MĀORI TELEVISION LAUNCHES NEW CURRICULUM-BASED CHILDREN’S SERIES

13 December 2007

MĪHARO is Māori Television’s new weekday educational series for tamariki – premiering Monday February 11 2008 at 5.00 PM.

Designed to inspire inquiring minds, MĪHARO is pacy, colourful and jam-packed with questions and answers; the ancient and the modern; learning and laughter.

MĪHARO means wonder, surprise, amazement and awe and the show is designed to educate Māori-speaking children in a delightfully entertaining way. Primarily targeted at five to eight-year-olds, this weekday educational series breaks new ground by having programme content specifically aligned with school curriculum areas.

MĪHARO is made by Auckland-based Tumanako Productions and producer Kay Ellmers has worked closely with experienced primary school teachers to ensure that the series’ content reflects school-based learning. Each week a new theme is presented.

In this series, the 10 themes are: wai (water); ngahere (the forest); ahi (fire); marae; te ao marama (the world of light); hau (air); tangaroa (sea); kai (food); kākahu (clothing) and tinana (the human body). Over the week, the theme is explored in six curriculum areas: pūtaiao (science); tikanga-a-iwi (social studies); pāngarau (maths); hauora (health); mahi toi (arts) and hangarau (technology).

The show’s presenters are a breath of fresh air, combining their love for learning with just the right amount of cheeky fun. Kereti Rautangata (Waikato, Tūhoe) is a familiar face to children’s television after hosting Māori Television’s Tikitiki and Koi while Pirimia Burger (Ngāi Tahu, Rangitāne) has also appeared on screen with a children’s cooking segment

Kereti and Pirimia ensure MĪHARO stays in touch with its audience by joining tamariki at different kura each week. Confident, bright, Māori-speaking children work with the presenters to introduce interactive games and short items about their own school – possibly launching the careers of some future broadcasters.

While the series was designed for children in Māori medium education, MĪHARO will also be enjoyed by tamariki and whānau with lower levels of reo Māori who wish to build their language skills. The series will give families an opportunity to engage with their tamariki and support their learning.

Join in the fun and a yearning for learning when MĪHARO premieres on Māori Television on Monday February 11 at 5.00 PM.

Ends

Sandy Hodge
Kaiwhakaputa (Publicist)
Māori Television
DDI +64 9 539 7009
MOB: +64 21 325 826
EML: sandy.hodge@maoritelevision.com