Teaching Resources
The Year Programme
43 themed weeks across the four school terms. Today falls in Week 25 — Small Creatures - Insects and Bugs. Every week gives you the ring time, the words, one activity per learning area, a story, a song, an outdoor game, what to watch for, and a message to send parents.
SELECTED WEEK
Friends and Feelings
16 Mar – 20 Mar 2026
Week 10
Emotional vocabulary and simple self-regulation - naming a feeling is the first step to managing it.
Well-being
Launch the calm-down corner: practise 'smell the flower, blow the candle' breathing; children move their name peg on the feelings chart each morning.
Identity & Belonging
Paper-plate feelings masks - each child makes one feeling face and tells the class when they feel that way.
Communication
Sock-puppet conflict shows: two puppets fight over a toy; children tell the puppets what to do - share, swap, say sorry, take turns.
Exploring Mathematics
Feelings graph: each child pegs their name under today's feeling face; count the columns - which has more, which has fewer?
Creativity
Paint an 'angry' picture with big dark strokes and a 'happy' picture with light bright dots; talk about how each one feels to make.
Physical & the World
Cooperative circle ball - keep the ball rolling to every single friend in the circle; count how many passes before it stops.
⏰ Morning ring
- Feelings faces: happy, sad, angry, scared - show me each one
- What makes you happy? What makes you sad?
- When I am angry I can: stamp, breathe, tell the teacher - never hit
- How do we make and keep a friend?
📖 Story
'The Lion and the Mouse' (Aesop) - even the smallest friend matters. Act it out in pairs: big lion caught in the net, small mouse chewing him free.
🎵 Song
'A Ram Sam Sam' (traditional children's song) - first line: 'A ram sam sam, a ram sam sam'.
🏃 Outdoor
Partner challenges: wheelbarrow walk, back-to-back stand-up, three-legged walk with a fabric-strip tie.
💬 Words this week
happy sad angry scared friend share sorry kind
jabula (isiZulu - be happy)
umngani (isiZulu - friend)
munghana (Xitsonga - friend)
tsaka (Xitsonga - be glad)
👁 Watch and record
How children resolve conflict without adult help; children who hit, grab or withdraw - plan support and note friendship pairs for grouping.
🎓 Grade R stretch
Feelings diary: draw today's feeling and copy the feeling word; role-play 'what could you say instead' for a grabbing scenario.
📱 Message home to parents
Theme: Friends and Feelings. At supper, ask: 'What made you happy today? What made you sad?' Just listen and name the feeling - it teaches children to manage emotions.
The whole year
14 January - 27 March 2026 (11 weeks, 53 school days; unified national calendar - no separate inland/coastal clusters in 2026)
Myself and My World: settling in, separation security, my body, senses, family and home. Colours red/blue/yellow/green, shapes circle/square/triangle, numbers 1-5.
8 April - 26 June 2026 (12 weeks, 54 school days; public holidays: Freedom Day Mon 27 Apr, Workers' Day Fri 1 May, special holiday Mon 15 Jun, Youth Day Tue 16 Jun)
My Community and the Working World: the people, places, helpers and transport around us, farm life, and winter. Numbers to 10, shape consolidation, positional language.
21 July - 23 September 2026 (10 weeks, 46 school days; National Women's Day observed Mon 10 Aug; Heritage Day 24 Sep falls in the holiday)
The Natural World and Our Heritage: wild animals, small creatures, water, plants, spring, birds, and Heritage Month. Numbers to 10 and beyond, patterns, measurement.
6 October - 9 December 2026 (10 weeks, 47 school days; learners close 9 Dec, educators 11 Dec)
The Wider World, Big Dreams and Celebration: life cycles, storms, sky, sea, money, aspirations, summer safety and the year-end concert. School readiness consolidation for Grade R.
