;
• partner speaking activities;
• matching and memory games;
• independent Montessori shelf work;
• language centres or rotations;
• early-finisher work;
• Māori Language Week;
• vocabulary revision; or
• integrated maths and spatial-language lessons.

Supports More Than Te Reo Māori Vocabulary

As children complete the activities, they also practise:

• spatial and positional awareness;
• oral-language confidence;
• reading simple sentences;
• matching pictures with written meaning;
• listening and following instructions;
• speaking in phrases and sentences;
• visual discrimination;
• independent work habits; and
• collaboration with a partner or group.

Suitable for a Range of Learning Environments

This resource is suitable for:

• mainstream New Zealand classrooms;
• Māori-medium and bilingual learning environments;
• Montessori classrooms;
• mixed-age primary groups;
• homeschool and home-education settings;
• teachers building their own confidence with te reo Māori; and
• children who benefit from visual and hands-on language support.

The matching activities are most accessible to children who can read simple sentences. Younger children can still participate when the adult reads the cards aloud or uses the visuals for oral-language work.

Created for Real Aotearoa Classrooms

I’m Lisa—an NZ registered teacher, Montessori-trained educator, school principal and former homeschooler.

I create resources for the realities teachers and families actually face: mixed-age groups, limited preparation time, different confidence levels and children who need more than one way to encounter new learning.

My New Zealand resources are designed to make meaningful local language and curriculum content more manageable to teach—without requiring hours of preparation.