If you’re supporting tamariki with writing, having a few go-to phrases can make things feel a lot more natural. Here are nine simple phrases you can use every day, at home or in the classroom.

Me tuhi tahi tātou

Let’s all write together

Tuhia te rā

Write the date

Ūkuia/mukua, tīmata anō

Rub it out, start again

Āta whakahuatia te kupu, ā, whakarongo ki ia oro

Stretch the word out and listen carefully to each sound

Kia tika te pupuri i tō pene/pene rākau

Hold your pencil/pen correctly

Kia pēnei te tuhi

Write it like this

Me pūmatua, me pūriki rānei?

Should it be a capital or lowercase letter?

Āta tirohia te tātaki kupu

Check the spelling

Kātahi te tuhinga mīharo, ko tēnei!

What an amazing piece of writing this is!

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If you’d like something you can print and keep nearby, we’ve also created a practical reference sheet you can download and have on hand anytime.