The First 1000 days .....
The first 1000 days of life are a key part of a child's development. No one understands this more than Māori speech therapist Hana Tuwhare - who helps to develop communication with pēpi.
She's part of a whānau-led approach encouraging pēpi not only to korero but to develop early learning skills.
As the granddaughter of renowned Ngāpuhi poet Hone Tuwhare, Hana knows the legacy language can create.
She is following in his footsteps, using oral language to inspire a new generation. She's a speech therapist helping pēpi up to the age of three to develop communication skills.
Hana says traditionally Māori placed a strong emphasis on developing oral skills for pēpi. This would be often done through singing waiata called Oriori.
"Our tupuna have always known that our pēpi were capable of quite rich and dense learning from such a young age."
Hana works closely with her colleague Tampy Berand and his son Hawaiiki Soul through the program Talking Matters.
Read the full article: https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/06/maori-speech-therapist-walks-the-talk.html
