Niho
He whakarāpopoto
This poem is about brushing your teeth.
He whāinga ako
- To encourage students to establish and maintain a healthy routine of brushing teeth.
He whatu pānui
Hei tautoko i te kaipānui
- A short poem that can be easily memorised and actions added to it.
- Encourages students to eat fruit.
- Provides a practical way of improving self esteem by attention to personal grooming.
He kete kupu
Ensure that your students are familiar with the words in this 'He kete kupu' and are able to use them.
| rarama | gleam |
| waiho | leave |
Hei wānanga i te reo
- Two lines contain opposites – ata me te pō, te taha mauī me te taha matau. Discuss these opposites.
- One line encourages healthy eating – waiho ngā rare, me kai i ngā āporo.
Hei whakaihiihi
- Bring a range of different toothbrushes into the classroom. Discuss with the students the different types of toothbrushes available and their features.
Hei whakatā
- In pairs, the students can read through the text and think of how they could use actions for each phrase.
- How would they show morning and night?
- How would they show the last line?
Hei wānanga
- Create a rap with this poem. Add movements to it.
Hei mahi
- Share the story 'Tōku niho hou' written by Materoa Tangaere, in He Kohikohinga 28. This story is about losing a tooth and growing another. It also supports brushing your teeth in the morning and evening.
- Share the story Weiho mā te Tūrehu hei utu by Rongopai Broughton. This story is also about losing a tooth.
Hei mahi kē atu
- Create a mini book of the poem Niho for each student – one line per page. The students can then illustrate the first two pages. Using a digital camera, photograph each child cleaning their teeth and smiling. Put these photos on the other two pages.
- The students can draw, describe, and write about their toothbrush – ngā tae, te āhua, me ngā huruhuru.
