Oracy Aotearoa New Zealand

05/10/2026

The school holidays are a great time for kōrero! 🌿

You don't need special activities to build your child's talking skills. Everyday moments do it best:

🍳 Cooking together? Talk about the names of things and what they do: "This is a whisk. It mixes the eggs."
🌳 At the park? Describe what you see, like its size, colour and what it feels like: "Look at that big, rough tree trunk!"
🚗 On the way home? Talk about the order of events: "First we went to the playground, then we had lunch…"

Small conversations add up to big confidence.

👉 Find more simple ideas on our website:

Everyday Ways to Promote Oracy Whānau - you’re the heart of your child’s learning. Every little chat, every laugh, every ‘what do you think?’ helps grow their reo and confidence. The things you already do at home make a huge difference. We’re here to back you up with ideas that are easy, ...

27/09/2026

Two‑thirds of new entrants at one NZ school can’t express their ideas in full sentences.

This is a huge issue — and it’s why Oracy Aotearoa exists.

Strong early communication is the foundation for learning, confidence, and wellbeing.

If you believe every child deserves the skills to speak, listen, and connect, follow our mahi and join the movement.

24/09/2026

Kia ora e te whānau! Our latest pānui has landed, packed with stories, updates, and a whole lot of heart. Dive in!

Filming has begun! Thanks to funding from Pub Charity, we’ve started creating our Top Ten Tips video series — showcasing simple, everyday ways whānau can encourage tamariki aged 3–6 to talk more and grow their confidence. We’re filming with Nelson‑based whānau in real locations like home...

22/09/2026

A powerful RNZ kōrero today: one principal calls poor oral language among their new entrants a “huge issue”, with two‑thirds of them unable to express their ideas or speak in complete sentences. Toilet training is one part — but strong early communication is the real foundation . . . and why we’re working to change this story for tamariki.

A primary school principal says about a quarter of children starting school are not independently toilet trained. It follows National's announcement to lay out a plan to introduce a 'school start check' to assess whether five-years-olds starting school have hit certain milestones. Western Heights Pr...

19/09/2026

We're so excited to be starting our mahi in bringing our Top 10 Tips to life! Nelson-based whānau are stepping up to take part in our videos, showcasing how easy it is to boost tamariki oracy skills. Here's a few behind-the-scenes pics of Chris, Maddy, Hana and Sia. What champs they were! Look out for these videos being released by the end of the year.

17/09/2026

Nau mai, haere mai ki Te Wiki o te reo Māori! Oracy is deeply connected to identity, belonging, and culture. This week we’re celebrating the beauty of te reo and the power of tamariki speaking with confidence in the language of this whenua. Ko te reo te mauri o te mana.

11/09/2026

Happy Friday!
Here’s your oracy boost for the weekend:
Talk together. Laugh together. Wonder together.
Small conversations make big differences.

10/09/2026

Kia ora e te whānau — if you’re new to Oracy Aotearoa, welcome.
We’re still in the early stages of our mahi, but we already have some simple, practical tools to help you strengthen kōrero with your tamariki.

🌱 Start with our Ten Tips
These are everyday ways to grow confident speaking and listening at home, in ECE, and out in the community.
They’re easy, gentle, and designed for real life — not perfect moments.

🧰 Explore our Tools & Resources:

Conversation Cards you can buy to support rich, playful kōrero

Posters for whānau and kaiako

Practical ideas you can use straight away

If you’re curious about how to build oracy in simple, meaningful ways, these pages are the best place to begin.

👉 Have a look around: www.oracyaotearoa.nz
Your child’s voice has mana.

Oracy Aotearoa has been established to raise awareness of the importance of oracy: the ability to understand and use spoken language. We want everyone - whānau, friends, educators, NGOs and government to understand that oracy is vital to the well-being of individuals and the wider community.

08/09/2026

We're really happy to share the kaupapa of our friends at Safeguarding Children New Zealand, particularly during Safeguarding Children Week. Find out how you can get involved.

Child Safeguarding Week starts today!

Children spend time in all sorts of places outside their home, from schools and sports clubs to after-school care, activities and community organisations.

Parents and caregivers trust these places to keep their children safe. But how do we know that they are?

This Child Safeguarding Week, we’re asking:
How safe are the places your children go?

Throughout the week, we’re helping parents and caregivers understand what good safeguarding looks like, what to look for and what questions they can ask.

We’re also helping organisations take a closer look at their own safeguarding and make sure they can answer those questions clearly.

There’s lots to explore, including free practical resources and tools, online learning, webinars and new podcast conversations.

👉 Explore Child Safeguarding Week: https://childsafeguardingweek.org.nz/

And please help us spread the word. One share could put the right information in front of someone who needs it and help make a place safer for a child.

Child Safeguarding Week | 7 to 13 September 2026

04/09/2026

We love this kōrero about tamariki confidence! https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1HwpVaPKbf/