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
Autumn - The Season Changes
23 Mar – 27 Mar 2026
Week 11
Noticing change in nature builds observation and early time concepts; closes the term before the autumn break.
Well-being
Morning sun stretch routine - and a first talk about covering coughs with the elbow as the cold season nears.
Identity & Belonging
Find your birthday on the class seasons wheel - whose birthday is in autumn, winter, spring, summer?
Communication
Leaf show-and-tell: each child finds one leaf and describes it with three words - big/small, colour, smooth/crunchy.
Exploring Mathematics
Sort collected leaves by size and colour into hoops; count each set and say which has more, fewer, the same.
Creativity
Leaf rubbings with the side of a crayon; arrange leaves into leaf-print animals and glue them down.
Physical & the World
Leaf-blowing races - blow a light leaf across the table line using only big breaths; then a rake-and-carry team tidy-up game.
⏰ Morning ring
- What is changing outside? Cooler mornings, falling leaves
- The four seasons wheel - where are we now?
- What will we wear when it gets colder?
- School closes on Friday - what happens in a holiday?
📖 Story
Original: 'The Tree Who Shared Her Leaves' - a tree gives her leaves to the wind, the ground and the insects, and promises new ones in spring. Tell it under a real tree, dropping a leaf at each gift.
🎵 Song
'Autumn Leaves Are Falling Down' (to the traditional tune of 'London Bridge') - first line: 'Autumn leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down'.
🏃 Outdoor
Falling-leaf catch - the teacher drops leaves or paper scraps from a height; children try to catch them before they land and count their catches.
💬 Words this week
autumn leaves wind cool brown orange tree change
ikwindla (isiZulu - autumn)
isihlahla (isiZulu - tree)
nsinya (Xitsonga - tree)
umoya (isiZulu - wind)
👁 Watch and record
Term 1 checkpoint: record each child's colour knowledge (4 colours), counting range, name knowledge, scissor grip and settling - this feeds parent feedback.
🎓 Grade R stretch
Sequence the four season cards and name each; copy the word 'autumn'; count backwards from 5 to 1 as leaves fall.
📱 Message home to parents
Theme: Autumn. School closes Friday 27 March and reopens Wednesday 8 April. In the holiday, collect leaves on walks and sort them by colour, and keep bedtime steady.
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.
