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
Weather Watch
6 Apr – 10 Apr 2026
Week 12
Daily weather observation builds recording habits, describing words and calendar maths for the whole term.
Well-being
Dressing for weather: sort clothes pictures onto sunny/cold/rain boards and talk about why we wear hats in the sun.
Identity & Belonging
Draw your favourite kind of weather and tell the class why you love it.
Communication
Daily weather reporter - one child reports 'Today is...' into a cardboard-tube microphone at ring time; rotate all term.
Exploring Mathematics
Peg today's weather symbol on the chart; on Friday count the week - how many sunny days, how many cloudy?
Creativity
Cotton-wool and torn-paper cloud pictures; wind streamers from plastic-bag strips tied to sticks.
Physical & the World
Weather movement game: 'sunshine' = stretch tall, 'rain' = fast finger-taps on the floor, 'wind' = sway, 'storm' = stamp and spin.
⏰ Morning ring
- Look out the window: what is the weather today?
- Weather words: sunny, cloudy, windy, rainy, cold
- What does the sky tell us before rain comes?
- We start our class weather chart today
📖 Story
'The North Wind and the Sun' (Aesop) - the contest to make the traveller take off his coat; gentleness wins. Children act the blowing wind and the warm sun.
🎵 Song
'Rain, Rain, Go Away' (traditional) - first line: 'Rain, rain, go away, come again another day'.
🏃 Outdoor
Shadow tag in the sun - step on a friend's shadow to tag them; notice how shadows stretch and move.
💬 Words this week
sun rain wind cloud hot cold sky today
ilanga (isiZulu - sun)
dyambu (Xitsonga - sun)
imvula (isiZulu - rain)
mpfula (Xitsonga - rain)
👁 Watch and record
Use of describing words for weather; which children can 'read' the chart symbols without help.
🎓 Grade R stretch
Keep a five-day weather record with tally marks and report the totals to the class on Friday.
📱 Message home to parents
Theme: Weather. Each morning, look at the sky together and ask: 'What is the weather today? What should you wear?'
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.
