When my children were young, I made tunes for scripture passages to help them commit the passages to memory. What works for English should work for Maori too.
So here is a tune I made for John 3:16 in Maori. I hope I am not pronouncing it too badly.
Click this link 🙂

Koia ano te aroha o te Atua ki te ao, (You don’t say, the love God had for the world)
Homai ana e ia tana Tama kotahi, (He gave His one Son)
Kia kāhore ai e ngaro (let them not perish)
Te tangata e whakapono ana ki a ia, (the person who believes in Him)
Engari kia whiwhi ai ki te ora tonu. (On the other hand, he will get life eternal)