Tui
Primary guide and voice
Tui introduces each moment, repeats kupu aloud, and keeps the experience conversational, reassuring, and easy to follow.
Te reo Māori for everyday moments
Helping tamariki fall in love with te reo Māori from their very first words.
Ako Tamariki helps whānau bring te reo Māori into everyday life through short, playful learning moments, while giving early learning settings a trusted way to support young children through sound, play, and repetition.
79 kupu across 10 playful themesAudio-first moments for pre-literate learnersDesigned for homes, centres, and kura journeys
Audio-first learning designed for tamariki aged 2 to 8 who are not yet reading independently
A growing library of 79 kupu across 10 themes, brought to life with spoken te reo and playful illustration
Created for whānau at home and for early learning settings wanting a calm, culturally grounded learning tool
Voice-first guidance
Hear how Tui can guide the experience before a child ever downloads the app
These small voice moments show how spoken guidance can welcome, prompt, and encourage a child through the learning journey.
Play welcome
A warm greeting that introduces the world of Ako Tamariki.
Spoken preview
Kia ora e hoa. Haere mai. Me ako tātou i ētahi kupu hou.
Play find-the-word prompt
A guided play instruction showing how spoken prompts lead the child.
Spoken preview
Kei hea te kuri? Titiro pai, kātahi ka pāwhiri.
Play celebration praise
A cheerful reward moment that makes success feel immediate and warm.
Spoken preview
Ka pai. Tino pai rawa atu.
Learning by age and stage
Ako matches the learning journey to each child’s age and stage
Tamariki · 4 to 5
Choose Pepi, Tamariki, or Pakeke to explore how pacing, lesson shape, and support shift for each learner.
01
Pace
Balanced and playful
02
Session shape
6 to 8 kupu across mixed themes
03
Guidance style
Discover, recognise, and tap-to-answer rounds
04
Learning focus
Steady challenge with everyday repetition
Preview lesson flow
01Tui greeting
02Mixed-theme discovery
03Find-the-word play
04Celebration and next round
A calm learning world
Seven companions shape how each learning moment feels.
Tui stays present throughout the journey, while Honu, Kapa, Kā, Ahi, Wai, and Rere each support immersion, action, progress, confidence, and celebration in a gentle rhythm.
Honu
Immersion and story
Honu slows the pace for listening, storytelling, and richer language understanding built through context.
Kapa
Interaction and problem-solving
Kapa drives matching, choosing, and playful trial-and-error so children learn through doing, not through pressure.
Kā
Growth and progression
Kā gives progress a living form, showing steady growth through meaningful stages instead of hard-edged bars or scores.
Ahi
Consistency and return rhythm
Ahi gently marks daily use with warmth and familiarity, helping healthy habits form without heavy gamification.
Wai
Flow and adaptive support
Wai softens transitions, hesitation, and retries so momentum stays calm, confident, and uninterrupted.
Rere
Encouragement and celebration
Rere appears in the lightest moments of success to reinforce confidence, delight, and emotional safety.
Join by role
The waitlist is now ready for parents, kaiako, centres, kura, and community partners
Different pathways help whānau, kaiako, centres, kura, and community partners move toward the next step that fits them best.
Parents and whānauKaiakoEarly learning centresKuraCommunity partners
Waitlist
Register your interest
Join as a parent, member of whānau, kaiako, kura, early learning provider, or community partner. Every expression of interest helps us understand the support, settings, and partnerships people need most.
Join by role
The waitlist is now ready for parents, kaiako, centres, kura, and community partners
Different pathways help whānau, kaiako, centres, kura, and community partners move toward the next step that fits them best.
Parents and whānauKaiakoEarly learning centresKuraCommunity partners
Waitlist
Register your interest
Join as a parent, member of whānau, kaiako, kura, early learning provider, or community partner. Every expression of interest helps us understand the support, settings, and partnerships people need most.
How Ako works
A short, guided learning loop for homes, centres, and future funding partners.
Ako Tamariki supports not just the child, but also the people helping bring te reo Māori into everyday routines around them.
Journey
Parents and whānau
A caregiver chooses a short session, the child follows Tui through spoken prompts, and home reo moments become easier to repeat.
Journey
Schools and centres
Kaiako can picture where guided play, shared listening, and quiet repetition would fit into calm group routines.
Journey
Funders and partners
Supporters can quickly see the pathway from cultural concept to practical daily learning impact for tamariki.
Whānau impact journey
Show what progress feels like from the very first listen to confident everyday reo use.
A small audio-first moment can grow into routine, recall, and shared confidence around the child as te reo Māori becomes part of everyday life.
What this means for whānau
Short sessions feel achievable even in busy home rhythms.
The child experiences progress before reading is required.
Parents and caregivers gain gentle prompts for repeating kupu beyond the screen.
01
First listen
Tui introduces a kupu with a warm voice, a single illustration, and no pressure to perform.
02
First tap and recognition
The child starts matching sound and image, with quick praise making each attempt feel safe.
03
First repeat at home
A parent or caregiver hears the kupu echoed back during a meal, a car ride, or bedtime routine.
04
Growing confidence
The child begins recognising kupu faster, and whānau feel more confident weaving te reo Māori into everyday life.
How the learning journey works
Young children are ready to learn through sound, play, and connection long before reading comes easily.
A simpler three-step rhythm keeps the learning flow easy to understand at a glance.
01
Discover
Children meet each kupu through sound, image, and movement
Large illustrations, clear spoken prompts, and gentle motion help tamariki connect with new kupu without pressure or text-heavy instruction.
02
Recognise
Play turns repetition into confidence
Tamariki respond by tapping, listening, and exploring while the Tui guide offers immediate encouragement and makes learning feel safe to try again.
03
Grow
Whānau and kaiako can grow with the journey
The journey supports learning at home and in early learning settings, with simple ways for adults to notice how confidence grows over time.
Choose the path that fits
Follow the path that matches your role in a child’s learning journey.
Whānau, kaiako, centres, and partners can each move straight into the guidance, context, and next steps that matter most to them.
Why children return to it
Calm, guided learning children can return to again and again
Short sessions, spoken prompts, and gentle encouragement help tamariki stay engaged while whānau and kaiako feel clear about how to support the next step.
Grounded in everyday use
Ako Tamariki is shaped around short listening moments, repeated kupu, and practical support that can fit into everyday routines at home and in learning settings.