Abstract
A history of assimilative education policies has eroded te reo Māori, disconnecting many Māori from their linguistic and cultural heritage. Operating under the bicultural curriculum, Te Whāriki, New Zealand early childhood education centres are expected to integrate te reo Māori into their English-medium programmes. This integration is crucial for revitalising the indigenous Māori language and immersing Māori tamariki (children) in an environment that reflects and affirms their cultural identity. The present study offers an observational analysis of te reo Māori use within English-medium early childhood education centres during implementation of a bilingual oral language intervention, ENRICH (ENhancing-RICH interactions). ENRICH aimed to foster high-quality English and te reo Māori interactions between kaiako (educators) and tamariki across everyday routines (Kai Time, Group Time, Book Time, and Free Play Time) and increase the integration of bilingual English-Māori picture books. ENRICH did not achieve statistically significant increases in te reo Māori in any routine over time in comparison to an Active Control condition. Instead, significant increases were observed in te reo Māori use across all routines combined, and specifically during Kai and Group routines, for both conditions over time. These increases are promising and indicative of educators' growing integration of te reo Māori. However, the observational analysis revealed educators' reliance on scripted te reo Māori, a lack of confidence using simple Māori sentences, and a need for greater support to engage with te reo Māori books. Educators require additional support to enhance their language proficiency and increase te reo Māori use in line with the bicultural focus of Te Whāriki. These findings provide insight into rates of te reo Māori use in early education, the challenges faced by kaiako, and recommendations for enhancing te reo Māori use through professional development in New Zealand.