The dictionary contains more than 800 essential, everyday Maori words and is illustrated to provide visual clues to key words. There is also ample space for students to add words as their vocabulary expands. This will suit young learners building a list of new Maori words, but there is also space for older students to add their own more sophisticated notes on construction, grammar, etc.

At the earliest stage of learning additional entries to the printed set will probably be suggested by the teacher. Later, however, students will learn to experiment with writing from the sound of the word and encouraged to list their entries when they have checked the correct spelling, recording such words for later reference.

This will be a resource through which a teacher can reinforce language skills and important general knowledge: initial sounds, phonetical groupings, compound word structure, parts of the body, days of the week, months of the year, seasons, key place names in Aotearoa, and the historic land bases of iwi. The numbers 1 to 10 are featured throughout the book as both words and numerals, and colours are indicated with balloons which students should colour in appropriately.

A list of suggestions for the use of the dictionary is also provided making this an essential teaching and learning tool.